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Argentina | Bolivia | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica | Cuba | Dominican Rep. | Ecuador | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras |
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Mexico | Morocco | Guinea | Nicaragua | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Puerto Rico | Uruguay | Venezuela |
I have brought these prices up to date and added currency selection. I have made an addition and, to avoid confusion, I have given this an RH number (Revised Hiscocks). 'RH' numbers are the same as 'H' numbers otherwise CheckList Setup |
1883 (1 July) Wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 12 (Slightly variable).
Printed by the American Bank Note Co. in sheets of 100 (10x10) - imprint in the middle of each side.
(The Ostrich feather on these is higher on the right-hand side, unlike the next type.)
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Type 1, 2c, H1 | Type 1, 10c, H2 | Type 1, 20c, H3 | Type 1, 20c, H3a with imprint |
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Type 1, 1P, H4 | Type 1, 5P, H5 | Type 1, 10P, H6 |
Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|
H1 | 1 | 2c light brown | 6.00 | 1.50 |
H2 | 1 | 10c brown olive to yellow olive | 3.00 | 1.00 |
H3 | 1 | 20c deep blue | 6.00 | 0.60 |
H3a | on blue surfaced paper | 10.00 | 3.00 | |
H4 | 1 | 1P deep brown | 2.50 | 3.00 |
H5 | 1 | 5P dull scarlet | 8.00 | 6.00 |
H6 | 1 | 10P deep bluish green | 20.00 | 15.00 |
Hiscocks added the following note:
Note.
Nos. 1-4 were used for postal purposes in 1891. The above prices refer to telegraphically used stamps. The usual telegraphic cancellation was a 17mm circle with a star in the centre and 'Telegraphos del Estado, Chile' within the rim — found in blue, black, red, etc. |
From 1891 Telegraph stamps could also be used postally. Here is a postally used example:
The large 'T' printed on this, has nothing to do with telegraphy, as in a lot of countries
it stands for 'Taxe' indicating underpayment and postage due.
Later, from about 1894, the 'Telegraphos del Estado' was abbreviated to 'T. DEL E.' See the 5c below.
1894 Wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14.
Hiscocks Type 2, smaller and narrower, noticeable in the value tablets and the Ostrich feather is higher on the left-hand side.
The cancel on the 5c is 'T. DEL E.' standing for Telegrafo Del Estado., introduced about 1894.
Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|
H7 | 2 | 2c light brown | 2.00 | 1.00 |
H8 | 2 | 5c red | 12.00 | 6.00 |
H9 | 2 | 10c olive | 3.00 | 1.00 |
H10 | 2 | 20c deep blue | 3.00 | 1.20 |
H11 | 2 | 1P deep brown | 5.00 | 1.50 |
1901-1902 Pedro de Valdiva. Wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14-15.
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Type 3, 5c, H12 | Type 3, 10c, H13 | Type 3, 20c, H14 | Type 4 (larger head), 20c, H15 |
Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|
H12 | 3 | 5c carmine | 8.00 | 2.50 |
H13 | 3 | 10c olive green | 6.00 | 1.20 |
H14 | 3 | 20c blue | 60.00 | 10.00 |
Hiscocks added the following note:
Note. Nos. 11, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 18 were overprinted for postal use in 1904 (SG 94-103). |
1902 As above but new die (larger head). White wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 12.
Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|
H15 | 4 | 20c ultramarine | 12.00 | 3.00 |
1902 New design. White wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 12.
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Type 5, 2c, H16 | Type 5, 5c, H17 | Type 5, 10c, H18 |
RH # | Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
RH16 | H16 | 5 | 2c light brown | 10.00 | 3.00 |
RH16a | - | 5 | imperforate | - | - |
RH17 | H17 | 5 | 5c red | 6.00 | 2.00 |
RH18 | H18 | 5 | 10c olive green | 15.00 | 2.50 |
Hiscocks added the following 2 notes:
Note 1.
Nos. 16-18 differ from Nos. 1-6 in that the heraldic horse of Nos. 1-6 has been turned into a 'Huemul' or mountain deer by the removal of the mane and tail. The ornamentation below the centre shield also differs. |
Note 2.
It is not clear whether the above stamps remained in use until the issue of the next ones in 1927 (in which case I would expect them to be much more common than in fact they are) or whether the use of telegraph stamps lapsed for some twenty years. |
My note on this: The 'heraldic horse' was supposed to have been engraved as a Huemul in the first place.
Unfortunately the foreign engraver knew nothing of Huemuls and 'corrected' the Coat of arms to have a horse !
It took nearly 20 years to correct this embarrassing and high-profile mistake on their Coat of Arms !
An imperforate example, RH16a, courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.
1927 White wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14 x 14½.
These were a surtax on telegraphs to raise money for victims of the 6th July Alpatacal Railway disaster.
Hiscocks types 6 and 7.
The *40c was listed by Hiscocks as 20c so I have corrected it below.
Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|
H19 | 6 | 10c red and black | 7.00 | 5.00 |
H19a | damaged 'I' and 'L' in 'CHILE' | 50.00 | 40.00 | |
H19b | closed 'E' in 'DE' | 12.00 | 10.00 | |
H19c | closed 'E' in 'CHILE' | 12.00 | 10.00 | |
H20 | 6 | *40c blue and black | 15.00 | 12.00 |
Hiscocks added the following note:
Note.
Nos. 19 and 20 were issued to raise money for the victims of the Alpatacal railway disaster. It is not clear whether it is a true telegraph stamp or a charity stamp and, if the latter, whether its use was compulsory. |
1929 White wove paper. Perf. 14 x 14½. Watermark W1, multiple star in shield, sideways.
These are inscribed "DERECHO DE TASA FIJA" meaning "Fixed Rate Law".
According to John Barefoot, they were a Revenue tax on telegraph receipts.
Hisc. | Type. | Description | Mint | Used |
---|---|---|---|---|
H21 | 7 | 20c blue | 15.00 | 3.00 |
Steve Hiscocks made a start on cataloguing seals of the world in a book he published in 2007.
It was his hope to update it later, but unfortunately that was not to be.
His original book can be viewed at
Telegraph Seals: A World Catalogue. There are links from the pages to my updates.
Alternatively you can view my latest page for the telegram seals Chile.
If anyone can provide scans to help with this, I am happy to give appropriate credit.
Last updated 25th. October 2021
©Copyright Steve Panting 2012/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21 except where stated.
Permission is hereby granted to copy material for which the copyright is owned by myself, on condition that any data is not altered and this website is given credit.