Venezuelan definitive stamps
Record status
Individual type · research required
Period
19th - 20th century
Issuing entity
VenezuelaVenezuelan definitive stamps are regular postal issues produced for Venezuela, beginning with the nation's first postage stamps released on 1 January 1859. Spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the postal output of this South American republic includes numerous early issues characterised by multiple printings and reprints.
During the late nineteenth century, Venezuelan postage issues also reflected geopolitical disputes, such as an 1896 stamp printed with a map delineating Guyana up to the east bank of the Essequibo River as "Guayana Venezolana" in connection with the Venezuela Crisis of 1895. Additionally, British stamps circulated contemporaneously through specific local offices in Venezuela before the close of the nineteenth century.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 2
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Following its independence from Spain in 1821, Venezuela introduced its first postage stamps on 1 January 1859. During the nineteenth century, foreign postal agencies also operated locally, with British stamps used at La Guaira between 1865 and 1880 and at Ciudad Bolivar between 1868 and 1880. Postal releases were also utilised to assert national sovereignty, as seen in the 1896 map issue printed following the Venezuela Crisis of 1895. Due to the high incidence of reprints and forgeries associated with early printings, expert opinion is an important factor when assessing early Venezuelan postal material.
Identification
- Recognition pointers (from background sources)
- Check for the 1896 issue displaying a map designating territory up to the east bank of the Essequibo River as "Guayana Venezolana". Identify British stamps used in Venezuela by their specific postal cancels: "C60" for La Guaira (1865–1880) and "D22" for Ciudad Bolivar (1868–1880). Examine early material carefully to distinguish genuine issues from the numerous reprints and forgeries known to exist.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Printing and reprint distinctions require transcription from a specialist reference.