I'm posting several of my more interesting Bolivia stamps for anyone who might have an interest
The 500 Centavos 9 Star Black issue is not scarce, though it carries a high catalog value. What is unusual is that this issue is notorious for poor centering with the majority of 500 Centavos 9 Star Blacks having perforations cutting into the design on one or two sides. The stamp has an APEX certificate stating it as genuine, original gum, previously hinged.
Shown are a normal Bolivia Scott 519 and a variety missing the red color. I've heard that only three such stamps, all postally used, are known. This one came from the Alex Rendon holding. I first saw a stamp such as this (perhaps this one?) in 1976 when visiting the noted Bolivia collector Irvin Hershkowitz in Pennsylvania. He was proud to show me one that he owned.
Bolivia's first issue, the Condors, is famous for being hand engraved with each of 72 stamps unique and readily identifiable. The plate was soft and wore quickly necessitating several complete re-engravings of the entire plate and several more retouches to some of the stamps in the plate. There are no known complete sheets of the first engraving, only singles and pairs, blocks, or strips. The stamp served both fiscally (for revenue purposes) and for postage. Postal cancellations are much scarcer than stamps "cancelled" by pen. Shown is a representation of 69 out of the 72 positions of the original plate. This issue had many varieties including colors and paper types ranging from pelure to thick.
This is the top half of a sheet of stamps with the "E.F. 1899" overprint on the thin paper issue of 1894. Note that the first stamp in the fourth row shows the inverted overprint variety. While the Scott catalogue values the inverted overprint at double the value of the regular stamp, in reality perhaps one in 50 are genuine inverted overprint. I have another half sheet of this tamp and it also has one inverted overprint out of 50. All these stamps were overprinted by hand and other varieties, such as double or rocked, can be found.
Inverted centers are relatively common in Bolivia stamps compared with stamps of the US or Europe. Finding them in blocks is unusual.
This is Bolivia's first stamp that was contracted for on March 18, 1863 and engraved by Justiniano Garcia. It was rescinded on April 29. The plate consisted of 110 stamps of four values (11 rows of 10 stamps each), 1/2 real, 1 real, 2 reales, and 4 reales and was printed in both blue and black with the blue stamps scarcer. Since they were hand engraved, each stamp is different from the others and the issue can be plated. These issues are often referred to the "Challas" issue.
This also shows a "Challas" issue, again in the blue color. This one shows that more than one value was included in each sheet with the top row showing the 1/2 real stamp and the lower two rows being a 1 real stamp. Although these stamps were "official" for six weeks, no authentic stamps of this type exist showing genuine postal usage. This block with the left sheet margin was likely cancelled without official usage.
The first air mail stamps were created in 1925 for use on specific flights between Cochabamba and three other Bolivia cities: La Paz, Oruro, and Sucre. Of course, these basic stamps also exist with the overprint inverted.
The first "air mail" stamps listed by Scott were not really air mail stamps but were intended for all mail. They commemorate the establishment of the National Aviation School. Four values exist imperforated with three shown here. The 10 centavos value exists in two colors (shown here). The stamps here are from a corner of the sheet and show the engravers, Perkins, Bacon & Co of London.
This is one of the scarcest modern Bolivia stamps. President Victor Paz Estenssoro had this stamp printed in Spain. By the time the stamp was issued, Paz Estenssoro had been overthrown as President and the issue was ordered to be incinerated. When cleaning out the incinerator, a few stamps were found to be intact with all showing some degree of damage from burning. This one is one of the best remaining stamps with some yellowing at the bottom left and burn marks at bottom right but with all perforations intact.
This set of stamps issued in 1981 commemorated the July 17 Revolution. Shortly after its issuance, the low values were withdrawn because of controversy about the hammer and sickle symbol. The low values are almost never seen as being used at that time. Sets of singles are around but not common (probably came from new issue dealers). Blocks like this are seldom seen. I have this set in sheets of 100 (folded) which are likely unique.