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Telegraph stamps of the World Click here for a site-map.

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Puerto Rico.

Steve Hiscocks wrote:
The post office telegraph stamps of Puerto Rico follow the usual pattern of those of Spanish colonies of the time in that they bear the arms of Spain or,
in 1876, the head of King Alfonso XII. A new pair was brought out for each of the eleven years of issue and, except for 1875, these included the date
in the design. Those of 1871 to 1876 do not, however, include the name of the country. From 1882 to 1898 (the end of Spanish rule) ordinary postage
stamps were used and a punched cancellation is usually taken as indicating such use although the use of hand-stamped 'thunder-bolt' motif for telegraphic
cancellation was also reported in 1891.
In addition to the post office telegraph stamps, so called municipal stamps were produced for at least 19 towns in 1886 to 1888 and used for some years
to defray the costs of telegraph lines to those towns. These stamps certainly come within the remit of this catalogue in that their use was essential
if one wished to send a telegram from any of those towns but their exact status is not clear. Forbin in 1915 lists them as municipal tax stamps
(Forbin does not cover telegraph stamps per se) so it is not certain whether they covered the cost of the telegram to the nearest post office line or
whether post office stamps (i.e. postage stamps at that time) covered the entire route and these represented an additional toll.

---

 

A map of Puerto Rico showing early train route in blue (1906) and later (1910) changes in purple, together with Municipality boundaries. Stations on the route are the same names as the Municipalities, with a few extra having the names given in colour. I generally like to show the telegraph route, but I do not have that. Usually though the telegraph follows the rail route since the railway needs it and it makes laying the telegraph easier. The dashed line in the North-west corner was a section that did not have track in 1906 and the connection was made by automobile. A similar map of 1910 shows it completed, a loop into Cabo Rojo, with stations at Cabo Rojo and Boqueron, and the line continuing from Ponce to Guayama via Santa Isabel and Salinas. There were also links added from Rio Piedras, south to Caguas, Anasco to San Sebastian, San German to Sabana Grande and Bayamon north to Catano.

According to atlantic-Cable.com, from 1870-73 cables for the West India & Panama Telegraph Co. were laid accordingly: Santiago de Cuba → Holland Bay, Jamaica → Colon, Panama. Jamaica → San Juan, Puerto Rico → St. Thomas → St. Kitts → Antigua → Guadeloupe → Dominica → Martinique → St. Lucia → St. Vincent → Barbados. St. Vincent → Grenada → Trinidad → British Guiana.

 

National stamps.

1871 (January) On white wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14

 
Type 1 (H1 and H2) courtesy of John Barefoot.

Hisc.	Type.	1871 Description	Mint	Used
H1	1	2p pale lilac	80.00	20.00
H1a		imperf.	120.00	-
H2	1	4p pale yellow-brown	80.00	20.00
H2a		imperf.	120.00	-

 

1872 (January) As above but dated 1872.

H4 courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es - click image for listing.	Type 1 (H3a and H4a) from Wiki Commons.

Hisc.	Type.	1872 Description	Mint	Used
H3	1	2p blue	47.50	12.50
H3a		imperf.	95.00	-
H4	1	4p myrtle green	40.00	12.50
H4a		imperf.	80.00	-

 

1873 (January) As above but dated 1873.

1873 issue courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es.
click image for listing.

Hisc.	Type.	1873 Description	Mint	Used
H5	1	2p darkish blue	45.00	12.50
H5a		imperf.	15.00	-
H6	1	4p lilac-grey	85.00	12.50
H6a		imperf.	15.00	-
H7	1	4p greyish purple	85.00	12.50
H7a		imperf.	15.00	-

 

1874 (January) As above but dated 1874.

1874 issue courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es.
click image for listing.

Hisc.	Type.	1874 Description	Mint	Used
H8	1	2p dark green	85.00	18.50
H8a		imperf.	130.00	-
H9	1	4p carmine	85.00	18.50
H9a		imperf.	130.00	-

 

1875 (January) New design. No date. White wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14

Type 2 (H10) notice the circular mark. This has been punched, but not right through.
It was described as "Puerto Rico Sueltos Telegrafos - 0009 o", the "o" apparently meaning punched.

Hisc.	Type.	1875 Description	Mint	Used
H10	2	2p black	25.00	10.00
H10a		imperf.	60.00	-
H11	2	4p yellow-brown	75.00	10.00
H11a		imperf.	150.00	-

 

1876 (January) New design (Alfonso XII). Dated 1876. White wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14

Type 3 - H12	Type 3 - H12a courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type 3 - H13 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type 3 - H13a courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type 3 - H14

 

Hisc.	Type.	1876 Description	Mint	Used
H12	3	2p blue	20.00	5.50
H12a		imperf.	45.00	-
H13	3	4p yellow (shades to dull orange)	20.00	5.50
H13a		imperf.	45.00	-
H14	3	4p dull carmine	15.00	5.50
H14a		imperf.	25.00	-

 

1876 (January) No. 12 overprinted with a large script initial (two types — 4 and 5) in black.

Types 4 & 5 from Hiscocks page 254.	H15 courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es. click image for listing.

 

Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H15	3, 4	2p blue	600.00	250.00
H16	3, 5	2p blue	600.00	250.00

Ultramar. (meaning Overseas)

At this point it may also be worth mentioning these.
Ultramar means Overseas. These were also used in Cuba.

1873 25c with type a overprint. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1873 50c with type a overprint.	1873 1p with type a overprint. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1874 25c with type b overprint. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

1875 25c with type b overprint. 1 hole. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1875 25c with type b overprint. 2 holes.	1875 50c with type b overprint.	1875 1p with type b overprint. 1 hole. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

1876 25c with type c overprint. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1876 25c with type d overprint. Two examples with backwards 'C' punch hole. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.		1876 50c with type c overprint.

These are mentioned by the Scott Catalogue for years 1873 to 1876) as having overprints a, b and c.
They are all Ultramar (overseas) stamps with a variety of punch holes in each.
Scott adds the note:
Varieties of overprint include inverted, double, partly omitted and sideways. Counterfeit overprints exist.

 

1877 (January) New design incorporating date (1877) and country (P^TO-RICO). Wove paper. No watermark. Perf. 14

As Hiscocks page 254.

Hisc.	Type.	1877 Description	Mint	Used
H17	6	2p green	47.00	10.00
H17a		imperf.	60.00	-
H18	6	4p light brown (shades)	47.00	10.00
H18a		imperf.	60.00	-

 

1878 (January) As above but shield altered and dated 1878.

1878 Type 7 courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es.   Click image for listing.	1878 Type 7 - H19a courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

 

Hisc.	Type.	1878 Description	Mint	Used
H19	7	2p blue	20.00	6.00
H19a		imperf.	40.00	-
H20	7	4p light green	27.50	6.00
H20a		imperf.	50.00	-

 

1879 (January) As above but dated 1879.

1879 issue courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es.
click image for listing.

Hisc.	Type.	1879 Description	Mint	Used
H21	7	2p pale scarlet	18.50	7.00
H21a		imperf.	37.00	-
H22	7	4p brownish grey	27.50	11.00
H22a		imperf.	45.00	-

 

1880 (January) As above but dated 1880.

1880 issue courtesy of Mª Carmen Marin Perez of filateliajmarin.es.
click image for listing.

Hisc.	Type.	1880 Description	Mint	Used
H23	7	2p brownish grey	18.50	5.50
H23a		imperf.	37.00	-
H24	7	4p brown-rose	27.50	5.50
H24a		imperf.	50.00	-

 

1881 (January) As above but dated 1881. Change of currency from pesetas to centavos and pesos.

Hisc.	Type.	1881 Description	Mint	Used
H25	7	40c rose (shades)	30.00	7.00
H25a		imperf.	45.00	-
H26	7	80c brown-grey	37.50	8.50
H26a		imperf.	55.00	-

 

From 1882 no specifically telegraph stamps were issued and postage stamps were used for telegraphic purposes.

However, even before then, postage stamps were used when the need arose, generally being variously punched.

25c postage stamps of 1877 with punch hole.	1878 25c punched. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1878 50c punched. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1878 1p punched. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

1879 25c punched. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

		After 1879 the postage stamp design changed, as on the left with the date still shown for 1880 and 1881, Then without the date. above were of the 1882 issue. Prior to that, issues of 1880 and 1881 were similar, but with the year at the top, as with the example on the left. The new undated issue of 1882 on the right (courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht) had face values from ½m to 80c. Whilst the fancy cancels are worth a premium, many were simply punched. Strangely though, I have only seen one stamp convincingly telegraphically used in the years 1880 to 1883, the 3c yellow below. for the 5c, I have only seen the re-touched type, not the commoner, original type. Anyone have any ?
				Type CT1

 

 

1882+ 1c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1882-3 3c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1884+ 1c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1886 1c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

The 3c stamp above is the only convincing telegraphically cancelled stamp of the years 1880 to 1883 that I have seen.

 

1882+ 10c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1882+ 20c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	1882+ 20c punched with '2'. Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

 

For the 5c, retouches are mentioned and the Scott catalogue describes the differences. This description also applies to stamps of Cuba (5c) and the Philippines (2½c).   My illustrations are taken from stamps of the Philippines.   At the top is the original stamp of 1882. It has a thick, uniform oval border around the head which merges with the line under the country name. It has a narrow parting in the hairline. Below that is the first retouch of 1884. The line around the oval is thinner on the left and slightly separated from the horizontal line. The hairline is opened up a bit with a pronounced 'V' shape at the top of it. Below that is the second retouch of 1886. The line around the oval is the same as the first retouch. The hairline is opened up still further and more rounded with a white border. Plate wear can cause some variability.

 

Cancels types.

Though telegraphic punching continued, telegraphic cancels started to be used.

 

The earliest clearly telegraphic cancel appears to be this of San Juan, the Capital.		This one is a smaller type (23mm?), without the inner circle. It may be contemporary, but for a smaller station. Images courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

1882-96, Postage stamps were used with punch holes or recognisable telegraphic cancels.

       
1c, 5c and 20c cancel examples. The first two are courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht. These just have "TELEGRAFOS" and the station name San Juan.

2c with San-Juan cancel.	3c with San-Juan cancel.	3c with Cuerpo cancel.	10c with San-Juan cancel.	10c with Cuerpo cancel.
Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

 
Later Cuerpo(body) De Telegrafos and Cuerpo De Comunicaciones cancels, courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

The Cuerpo De Comunicaciones types had some variations of the bottom inscription. The one on the right has "Intervencion del...". Another example seen on eBay showed that this
continued as "Intervencion del Cable". This is also handstamped 'Habilitado PARA 1898 y 99.' in Rose (C104 below)

Cuerpo De Comunicaciones as above, but with "Administración" shortened to "Admon". This was perhaps needed for places with long names. Images courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

This is on a C104 of 1897, see below. Image courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

King Alfonso XII 1882+ type.

RH # Type. 1882 Description Mint Postally Used Telegraphically Used C1 CT1 ½m rose 0.30 0.20 - C2 CT1 ½m lake (1884) 0.55 0.40 - C3 CT1 1m pale lake 0.85 1.10 - C4 CT1 1m bright rose (1884) 0.30 0.20 - C5 CT1 2m violet 0.30 0.20 - C6 CT1 4m brown-lilac 0.30 0.20 - C7 CT1 6m brown 0.45 0.20 - C8 CT1 8m yellow-green 0.45 0.20 - C9 CT1 1c grey-green 0.30 0.20 - C10 CT1 2c rose 1.10 0.20 -

RH # Type. 1882 Description Mint Postally Used Telegraphically Used C11 CT1 3c yellow 4.00 2.10 - C12 CT1 3c yellow-brown (1884) 4.00 0.85 - C13 CT1 5c grey-blue 14.50 1.20 - C13a CT1 1884 re-touch 14.50 2.75 - C13b CT1 1886 re-touch 110.00 5.50 - C14 CT1 8c grey-brown 3.50 0.20 - C15 CT1 10c dark green 3.50 0.30 - C16 CT1 20c grey-lilac 5.25 0.30 - C17 CT1 40c blue 40.00 14.50 - C18 CT1 80c olive-bistre 55.00 20.00 -

 

Hiscocks added the following note:

"Note. Morley reported in 1900 the use as telegraph stamps of the 20c postage stamp of 1893-4 (rose) overprinted 'T' in a circle as shown in black, the 20c of 1896 (grey) overprinted 'T' in black and the same stamp overprinted 'T' in a circle in black, blue and violet. Since the use of telegraph stamps had been stopped in 1882 and the above must have been used between 1896 and 1900 when postage stamps were being used for telegraphic purposes it seems likely that these were actually 'TAXE' or postage due stamps used in place of postage stamps, due perhaps to a temporary shortage, although 'Tax' stamps of this type do not seem to be listed." My note: On the right was the first example I saw that could be interpreted as this, though it does not match the illustration very well. It also has a telegraph cancel. It is likely that the 'T' was meant to be on the Telegram envelope rather than the stamp                   Image courtesy of Paul and Les Bottomley.

The 1c stamp above, was applied to an envelope at Barranquitas for a telegram received there for a destination beyond their hand-delivery area.
Presumably insufficient postage was paid.
In principle though, a Puerto Rican postage stamp could be on mail to any country and receive such a cancel there if, like the USA, that country used such marks.

   

Three much more recent (1949) Swiss examples of European Taxe marks. These were intended to go on the cover, but could also cancel previously un-cancelled stamps.
The apparent 'ANULL' on the 25c is a bit puzzling though. There is no easy way to know what country applied the T in circle.

 

Two covers, both sent from Mayaguez, though about 5 years apart, and both going to the Huntingtons of Amesbury, Mass. USA with 5c in postage. They both have a T in circle, presumably applied and subsequently obliterated in the USA. I am told that the normal rate at the time was 8c, but only 5c for business mail. These were presumed to be normal mail, with the 'T' being obliterated on proof that they were not. Quite how the 15c charge was calculated, I have no idea.    Images courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

A 1c stamp cancelled in Mayaguez with an additional part T in circle.  I am told that the two in combination like this is very unusual. Byron Mitchell III who kindly supplied the image tells me "This is the first stamp I have ever seen with this combination in my more than 40 years collecting Puerto Rico stamps." It seems likely that this was also on an envelope to the Huntingtons, but this time the T in circle fell on the stamp.

 

It seems that the intended purpose of this handstamp was misunderstood in Puerto Rico, with no known correct usage there.
There are though many examples of it on stamps of Puerto Rico. Here are the stamps that it is known on:

1882-96

On 1c  -  1 example	On 2c  -  1 example	On 1884 3c  -  1 example	On 5c  -  13 (0x1882, 5x1884, 8x1886)
Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

The lack of the T in circle on the 1880 type 5c, and the prevalence of it on the scarcer 1884 and 1886 types,
is good evidence for the T in circle being telegraphic rather than postal use since before 1884 telegraph stamps had clear telegraph cancels or were punched.

On 10c  -  1 example	On 20c  -  3 examples	On 40c  -  1 example
Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

1896-97

On 1896 2c  -  2 examples	On 1896 3c  -  6 examples	On 1897 3c  -  1 example
The 3c with additional telegraph cancel.   Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

On 1896 8c  -  2 examples	On 1896 20c  -  1 example
Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

1898-99

On 1898-1c  -  1 example	On 1898-2c  -  1 example	On 1898-5c  -  1 example	On 1898-20c  -  1 example
Courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

 

King Alfonso XIII 1890-97 type.

1890-97, Postage stamps
The new series from 1890 had values from ½m to 8c initially with new values and shades added in 1892, 1894, 1896 and 1897,
bringing the highest value up to 80c, with up to 4 shades of several values, some scarce.
It is likely that the higher values were more often the telegraphically used ones.

Type CT2 - RH-C19 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C20 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C21 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C22 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Type CT2 - RH-C23 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C24 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C25 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C25 (with bogus overprint), courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C29 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Type CT2 - RH-C32	Type CT2 - RH-C33 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C34 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C36	Type CT2 - RH-C38 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

I am not convinced that the holes in the lowest denominations are genuine telegraphic usage.
The lowest denomination that I've seen with a convincing telegraphic cancel is 1c.
I have seen a complete series of the 1892 issue from the ½m to the 80c with X shaped holes in them!
What possible telegraphic use could there be for the values less than 1c ?

Type CT2 - RH-C40 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C42? courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C43? courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C44 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C45 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Type CT2 - RH-C46 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C47 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C48 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C49 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C49 ? courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Type CT2 - RH-C50 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C51 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C52 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C53 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C54 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

Type CT2 - RH-C55	Type CT2 - RH-C56 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C57 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C58	Type CT2 - RH-C59 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C60 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Type CT2 - RH-C61 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C62 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C63 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C64 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C65 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C66 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

Type CT2 - RH-C68 courtesy of Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C69 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C70 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT2 - RH-C72 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C73 courtesy of Mitchell III.	Type CT2 - RH-C76 courtesy of Mitchell III.

 

RH # Type. 1890 Description Mint Postally Used Telegraphically Used C19 CT2 ½m black 0.30 0.20 - C20 CT2 ½m olive-grey (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C21 CT2 ½m red-brown (1894) 0.20 0.20 - C22 CT2 ½m dull violet (1896) 0.20 0.20 - C23 CT2 1m emerald 0.25 0.20 - C24 CT2 1m dark violet (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C25 CT2 1m ultramarine (1894) 0.20 0.20 - C26 CT2 1m deep brown (1896) 0.20 0.20 - C27 CT2 2m lilac-rose 0.20 0.20 - C28 CT2 2m violet-brown (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C29 CT2 2m red-orange (1894) 0.20 0.20 - C30 CT2 2m yellow-green (1896) 0.20 0.20 - C31 CT2 4m dark olive-green 11.00 5.50 - C32 CT2 4m ultramarine (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C33 CT2 4m yellow-brown (1894) 0.20 0.20 - C34 CT2 4m blue-green (1896) 1.00 0.35 - C35 CT2 6m dark brown 35.00 14.00 - C36 CT2 6m pale rose (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C37 CT2 8m olive-bistre 27.50 21.00 - C38 CT2 8m yellow-green (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C39 CT2 1c yellow-brown 0.30 0.20 - C40 CT2 1c blue-green (1891) 0.55 0.20 - C41 CT2 1c violet-brown (1894) 5.75 0.45 - C42 CT2 1c claret (1896) 0.65 0.20 - C43 CT2 2c brownish violet 1.00 0.85 - C44 CT2 2c red-brown (1892) 0.95 0.20 - C45 CT2 2c lilac (1894) 2.25 0.45 - C46 CT2 2c orange-brown (1896) 0.65 0.20 - C47 CT2 3c slate blue 7.25 1.00 -

RH # Type. 1890 Description Mint Postally Used Telegraphically Used C48 CT2 3c orange (1892) 0.90 0.20 - C49 CT2 3c olive-grey (1894) 5.75 0.45 - C50 CT2 3c blue (1896) 21.00 0.35 - C51 CT2 3c claret-brown (1897) 0.30 0.20 - C52 CT2 4c slate-blue (1894) 1.40 0.45 - C53 CT2 4c grey-brown (1896) 0.70 0.20 - C54 CT2 5c brown-violet 12.50 0.45 - C55 CT2 5c blue-green (1891) 0.90 0.20 - C56 CT2 5c yellow-green (1894) 5.50 1.10 - C57 CT2 5c blue (1896) 0.30 0.20 - C58 CT2 6c orange (1894) 0.45 0.20 - C59 CT2 6c violet (1896) 0.35 0.20 - C60 CT2 8c ultramarine 15.00 1.60 - C61 CT2 8c grey-brown (1892) 0.20 0.20 - C62 CT2 8c dull violet (1894) 12.00 4.75 - C63 CT2 8c carmine-rose (1896) 2.75 1.40 - C64 CT2 10c rose 4.50 1.10 - C65 CT2 10c lilac-rose (1892) 1.40 0.35 - C66 CT2 20c red-orange 5.00 4.50 - C67 CT2 20c lilac (1892) 2.25 0.55 - C68 CT2 20c carmine-rose (1894) 1.50 0.45 - C69 CT2 20c olive-grey (1896) 6.50 1.40 - C70 CT2 40c orange 160.00 47.50 - C71 CT2 40c slate-blue (1892) 5.50 3.75 - C72 CT2 40c claret (1894) 7.25 12.50 - C73 CT2 40c salmon (1896) 6.75 1.60 - C74 CT2 80c yellow-green 600.00 200.00 - C75 CT2 80c orange (1892) 14.00 11.00 - C76 CT2 80c black (1897) 26.00 22.50 -

1898.

In 1898 'Correos y Telegrafos' stamps were issued that were valid for both posts and telegraphs.
Telegraphically used ones can only be identified by their cancel or punch hole. Surviving cancelled examples are quite rare.

This example is courtesy of Les Bottomley.

Type CT3 - RH-C77 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C78 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C79 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C81 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Type CT3 - RH-C82 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C83 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C84 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C85 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C86 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

Type CT3 - RH-C87	Type CT3 - RH-C88 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C89	Type CT3 - RH-C90	Type CT3 - RH-C91 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III

Type CT3 - RH-C91 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III	Type CT3 - RH-C92 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C93 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT3 - RH-C94 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

I am not convinced that the holes in the lowest denominations are genuine telegraphic usage.
The lowest denomination that I've seen with a convincing telegraphic cancel is 1c.

 

RH #	Type.	1898 Description	Mint	Postally Used	Telegraphically Used
C77	CT3	1m orange-brown (shades)	0.20	0.20	-
C78	CT3	2m orange-brown (shades)	0.20	0.20	-
C79	CT3	3m orange-brown (shades)	0.20	0.20	-
C80	CT3	4m orange-brown (shades)	1.60	0.65	-
C81	CT3	5m orange-brown (shades)	0.20	0.20	-
C82	CT3	1c violet black	0.20	0.20	-
C83	CT3	2c turquoise	0.20	0.20	-
C84	CT3	3c dark brown	0.20	0.20	-
C85	CT3	4c orange	1.60	1.30	-
C86	CT3	5c carmine-rose	0.20	0.20	-
C87	CT3	6c dark blue	0.65	0.20	-
C88	CT3	8c grey-brown	0.20	0.20	-
C89	CT3	10c vermilion	0.20	0.20	-
C90	CT3	15c olive-green	0.20	0.20	-
C91	CT3	20c maroon	1.90	0.60	-
C92	CT3	40c violet	1.50	1.60	-
C93	CT3	60c black	1.50	1.60	-
C94	CT3	80c brown-lilac	5.50	6.00	-
C95	CT3	1P light green	12.00	12.00	-
C96	CT3	2P slate-blue	27.50	17.50	-

These also exist imperforate. Scott prices them at about 16 x normal mint.

RH-C82 imperforate courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT4 - RH-C101 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT4 - RH-C104 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	Type CT4 - RH-C110 courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	Type CT4 - RH-C111 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

1898, Postage stamps of 1894-97 handstamped 'Habilitado PARA 1898 y 99.' in Rose or Violet (V).

RH #	Type.	1898 Description	Mint	Postally Used	Telegraphically Used
C97	CT4	½m dull violet (1896)	16.00	9.00	-
C98	CT4	1m deep brown (1896)	1.40	1.40	-
C99	CT4	2m yellow-green (1896)	0.40	0.40	-
C100	CT4	4m blue-green (1896)	0.40	0.40	-
C101	CT4	1c claret (1896)	4.00	4.00	-
C102	CT4	2c orange-brown (1896)	0.55	0.80	-
C103	CT4	3c blue (1896)	35.00	15.00	-
C104	CT4	3c claret-brown (1897)	2.75	2.75	-
C105	CT4	4c slate-blue (1894)	19.00	13.50	-
C106	CT4	4c grey-brown (1896)	0.65	0.65	-
C107	CT4	5c yellow-green (1894)	9.00	7.00	-
C108	CT4	5c blue (1896)	0.65	0.65	-
C109	CT4	6c violet (1896)	0.65	0.45	-
C110	CT4	8c carmine-rose (V, 1896)	1.10	0.80	-
C110a	CT4	Rose overprint	17.50	17.50	-
C111	CT4	20c olive-grey (1894)	1.10	1.10	-
C112	CT4	40c salmon (1896)	2.75	2.75	-
C113	CT4	80c black (1897)	35.00	22.50	-

The Scott catalogue points out that "Counterfeits abound" of these, however that probably applies mostly
to the highly catalogued items. Many of these are catalogued higher without the overprints.

 

 

War Tax.

According to the Scott Catalogue :
the tax was 2c on letters or sealed mail; 5c on telegrams but, "during the early days of the American occupation, they were accepted for ordinary postage."

1898, Postage stamps type CT4 of 1898 handstamped 'IMPUESTO DE GUERRA.' in Purple, Rose(R) or Magenta(M). Purple by default.

War Tax 2c with T in circle - WT2 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	War Tax 2c - WT4 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	War Tax 2c on 2m - WT5 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.	War Tax 5c with T in circle - WT6 courtesy of Byron Mitchell III.

 

RH #	Type.	1898 War Tax description	Mint	Postally Used	Telegraphically Used
WT1	IDG	1c yellow brown	4.60	3.40	-
WT2	IDG	2c dark violet	0.55	0.55	-
WT3	IDG	2c lilac	0.50	0.50	-
WT4	IDG	2c red-brown	0.27	0.15	-
WT5	IDG	2c on 2m orange	2.10	1.70	-
WT5a	IDG	Rose overprint.	1.10	1.10	-
WT6	IDG	2c on 5c blue-green	2.74	2.10	-
WT7	IDG	5c blue-green	1.06	1.06	-
WT8	IDG	5c on 5c blue-green	4.95	3.40	-
WT9	IDG	5c on 1m dark violet (R)	0.15	0.15	-
WT9a	IDG	Magenta overprint.	0.27	0.15	-
WT10	IDG	5c on 1m dull blue(R)	0.46	0.46	-
WT10a	IDG	Magenta overprint.	1.71	1.70	-

 

 

Municipal stamps.

Shortcuts to 1886 types
Cabo Rojo	Guayama	Juana Diaz	Salinas	Vega Baja

Shortcuts to 1888 types
Adjuntas	Añasco	Bayamon	Cayey	Guayanilla	Hato Grande	Juncos	Lares
Luquillo	Manati	Naguabo	San Lorenzo	San Sabastian	Vega Baja	Yabucoa	Yauco

 

According to the Steve Hiscocks:

In addition to the post office telegraph stamps, so called municipal stamps were produced for at least 19 towns in 1886 to 1888 and used for some years to defray the costs of telegraph lines to those towns. These stamps certainly come within the remit of this catalogue in that their use was essential if one wished to send a telegram from any of those towns but their exact status is not clear. Forbin in 1915 lists them as municipal tax stamps (Forbin does not cover telegraph stamps per sé) so it is not certain whether they covered the cost of the telegram to the nearest post office line or whether post office stamps (i.e. postage stamps at that time) covered the entire route and these represented an additional toll.

My note: Most of these contain the words 'Arbitrio Municipal' which translates as 'Municipal Tax'.
There are used examples, both signed and unsigned, so it would seem that the signature is not required,
but perhaps turned the stamp into a frank so payment was not needed.
Presumably then, a signature implied official usage.

 

A map of Puerto Rico showing Municipality boundaries as they are now. There have been some changes since the 1880's, in particular, Canovanas was part of Loiza.
I have in yellow the municipalities in the first section with type-set stamps listed below, and the ones with lithographed stamps are in green. Vega Baja has both.
One Municipality is not on the list of current ones and has proven elusive to disambiguate, "Hato Grande". There are clues at NuestroPuertoRico.com and BoricuaOnline.com,
but they are just guesses. It may have been part of former Hato Grande de los Delgado ranch in Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Gurabo or Las Piedras; or possibly part of Arecibo or Hatillo.
'Hato' is part of many place names. Comparing train maps of 1906 and 1910 shows stations added at Cabo Rojo, Santa Isabel, Salinas, Guayama and Caguas, so I suspect Hato Grande relates to Caguas.
I have marked the location of primary towns/cities of each Municipality. Most are on railway lines.

 

A 1886-1887 Type-set in various designs and printed on coloured papers as indicated. Imperf.

1) Cabo Rojo (1887)

Type 8 Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 256.	Type 8 - RH27a

The image of RH27a above was shown to me by John Barefoot, however he is unsure of the source.
If this is yours, please contact me as I would like to properly attribute it.

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH27	H27	8	1c black / bluish pink	60.00	50.00
RH27a	-	8	dropped 'c' of 'cts'	-	-
RH27	H28	(8)	3c black / yellow	60.00	50.00
RH27	H29	(8)	20c black / green	60.00	50.00

 

2) Guayama (1887)

Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 256.

Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H30	(9)	2c black / salmon	60.00	50.00
H31	(9)	3c black / blue-green	60.00	50.00
H32	(9)	9c black / lilac	60.00	50.00
H33	(9)	21c black / yellow	60.00	50.00
H34	9	40c black / pale buff	60.00	50.00

 

3) Juana Diaz (1886)

Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 256.

Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H35	10	3c black / white	60.00	50.00

 

4) Salinas (1887)

Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 256.

Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H36	11	3c green / white	60.00	50.00
H37	(11)	21c pale blue / white	60.00	50.00

 

5) Vega Baja (1886)


Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 257.

Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H38	12	2c black / green	60.00	50.00
H39	(12)	3c black / buff	60.00	50.00
H40	13	6c black / yellow	60.00	50.00
H41	(13)	21c black / purple	60.00	50.00

Hiscocks added the following 2 notes:

Note 1. The above are entirely arbitrary (and probably low) in that only one of these stamps has                 yet come my way at the time of writing and the only listings I have found gave no idea                 of relative scarcity. They are clearly rare however or I would have seen more.

Note 2. Cancellation is reported to be by pen stroke in most cases but No. 31 is reported                 cancelled with a black handstamp.

---

My notes:

I have had little success in updating images of the stamps above. The ones below, which seem to be mostly from booklets, are generally more common. I think the spaces on many reserved for a signature of 'El Alcalde' (The Mayor) or 'El Contratista' (The contractor), are to allow free use in exchange for an authorized signature, since many have been used without a signature. I need to make corrections to the listing, partly due to misunderstandings in the original, and partly because of additions. I will use 'RH' (Revised Hiscocks) for the new numbers.

 

B 1888 Lithographed in two basic designs on variously coloured papers, as indicated by
the 'Boletin' office at San Juan. Perf. 12 between stamps — most copies reportedly have one or more straight edges so sheets were presumably small.
The Yauco stamps at least were in panes with 2 rows of 4 stamps.

Type 14 Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 257.	Type 15 Taken from Hiscocks Book, page 258.

These two illustrations appear to have been taken from the book of Rich & Rich (1947) page 70.


1) Adjuntas

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH42	H42	(14)	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH43	H43	(14)	9c red / blue	50.00	40.00
RH44	H44	(14)	21c red / salmon	50.00	40.00
RH45	H45	(14)	30c red / cream	50.00	40.00

My note: I have removed H44a (smaller 'TELEGRAFOS') since this type of design seems to be in two forms for each municipality, but only one form for each value.
If evidence of its existence presents itself, I will be happy to add it along with an image.

 

2) Añasco

RH48 - Añasco 9c - courtesy of Estudi Filatelic	RH49 - Añasco 21c - courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

 

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH46	H46	(14)	2c red / pale grey-green	50.00	40.00
RH47	H46A	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH48	H47	(14)	9c red / dark blue	50.00	40.00
RH49	H48	(14)	21c red / buff	50.00	40.00
RH49a	H49	(14)	21c red / orange	50.00	40.00

Hiscocks added the following note:

Note. No. 49 has the printer's name missing.

My note: I have re-numbered these slightly to reduce confusion while preserving numbering as much as possible.
Hiscocks note now refers to RH49a.

 

3) Bayamon

Bayamon 3c - H50	Bayamon 21c - H51a stamped 'El Contratista M. Feliu.'
Inscribed 'El Alcalde' (The Mayor) fairly clear but not 'Boletin'. Images courtesy of Eric Jackson   click on image for listing.

 

Bayamon 3c - H50a	Bayamon 21c - H51b, stamped El Contratista M. Feliu.
*'Boletin' fairly clear and 'El Alcalde' removed. 21c courtesy of Eric Jackson   click on image for listing.

*There are two types of these, with or without 'El Alcalde'.
Initially, like the others of this type, they were intended to be signed by the mayor and the bottom tablet was accordingly marked 'El Alcalde'.
In fact though they became stamped 'El Contratista' meaning 'The contractor' (M. Feliu) leading to the removal of 'El Alcalde' from the design
and apparently a strengthening of 'Lit. Boletin' (printers in San Juan). I have added H50a and H51b accordingly.

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH50	H50	(14)	3c red / yellow	30.00	25.00
*RH50	-		without 'El Alcalde'	-	-
RH51	H51	(14)	21c red / orange	75.00	60.00
RH51a	H51a		red / rose pink	75.00	60.00
*RH51b	-		without 'El Alcalde' (red / rose pink)	-	-

Hiscocks added the following note:

Note. Nos. 51 and 51a are reported by different authors and may in fact be the same.

 

4) Cayey

H52 - Cayey 3c showing 'Boletin' imprint. Courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	H53 - Cayey 21c without imprint. Courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.	H53 - Cayey 21c showing 'Boletin' imprint.

 

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH52	H52	14	3c red / buff or yellow	50.00	40.00
RH53	H53	(14)	21c red / orange	50.00	40.00
RH53a	H53a		red / yellow	50.00	40.00

Hiscocks added the following 2 notes:

Note 1. The printer's mark is often partly or mostly missing on No. 53.

Note 2. Nos. 53 and 53a may be the same.

My note: Rich & Rich say that H53 is only listed by Galvez.

 

5) Guayanilla

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH54	H54	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH54a	H54a		brown / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH55	H55	(14)	21c red / salmon	40.00	32.00
RH56	H56	(14)	30c carmine / green	50.00	40.00
RH56a	H56a		carmine / cream	50.00	40.00

My note: Rich & Rich say that 3c exists with "part of a large double oval handstamp in black". They do not say which 3c.

 

6) Hato Grande

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH57	H57	14	3c red / yellow	35.00	30.00
RH58	H58	(14)	21c red / orange or salmon	50.00	40.00

 

7) Juncos

H60 - Juncos 3c - courtesy of Estudi Filatelic

 

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH59	H59	(14)	2c purple / green	50.00	40.00
RH60	H60	14	3c red / yellow	35.00	30.00
RH61	H61	(15)	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH62	H62	(15)	21c red / salmon	35.00	30.00

 

8) Lares

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH63	H63	14	3c green / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH64	H64	14	3c red / yellow	40.00	32.00
RH64a	H64a		red / buff	40.00	32.00
RH65	H65	14	21c red / pale rose	50.00	40.00

Hiscocks added the following note:

Note. Printer's mark is missing on No. 63.

 

9) Luquillo

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH66	H66	14	3c red / yellow	35.00	30.00
RH67	H67	14	6c red / pale buff	35.00	30.00
RH68	H68	14	21c red / orange or salmon	50.00	40.00

 

10) Manati

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH69	H69	(14)	2c red / lilac	50.00	40.00
RH70	H70	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH71	H71	(14)	21c red / salmon	50.00	40.00
RH72	H72	(14)	30c red / pale green	50.00	40.00
RH72a	H72a		red / orange	50.00	40.00
RH73	H73	(14)	42c red / pale green	50.00	40.00

 

11) Naguabo

H75 - Naguabo 3c - courtesy of Estudi Filatelic

 

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH74	H74	14	3c red / green	35.00	30.00
RH75	H75	15	3c red / yellow	35.00	30.00
RH76	H76	(14)	21c red / pale rose	35.00	30.00
RH77	H77	(15)	21c red / salmon	35.00	30.00

Hiscocks added the following note:

Note. No. 74 is listed as value 2c by Moens and by Morley (who probably took his listing from Moens).

 

12) San Lorenzo

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH78	H78	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
RH79	H79	(14)	21c red / cream	50.00	40.00

 

13) San Sabastian

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
RH80	H80	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00

 

14) Vega Baja

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H81	H81	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00
H82	H82	(14)	6c red / dark blue	50.00	40.00
H83	H83	(14)	21c red / orange	50.00	40.00

 

15) Yabucoa

RH #	Hisc.	Type.	Description	Mint	Used
H84	H84	14	3c red / yellow	50.00	40.00

 

16) Yauco

Yauco 2c - RH85	Yauco 10½c - RH88	Yauco 40c - RH90   mayor, J. Catalla
Type 16 (large 'TELÉGRAFOS') values seen.

 

A used Yauco 3c - RH86 courtesy of Dick Keiser	Yauco 3c - RH86 signed 'Catala' (not all are signed)	Yauco 21c - RH89 used
Type 17 (small 'TELÉGRAFOS') values seen. These say 'Lit. Boletin P.R.' bottom-left and are about 3½% taller. Images courtesy of Eric Jackson   click on image for listing.

These could clearly be used with or without a signature. I think that a signature allowed free (Official ?) use.

This pane of 8, type 16 stamps shows that they were perforated all around (usually). The type 17 stamps (inscribed 'Boletin') were only perforated between stamps. Image courtesy of Eric Jackson   (click on image for listing).   RH # Hisc. Type. Description Mint Used RH85 H85 16 2c lilac / green 75.00 60.00 RH86 H86a 17 3c red / yellow 30.00 25.00 RH87 H87a 17 3c orange / yellow 30.00 25.00 RH88 H88 16 10½c mauve / buff 35.00 30.00 *RH88a -           Imperf. between - - RH89 H89a 17 21c red / salmon (shades) 30.00 25.00 *RH89a -           Imperf. between - - RH90 H90 16 40c brown / white 25.00 20.00 *RH90a -           Imperf. between - - Note: since this type of design seems to be in two forms for each municipality, but only one form for each value: I have removed H85a, H86, H87, H88a, H89, H90a   and I have replaced H86a with RH86, H87a with RH87, H89a with RH89 The image on the right is courtesy of Jim (suncoaststamp on eBay). It shows a block of four RH89 stamped 'INUTILIZADO' (unused). As they had already been signed by Alcalde Catala, the invalidation would have been needed if Catala was no longer the current Alcalde. According to records-and-history/yauco, Jaime Cátala Ibáñez was Alcalde of Yauco from 1881-1886, and again from 1891-1892.

* I have added RH88a, RH89a and RH90a because of the examples below (courtesy of Eric Jackson  click images for listing):

Imperf.-between 10½c(Type 16) - RH88a.


Imperf.-between 21c(Type 17) - RH89a.


Imperf.-between 40c(Type 16) - RH90a.

 

Hiscocks added the following note and 3 General notes:

Note. On No. 90 the name of the mayor, J. Catalla, appears in script in the bottom tablet.

General Note 1. Used copies are generally cancelled with pen strokes.

General Note 2. Prices are again somewhat arbitrary although they are in this case based                 on those of Forbin for relative values. The relative scarcities of the large and small                 'TELEGRAFOS' types of Yauco (Nos. 85-90a) are not known and they have                 been assumed to be equally rare.

General Note 3. Further towns have been reported as using telegraph stamps of this type but                 are unconfirmed. These include Arbonito, Caguas, Carolina, Coamo, Dorado,                 Gurabo, Hormigueror, Isabela, Jabucoa, Juana Diaz, Labana Grande, and Salinas.

My note: For each denomination I have only seen either type 16 or type 17 but not both.
The difference between H86 and H87 may be simply a matter of how yellow the paper was.

 

 

Stationery.

A 1938 Bureau of Insular Telegraph bill for Telegraph use in Yauco.




In the top-left, this has "Form No. 21, Tel.—R. 4603—Jan. 24, 1936—6,000.". It is a bill for $2.36 for the month of February 1938.
From this it can be seen that the rates for telegraph use at the time were 10c + 2c per word (palabra).



This is stamped at the bottom left by what looks like someone at the Mayors' Office.   Images courtesy of Rolf Lamprecht.

Each entry on this bill above mentions two people, the person that is sending the telegram and another who has authorized it.
That would seem to reflect the use of the Yauco Municipal stamps shown above where El Alcalde could sign them.
The 10c + 2c per word explains some of the stamp values seen, but other values must reflect earlier pricings.
The El Alcalde could pick up the tab on behalf of the Municipality with his signature, but the Municipality still had to reimburse the Bureau of Insular Telegraphs.

 

 

1890 receipt for West India and Panama Telegraph Co. Telegram.



This has a 5c Receipt stamp for a tax and has an imprint on the left side of Waterlow & Sons, London.
The receipt is dated in 1890, and is of the West India and Panama Telegraph Company.
Image courtesy of Antonio Torres.

If anyone can provide scans to help with this webpage, I am happy to give appropriate credit.