2018-05-30 Wed

Also known as the “Cap de Bour”, Bull Head stamps were the earliest stamps of Romania. These stamps were issued in the year 1858 in the Romanian principality of Moldova.

Following the 1856 Treaty of Paris, the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia took a number of modernizing measures, including postal reform. In Moldavia, caimacam (governor) Nicolae Vogoride and his council set up a postal headquarters in Lasi.

The principality of Moldavia issued stamps immediately upon gaining autonomy in 1858, with the first cap de bour stamps being issued in July 1858. These were produced by hand-stamping on laid paper.

First Bull Head stamp issued was with a face value of 27 parale (an old Romanian currency that doesn’t exist anymore). The initial design was round with black on white paper which shortly followed by a square frame with rounded corners and using blue over white paper. The 27 parale Bull Head stamp is considered to be one of the rarest and most valuable Romanian collectable stamps.

Some ended up in the British Museum and other public exhibitions; some were seized by Soviet troops at the end of World War Two and vanished. Those which survived have considerable value in the World of Philately.

Image Curtsey: https://www.romania-insider.com