2018-09-26 Wed

The first stamps issued in Bolivia were issued as part of a concession granted by the government to a private company in 1863. This issue is disputed and referred to, but not listed, in the catalogs. Hence, the first Government Issue dates from 1867.

The Republic of Bolivia was established in 1825, and named for Simon Bolivar, the leader of the Spanish American wars of Independence. Located in central South America, the country was formerly known as Upper Peru and became an independent republic on 6 August 1825. It has produced its own postage stamps since 1867.

The first issues of Bolivia depict an eagle inside an oval frame in the centre. The oval frame is inscribed with “CORREOS BOLIVIA CONTRATOS” and “CENTAVOS” at the bottom. The denomination value in numeral is seen in the four corners of the stamps.

The first stamp issues of the country were printed from plates engraved by hand, each stamp on the plate being engraved separately. The stamps come in the various denominations 5 centavos being the lowest and the 100 centavos is the highest.

Image Courtesy: https://colnect.com