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content: Frederick Highland
website: amg
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This unusual item from South America is most likely a(n): a)
semi-postal from Ecuador |
If you answered (d), it's clear you know a Bolivar revenue when you see one.
Stamps inscribed simply "Escuellas" (Schools) or "Instruccion" (Education) with a denomination but without the country name were issued by Venezuela during the late 19th century for the purposes of raising revenue for public education. Some of these items, like this 1893 issue (Scott 128) were authorized to carry mail within the country, at least until 1895. Although sometimes serving the same ends, the main distinction between a semi-postal and a revenue stamp is that the semi-postal is used to raise money for charitable purposes.
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