lapiblica Mayor da Caatraamarica

(lraatar lapablic al U11tral lmarica):

Stamps al Nicaragua aad II Salvador
GLEN STAFFORD
Between the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century and the early
19th century, Central America was part of the Spanish Viceroyalty
of New Spain. It was administered by the Captain General's
administration in Antigua Guatemala and later, Guatemala City.
had planned to establish its capital city at Amapala on the Golfo de
Fonseca, did not survive Regalado's seizure of power in El Salvador
in 1898. Although the Central American spirit seemed willing, the
commitment was weak.

When Spain granted independence to her Central American
Colony in 1823, the nation of Central America was initially
comprised of the former provinces. It was known alternately as
"The United States of Central America'' or "The United Provinces
of Central America'', but most commonly as "Central America''
("Centroamerica''). The Central American nation consisted of the
states of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa
Rica. In the 1830s, an additional state was added, Los Altos, which
is now the western highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico.
The Union dissolved in civil war between 1838 and 1840. Its
disintegration began when Honduras separated from the federation
on 5 November 1838. Various attempts were made to reunite
Central America in the 19th century, but none succeeded for
any length of time. The first attempt was in 1842 by the former
President of Honduras, Francisco Morazan, who was captured by
rebels and executed. Guatemalan President Justo Rufino Barrios
attempted to reunite the nation by force of arms in the 1880s, but
was also killed in the process.
Another process worthy of note during this period, despite its lack
of tangible results, was the ongoing series of unification efforts by
the Central American states. El Salvador was a prime mover in most
of these attempts to re-establish an isthmian federation. In 1872,
El Salvador signed a pact of union with Guatemala, Honduras and
Costa Rica, but the union was never implemented. ---------
Despite repeated failures to create a lasting political union, the sense
of shared history and hopes for eventual reunification persist in the
nations formerly in the union. All five fly flags that are modified
versions of the old flag of the United States of Central America: a
white stripe between two blue stripes, representing the land between
two oceans.
Nicolas Frederick Seebeck
Seebeck collaborated with Hamilton Bank Note Company of New
York in 1889 to supply attractive sets of postage stamps and postal
stationery, free of charge, to Central American states each year. In
return, he acquired the right to sell the remainder of stamp stocks
and reprint additional stocks for the philatelic collector. The states
that took up Seebeck's offer were: Ecuador (1892-96), Honduras
(1890-95), Nicaragua (1890-99) and Salvador (1890-99).
When the governments of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua
formed the "Greater Republic of Central America'', Seebeck
produced professional postage stamps and postal stationery with
this new title for El Salvador ( 1897 and 1898) and Nicaragua
(1898). He also produced official overprints, all of which had either
very few or no known printing varieties, unlike the locally produced
telegraph and yearly overprints, which created an abundance of
varieties.

In 1876, a congress of all five Central American

states failed to achieve agreement on federation. A
provisional pact signed by the five states in 1889
technically created the "Republic of Central America'';
that effort was also never realised. Undaunted, the
governments of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua
formed the "Greater Republic of Central America''
(Republica Mayor de Centroamerica) via the Pact of
Amapala (1895). Although Guatemala and Costa Rica
considered joining the Greater Republic (which was .<.
/;I J 't-:i
rechristened "the United States of Central America",
when its constitution went into effect in 1898),
neither country joined.

The moving force behind the 1895 reunification effort

was Jose Santos Zelaya, the President of Nicaragua
(1893-1909), who had strong ambitions of becoming t • • • ' """" • I t

its first national president. However, this union, which

Republica Mayor de Centroamerica stamps from
Nicaragua.
In 1898, Seebeck was invited to print postage stamps and
stationery with the Arms of Nicaragua and inscription
"Republica Mayor de Centro America/UPU 1898". The
following values were produced as two printings with Liberty
cap watermarked paper and unwatermarked paper: le brown,
2c slate, 4c red brown, 5c olive green, 1Oc violet, l 5c ultra
blue, 20c blue, 50c yellow, IP violet blue, 2P brown and 5P
orange.
A set of official stamps with the same design was also
produced in 1898. They were the le through 5P stamps,
all in carmine and overprinted in royal blue with 'Franqueo
Oficial'. In postal stationery, two postcards were issued: a
2c green (for interior usage) and 3c slate (for international
usage), and also two postal envelopes.

____.....,.___
The word "Telegrafo" was overprinted locally on the 5c, 1Oc,
l 5c, 20c, 50c, 1P, 2P, & 5P Arms of Nicaragua stamps to -- - -- · --· · - - -'-"-~---~

create telegraph stamps, as a method of payment of telegraph

fees. These overprints were produced vertically upwards as well as
downwards, double overprints and a range of other varieties.
During this period, Nicaragua was supplied with oval date stamps (cancellers) for every post office town. These oval cancellers bore the
following inscriptions: "REPUBLICA MAYOR DE CENTRO AMERICA'', the post office town eg. GRANADA/ CORREOS/DEL/
Estado de Nicaragua, and the date in the centre (supposedly between 1897 and 1899).
In the past two years, I have been putting together a comprehensive list of all known cancellations from the Nicaraguan Study Group.
(The NSG was fo rmed in 1990 and is a worldwide society that promotes, encourages and contributes to the advancement of philately of
Nicaragua. T hey publish a journal 4 times a year called the Nicarao, which carries authoritative articles on all Nicaragua matters. APS
Affiliate #234.) I am endeavouring to document the start and finishing dates for each town's canceller. Below are the results compiled to
date:
Town Dates Covers
Acoyapa Jul 10, 1997 1 known
Buenos Aires Apr, 1899 1 known
Cabo Gracias a Dios Oct 27, 1897 1 known
Corin to M ar 19, 1897-Dec 7 , 1899 3 1 known
Diria Aug 1, 1897-0ct l, 1897 2 known
Diriamba Mar 14, 1898 1 known
D iriomo May 9, 1899 1 known
El Naranjito Jul 24, 1898 1 known
El Rama M ay 27, 1897-Apr 22, 1898 2 known
Esteli Jul 16, 1898-Feb 7 , 1900 2 known
Granada Jan 30, 1897-D ec 3 1, 1899 40 known
Jinotega M ar 27, 1898-May 18, 1899 2 known
Jinotepe M ar 7, 1897-Aug 24, 1897 2 known
La Libertad Dec 19, 1897 1 known
La Paz, Estacion Mar 29, 1898 1 known
Leon Mar 27 , 1897 Nov 29, 1899 10 known
Managua Feb 27, 1897-Feb 2 1, 1899 39 known
Masaya Feb 28, 1897 Mar 18, 1898 7 known
Matagalpa May 11 , 1897-Jan 16, 1902 4 known
Metapa Apr 2 1, 1898 1 known
Momotombo Apr 9, 1897-Jan 23, 1898 4 known
Nagarote Feb 22, 1899 1 known
Ocotal Jan 2 1, 1898 1 known
Prinzapolka Feb/Mar ??, 1898 1 known
Potosi May 26, 1898 1 known
Rivas Jun 6, 1897-Apr 29, 1898 3 known
San Carlos Jul 18, 1899 1 known
San Juan del Norte Jul 5, 1897-Jan 2, 1900 10 known
San Juan del Sur Mar 12, 1897-Sep 10, 1898 4 known
San Jorge D ec 4, 1897 Mar??, 1898 2 known
San Marcos Feb 19, 1900 1 known

As you can see from my list, not many covers with this cancellation are known. If you have one or two in your collection, I would be
interested in having a scanned copy to add to my research.
 In 1899, the Sc blue green ''Allegory of Central American Union"
stamp was overprinted vertically upwards and downwards with the
words "Transito Territoral" in colours of black, violet, red, magenta
and yellow. Towards the end of that year, the values le through
20c were overprinted with a black wheel. These were locally
overprinted, since Seebeck's contract to produce stamps had ended.

Like Nicaragua, El Salvador's overprinting on the "Allegory

of Central American Union" stamps of 1898 produced sets of
official stamps. They were the le through to 1P stamps, all in
These stamps ofNicaragua, issued 1898, showed 5 volcanoes, their original colours and overprinted in royal blue 'Franqueo
representing the 5 member states: Oficial'. In postal stationery, two postcards were issued: a le slate
El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Costa Rica.
(for interior usage) and Sc (for international usage). Seebeck also
printed two postal envelopes: Sc and 12c.
In 1897, Seebeck printed two postage stamps (both as originals
El Salvador even went to the trouble of printing a set of locally-
and reprints) with the coat of Arms of the Republic of Central
produced revenue stamps with "Republica Mayor de Centro
America and inscription "Republica Mayor de Centro America
America".
Estado de El Salvador". On the original le blue, gold, rose and
green stamp, the mountains are outlined in red and blue. Short
Despite the printing of "Republica Mayor de Centro America"
red and dark blue lines on a light blue background represent the
stamps, postal stationery and revenue stamps were part of a short-
sea. On the le reprint, however, the mountains are outlined in
lived era in Central American history. Consequently, this period
red only and the sea, which is blurred, is printed in green and dark
will make a very interesting and challenging multi-frame display
blue. On the original Sc rose, gold, blue green stamp, the sea is
- something that I am currently putting together. If any RPSV
represented by horizontal and diagonal lines of dark blue on light
members have more information or material that I can purchase
blue background, while on the reprints, the sea is printed in green
from them, I would be very happy to hear from you. You can
and dark blue.
contact me on my email stafford@southwest.com.au. Happy
collecting.
In 1898, El Salvador issued a set of stamps with "Allegory of
Central American Union". They were le orange vermilion, 2c rose,
3c pale yellow green, Sc blue green, lOc grey blue, l 2c violet, l 3c
brown lake, 20c deep blue, 24c deep ultra blue, 26c bistre brown,
SOc orange and 1P yellow, which were all printed on liberty cap
watermarked paper.

Allegory of Central American Union stamps of 1898

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