2016-12-27 Tue

A set of stamps were issued by El Salvador, printed by the Columbian Bank Note Co. of Chicago on 16th March 1935 which was the first day of the Third Central American Sports Games. Five regular-issue definitives and five airmails in small numbers were issued. The regular stamps depict a discus thrower, while the airmail stamps show a runner at the finish line with an aeroplane in the sky. 741 athletes from nine nations competed in 14 sports at the games. Mexico and Cuba won the most of the medals and El Salvador won 18.

The 1col denomination and the word “COIN” replaced for “COLON”. Perforated proofs seem to read “Columbian Bank Note Company Chicago” and “specimen” in vertical columns. Both the stamps were reissued three months later with the overprint “HABILITADO. The earlier issue was probably not demonetized because the 1col denomination was used till 1954. Postal clerks might have later identified that their stamp was invalid.

The habilitado stamps were printed in substantially greater numbers than the earlier versions. The smaller-quantity stamps without overprints are more difficult to find on a cover. The 55c value of the habilitado stamps was revalued to 30c in 1937 with a red surcharge and 33,692 were printed.