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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 2

BOLIVIA 1897-1920 and miscellaneous

Return To Catalogue - Bolivia 1867 issue - Bolivia 1869-1896

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For stamps of Bolivia issued before 1897 click here.

1897 Various persons and arms (2 B)

  1 c green (Frias)
  2 c red (Linares)
  5 c green (Murillo)
  10 c lilac (Monteagudo)
  20 c red and black (Ballivian)
  50 c orange (Sucre)
  1 B blue (Bolivar)
  2 B black, red, yellow and green (arms)

These stamps have perforation 12.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Postal forgery, example:

Forgery of the 2 B:

Dangerous forgery of the 2 B

A dangerous forgery of the 2 B stamp exist, it can apparently be identified by the three small triangles just above the word 'BOLIVIANOS'. In the forgeries, the downwards directed triangles touch the black outline beneath it. In the genuine stamps, these two triangles do not touch it. The black stars at the sides are also too regular in the forgeries. The forgeries are perforated 11 1/2. Finally, there is no accent of 'PUB' of 'REPUBLICA' (the genuine stamps should have this accent). Apparently this forgery was sold by the stamp forger Fournier, he applied a 'BOLIVIA' in a box cancel too it (see image below), but also sold the stamp without any cancel. I'm not sure if Fournier was the producer of this forgery.

Some forged Fournier cancels of Bolivia (the 'BOLIVIA' in a box cancel was used on forged 2 B 1897 stamps) and the forged 'E.F.1899' overprint as found in the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.

1899 General Sucre

  1 c blue
  2 c red
  5 c green
  5 c red (1900)
  10 c orange
  20 c red
  50 c brown
  1 B lilac

These stamps have perforation 11 1/2.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1901 Various famous persons

  1 c lilac (A.Ballivian, 2 types)
  1 c red (1912)
  2 c green (Camacho)
  2 c red (1912)
  5 c red (Campero)
  5 c green (1912)
  8 c yellow (1912)
  10 c blue (J.Ballivian)
  10 c grey (1912)
  20 c violet and black (S.Cruz)
  50 c violet (1912)
  1 B blue (1912)

Surcharged
  '5 Centavos 1911' on 2 c green

Other surcharges exist but are probably bogus issues: for example: '5 Centavos 1911' or '2 Centavos 1911' on several stamps.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I've seen a crude forgery of the 10 c grey issue with perforation 11 1/2 instead of 12 (sorry, no image available yet).

1901 Arms

  2 B brown
  2 B black (1912)

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1909 Issue for La Paz, inscription 'CENTENARIO DE LA REVOLUCION DE JULIO'

  5 c blue and black (arms)
  10 c green and black
  20 c orange and black
  2 B red and black

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1909 Famous persons, inscription 'CENTENARIO DE LA GUERRA DE INDEPENENCIA'

  1 c brown and black
  2 c green and black
  5 c red and black
  5 c green and black (1910)
  10 c blue and black
  10 c red and black (1910)
  20 c violet and black
  20 c blue and black (1910)
  50 c olive and black
  1 B brown and black
  2 B brown and black

The stamps issued in 1910 have changed inscription '1910-1825'.

A non-official surcharge exists: '20 CENTAVOS 1911' on 20 c violet and black (Villa Bella issue).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Forgery, example:

1912 Fiscal stamps, overprinted 'CORREOS 1912'

(Sorry, no picture available yet)

  2 c green
  5 c yellow (overprint red)
  10 c red (overprint blue)

Surcharged
  'Correos 10 Centavos 1912' (red or black) on 1 c blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Forged overprints exist, example (this one has the wrong colour!):

And another forged double overprint:

1916 Various views

  1/2 c brown (Statue of Monolito)
  1 c green (El Potosi volcano)
  2 c red and black (Lago Titicaca)
  5 c blue (El Illimani mountain, 2 types)
  10 c orange and blue (Palace of Justice)

The 2 types of the 10 c

In the first type of the 10 c, the word 'PALACIO LEGISLATIVO' is smaller, in the second type it is written larger and there is a '.' behind the second word.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I've seen an imperforate 2 c stamp, which was prepared on purpose for a post office official.

1917 Fiscal stamp, overprinted 'CORREOS 10 Cts. -1917-' in red

Genuine overprint

  10 c on 1 c blue

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1919 Arms, inscription 'CORREOS DE BOLIVIA' on top

  1 c red (1920)
  2 c violet
  2 c yellow (1928)
  3 c red (1928)
  4 c lilac (1928)
  5 c green
  10 c red
  15 c blue (1925)
  20 c blue
  20 c green (1928)
  22 c blue
  24 c violet
  30 c violet (1928)
  40 c orange (1928)
  50 c orange
  50 c brown (1928)
  1 B brown
  1 B red (1928)
  2 B brown
  2 B lilac (1928)
  3 B green (1928)
  4 B red (1928)
  5 B brown (1928)

Surcharged 
  '5 cts.' on 1 c red (1924)
  '15 cts.' on 10 c red (1924)
  '15 cts.' on 22 c blue (1924, 2 types of overprint)
  '1927 5 CENTAVOS' (blue) on 1 c red (1927)
  10 c on 24 c violet (1927)
  '15 cts. 1928' (red) on 20 c blue (1928)
  '15 cts. 1928' on 24 c violet (1928)
  '15 cts. 1928' on 50 c orange (1928)

With overprint 'Octobre 1927' and star
  5 c green
  10 c grey
  15 c red

I've been told that the next stamp with inverted overprint is a forgery:

The next stamp, a 2 c violet with 'Habilitado 15 cts' inverted overprint, is a bogus issue (from the same source as the above forgery?):

Bogus issues

First bogus issue

The above bogus stamp has a train riding from the lower left corner to the upper right corner, the inscription is 'CORREOS BOLIVIA IMPRESOS'. I have seen the values 1/2 c orange, 1 c red, 2 c lilac, 5 c blue, 10 c yellow, 20 c green and 50 c red.

Second bogus issue

Another bogus issue:

(Reduced sizes)

I have seen: 1 c green (ruines), 2 c red (church), 5 c brown (ruines), 10 c lilac (sailing boat), 20 c yellow (rowing boat), 50 c blue (train), 1 B red (ruines), 2 B blue (big ship) and 5 B black (arms of Bolivia).

I have seen all these stamps (except 2 B) in changed colours with a coloured border. If I'm well informed these are German forgeries of the original designs. Examples:

If I'm well informed these are German forgeries of the original bogus issue

Fiscal Stamps

1906 Consular stamps ('TIMBRE CONSULAR')

(5 B with 'SPECIMEN' overprint)

  1 B red (arms)
  2 B violet (Mercury?)
  5 B green (train, very rare)

Other fiscal stamps exist (sorry, no pictures available yet).

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer