Ecuador Nativity Stamp

Anyone give me any info on this Art stamp from Ecuador?
It's very pretty, but I find it unusual because it's imperforated. There's also a silver overprint of the crest of the country in the lower left corner.



I can't find it in my 2003 Scott's. It's probably newer than that.
I'm really just curious.

I have that as the Ecuador Holy Family (La Sainte Famille) stamp. Issued 1969, Scott 733B, Y&T 837. I haven't got a South America catalogue so I don't know whether those listing numbers refer to an imperforate or perforate issue. Perhaps some Latin America experts here will have more info for you.

The artist was Raphael (1483 - 1520).

Terry

More. The painting is sometimes known as the Madonna della Rosa and shows Mary and Joseph with the infant Christ. The other child is the infant John the Baptist. Here are two images of the original painting by Raphael......

Terry

Some Ecuador issues during the 'crazy years' 1966/69 were issued both as sheet and (imperf) m/s sets. The imperforates have been simply cut from m/s.

Hi

I think Terry typed the Scott number wrong. My Scott has the stamp as: Scott 773B issued in the 1969.

The stamp you show was cut from a souvenir sheet Scott 773Ce (sheet of 2 with the 1s and a 1.30s stamp).

The prices for souvenir sheets from this era are pricey. 773Ce is $6.75 Mint and Used.

Jerry B

Hi jamesw,

There you go. Jerry B has the straight goods for you. I was going from a notebook where I keep info on Art and Artists on stamps and obviously jotted the numbers down wrongly. Paintings on Stamps is a theme that interests me, but time has not been available to do much on starting a collection yet. This particular painting by Raphael also has a number of versions attributed to his studio, produced by his student assistants no doubt.

Terry

Hi Terry

I knew someone who had a "Paintings" topical collection. The collection was hugh. It seems that everybody and his brother issued Art stamps, especially France.

Good luck on starting such a topical. I thought about starting one myself but chickened out after I saw my friend's collection.

Jerry B

Hi Jerry B,

Yes every nation on the planet seems to have put out an art series. The quality varies considerably, though. My thinking was to only collect the best examples from each country. I am particularly fond of the French Art Series stamps. They obviously realised the impossibility of accurately reproducing any painting exactly on a stamp and have designed a style for their stamps that gives them a quality all their own. And the printing is excellent. Soooo....cut out the poor quality stuff and only collect the beauties.

Terry

i may be getting off subject just a bit...but I have noticed lately the high prices being realized on the internet for scarce fairly modern sets from "less popular" countries....these stamps must have been issued in very small amounts ...one set depicting wild animals from 1983 Burundi with a 2012 scott catalog value of $1287.00 went for 4 or 5 hundred dollars !!

Hi Jerry B,

A few examples of the French stamps........

Terry

Hi philb,

I have just had a quick look. Burundi stamps in sets, or singles (animals, fish, butterflies) on offer for several hundreds of pounds. Why? There seems nothing exceptional about them.

Terry

Terry, All I can come up with is that the number of sets available to the public must have been very small..making them desirable to certain collectors..i was amazed when I saw the bidding activity !! The same with "modern" souvineer sheets from Bulgaria with a Europa or Council of Europe theme..my wife bids on them..you would think they would go for a few dollars...but there is a demand for them !!