ISBN 978-1-913015-29-9

This new publication by The Royal Philatelic Society London joins a prestigious line of specialized literature reflecting RPSL support for excellence in world class books on a wide range of philately. There is almost no comprehensive Nicaragua literature on revenue and telegraph stamp issues over the past 120 years. Hence this book, eight years in preparation, tries to integrate diverse and often conflicting information, to illustrate and discuss as many of these issues as possible, and identify some of the myths that plague Nicaragua’s problematic philatelic history. The book covers the nation’s general and special-purpose revenue and telegraph stamp issues printed up to 2010, but also includes new information on issues not previously recorded. It discusses the diversity of printing sources for these stamps and describes postal and telegraph workers pension stamps (including “semana” stamps), stamped revenue paper and the special issues for the Bluefields District and Cabo Gracias a Dios District of the Zelaya Department of eastern Nicaragua. The book includes numerous image examples of essays, proofs and specimens. As many of the original issued stamps of Nicaragua were also repurposed as provisional postal, revenue and telegraph stamps, the author has summarized these issues as well.

Clayton Rubec worked for Canada’s Federal Ministry of the Environment for 34 years prior to engaging in a decade of consultancies on wetland habitat science, conservation and policy initiatives for clients throughout Canada as well as internationally. He has lectured at over 40 universities worldwide; been a keynote speaker at international and national conferences; and led professional courses, conflict resolution forums and workshops. He has several university degrees in physical geography and ecology and has worked and travelled throughout Canada’s Arctic territories as well as worldwide, particularly in Central America and the Middle East.

He is a member of the British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS), The Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL), and the Nicaragua Study Group, an affiliate of the American Philatelic Society. Mr. Rubec has authored 200 scientific books, journal papers, proceedings and reports as well as over 60 publications on philatelic topics. These include diverse BNAPS books on: The Hunting, Fishing and Conservation Stamps of Canada; 100 Years of Union Dues Stamps in Canada and Newfoundland, 1880–1980; Timothy Eaton Company, Philatelic Notes (once Canada’s most important retailer); and Canada and Newfoundland War Ration Books and Coupons; as well as two editions of the RPSL Guide to the Postal Stationery of Iraq.

He has been presented several public service awards by the Government of Canada; been recognized by the Border 21 United States-Mexico Wildlife Education Initiative; the International Peat Society; the Society of Wetland Scientists; and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. In 2022, he received the Order of the Beaver, a lifetime achievement award by the BNAPS. He and his wife Leslie live in Perth, Ontario, Canada.

About the Editor
Acknowledgements
Image Credits
Preface
Introduction
Nicaragua Currency History
The Seebeck Era
Forthcoming Literature
Part One: Revenue Stamps of Nicaragua (1890–2022)
• General Revenue Issues
• Dated Revenue Stamps
• Special Purpose Revenue Issues
• Capital Gains Tax Stamps
• Cattle Inspection Tax Stamps
• Clothing Tax Stamps
• Consular Stamps
• Special Consular Stamp
• Consular Stamps Overprinted as Airmail and Official Airmail Stamps
• Consular Stamps Overprinted as Postal Tax Stamps
• Education Tax Stamps
• Customs Duty Stamps
• Alcohol Excise Tax Stamps
• Match Tax Seal
• Excise Tax Stamps for Imported Tobacco Products
• Military Tax Stamp
• Road Tax Stamps
• Social Security Tax Stamps
• Official Seals
• Airport Terminal Tax Stamps
• Automobile Frontier Tax Stamps
• Immigration Tax Stamps
Part Two: Telegraph Stamp Issues of Nicaragua (1890–1935)
• Telegraph Stamps 
• Official Telegraph Stamps
• Telegraph Stationery
Revenue and Telegraph Stamps of Nicaragua
Part Three: Mosquito Reservation, Zelaya Department, Bluefields
and Cabo Gracias a Dios Districts Revenue Stamps (1892–1912)
• Introduction
• Mosquito Reservation Court Documentary Stamps
• Revenue Stamps of the Zelaya Department
• Cattle Tax Inspection Stamps for the Zelaya Department 
• Bluefields Revenue Stamps
• Bluefields Inspection Seal
• Cabo Gracias a Dios Revenue Stamps
• Cabo Gracias a Dios Cattle Inspection Tax Stamp
Part Four: Zelaya Department and Bluefields District and Cabo Gracias
a Dios District Telegraph Stamps (1904–1912)
• General Telegraph Stamps for the Zelaya Department
• Bluefields Telegraph Stamps
Part Five: Propaganda, Election and Charity Seals, and Pension and Cinderella Stamps (1921–1979)
• Propaganda and Election Seals
• Charity Seals
• Pension Stamps
• Cinderella Stamps
Part Six: Stamped Revenue Paper (1889–1982)
Part Seven: Cited References and Literature
Part Eight: Index
 

Preface

This document arose out of my interest in integrating the Nicaragua philatelic information from existing publications and web sites. However, I found some of that information difficult to understand. Sadly, the illustrations and listings of stamps in those sources are often not in any way complete.

In 2016, I decided to create a document on Nicaragua revenue and telegraph stamps integrating as much information as I could. I have since drawn upon many knowledgeable contributors to help me create a proper listing. Some provided a great deal of material, others just a few items. If I still have it wrong, any apologies due are offered. I have illustrated as many of the basic listed stamps as possible with colour images. I have not included any data on rareness or retail value. The objective here is not to replace or criticize any other documents. I just seek to make the body of information more available and complement earlier work.

Before you start trying to answer the question “why did he organize this book the way it is presented?” here are a few thoughts. I was initially focused only on Nicaragua revenue and telegraph stamps but soon was urged to dig out the listings for all the reissued telegraph and revenue stamps that started as revenue, postal or telegraph stamps. Hence, a pile of postal, postal tax, telegraph, telegraph tax, forgery, proof, unissued, cinderella, charity and other stamps arose. What was I to do with them? Questions arose, such as what do “R. de T.” and “R. de C.” overprints really mean? Some of you indicated that “R. de T.” (“Resello de Telégrafo”) overprints were used for stamps repurposed as telegraph issues. Others also said that “R. de C.” (“Resello de Correos”) overprints identify reissued telegraph stamps newly purposed for postal stamp use. Others defined “R. de C.” as “Reconstrucciones de Correos” for stamps reissued to assist in the rebuilding of the central post office in Managua after an earthquake. So, “R. de C.” definitions are a Nicaragua enigma. Stroub 81 said “Nobody knows what R. de C. means.” He was likely correct (in 1935). However, could this have morphed into “fact” in the last 89 years?

I thought it useful to list stamps together that look alike. For example, I listed the overprinted versions of stamps following their primary issue listing. So, if education tax stamps were reissued with postal overprints, would they still be education tax stamps? Of course not, but I lumped these reissued stamps in the same part of the book so readers could see most of the stamps that look alike, together. The same is true for telegraph or revenue stamps, overprinted and then reissued for postal, postal tax or telegraph tax uses. They became something new but look very much like the original stamps, but overprinted (or handstamped, or faked, or hand-scribbled over).

I tried to be logical but may have lost some readers. For example: Telegraph stamps are in Parts Two and Four of the book. Here national telegraph stamps, as issued, come first in Part Two and Zelaya Department telegraph stamps in Part Four. In subsequent years, any overprinted or reissued examples of those stamps for a second (or third) reason in Nicaragua follow as information listings. They are described by what they became but are not given a telegraph listing number. But they may be listed with their Scott numbers for postage or postal tax stamps. If the overprinting or handstamping led to a revenue stamp, and Birks listed it, I refer to his catalogue number.

Several readers have suggested all the revisions, overprints, etc. should have been isolated in their own sections in this book and that use of spread sheets would improve various parts of this book. I do not disagree but did not want to create more sections in this already long book. I was trying not to include any Nicaragua postage listings, but I did where an overprinted revenue or telegraph stamp got reused for a postal purpose. Thus, some series of stamps have titles that might say “Telegraph Stamp Reissued for Postal Use”. Then text and listing numbers from relevant catalogues are used to show the source of that listing. Nicaragua philatelic readers are pretty astute as far as I can fathom, so I assume they will get it right.

I do hope that you find this book useful.

Clayton Rubec

Perth, Ontario, Canada

July 2024