The 1900 Lithographs of El Salvador

The 1900 Lithographs of El Salvador

Sometime in 1900 as stated in the July 1917 issue of The Philatelic Gazette, Francisco Saso signed a contract with the then Postmaster General, Aristides Paredes, to assume the task of printing postage stamps for the government. Saso received five lithographic stone stamp plates, which some claim came from San Francisco, California but this is not verified. These were sent to his residence where he printed the stamps. Apparently he printed no less than 40,000 stamps per week and turned these over to the Treasury, where they were inspected. Any stamps not acceptable were returned to him.

I suspect these stones were blank as there are 10 different denominations that were issued and this could not have been done had there been only five plate designs.

The earliest reference I have found in the philatelic press for this issue is in the March 9, 1901 issue of Ewens Weekly Stamp News where they make reference to a proposed new issue that will replace all the provisional issues.

The basic, i.e. unoverprinted, stamps were printed in sheets of 153 stamps, 9 horizontal rows of 17 stamps, which must have been an accounting nightmare for the postmasters.

Some time ago I acquired several large multiples of this issue: a block of 56 (8x7) of the 1 centavo yellow-green, an irregular block of 69 of the 1 centavo Type II (centavo not centered), a block of 80 of the 1 centavo light green, as well as a block of 60 of the 1 centavo with the "Franqueo/Oficial" in oval. From a study of these blocks it is apparent that the stone is made up of a repetition of 9 horizontal subjects.

The quality of the printing is vastly inferior to the 1899 issue and because of the poor quality the stamps are hard to plate. Also, according to an article in the 10 August 1901 issue of the Illustrirtes Briefmarken Journal the issue was very poorly gummed with many stamps missing gum entirely. I have found three different gums on the various issues: white gum, yellow gum and brown gum.

It is not known how many of these stamps were printed or issued but a note in the 1903, issue #32, of the Szekula Briefmarken-Verkehr that the remainders of this issue, about 750,000 stamps (face value almost $60,000) were offered for sale as a lot.

I have found that El Salvador did not issue lithographed stamps without some sort of "control" overprint because of the fear of counterfeits. Thus, these stamps were only issued with the Shield overprint. Although Leavy states that the 1 centavo, 3 centavos, 5 centavos and 13 centavos were in use a day or two before being overprinted with one of the Shield devices, I suspect that because the earlier issues were handstamped one or more of the stamps were missing an overprint and were used postally or by favor. In my collection I have a copy of the 3c without Shield cancelled at "San Francisco (de Gotero)" but I suspect this may have been a favor cancel. I consider any of these stamps without a Shield overprint to be unfinished stamps.

I have the following denominations without a shield overprint.

1 centavo x

1 centavo, imperf pair x

2 centavo, imperf pair, printed on both sides x

3 centavo x

3 centavo, imperf pair x

In a listing of varieties submitted by Pierre Cahen, a careful and knowledgeable collector of El Salvador, the following varieties were reported:

Without Shield

2 centavos

2 centavos, imperf pair

5 centavos

10 centavos

Printers proofs in black are known for the 1 centavo and 10 centavos values. No other proofs are known to me, nor do I know of any essays.

The Issued Stamps

Large Shield Handstamp

According to Leavy these stamps first appeared in October 1900, handstamped with the large shield device in purple. Seven values, 1 centavo, 2 centavos, 3 centavos, 5 centavos, 10 centavos, 13 centavos and 50 centavos were issued on a thin, white wove paper. I have never seen a genuine copy of the 10 centavos, so it must be a very rare bird.

LS1 - 1 centavo

LS2 - 2 centavos

LS3 - 3 centavos

LS4 - 5 centavos

LS5 - 10 centavos

LS6 - 13 centavos

LS7 - 50 centavos

Leavy notes the following varieties and I have put a red x next to those I have.

LS4a - Horizontal pair, imperf between

LS1b - Sideways overprint

LS4b - Sideways overprint

LS7b - Sideways overprint

LS1c - Inverted overprint

LS2c - Inverted overprint x

LS4c - Inverted overprint

I have the following variety not mentioned by Leavy.

LS6d - Shield in black

I also have what may be a trial color essay - the 1 centavo with double shield, one in blue and one in red-brown.

Covers with this issue are very scarce. The earliest I have seen is dated November 3, 1900.

Small Shield

Also in October, according to Leavy, the stamps with the small handstamped shield were issued in 10 denominations. They are on a thin, white wove paper.

SS1 - 1 centavo

SS2 - 2 centavos

SS3 - 3 centavos

SS4 - 5 centavos

SS5 - 10 centavos

SS6 - 12 centavos

SS7 - 13 centavos

SS8 - 24 centavos

SS9 - 26 centavos

SS10 - 50 centavos

Leavy lists the following varieties:

Sideways overprint

SS1a x

SS3a x

SS4a x

SS5a

SS6a x

Inverted overprint

SS1b

SS3b

SS6b

SS10b

Double overprint

SS1c x

SS2c x

SS3c

SS4c

Overprint Type 1 (Large Shield) and Type 2 (Small Shield)

SS1d

SS2d

Pair, one with Type 1, one with Type 2 overprint

SS7e

I have the following variety not listed by Leavy

SS10f Strip of 3 of the 50 centavos, center stamp having a double overprint x

Reported in El Faro by Pierre Cahen are the following varieties:

SS1 - Imperf pair

SS2 - Imperf pair

The earliest cover I have seen with this issue is dated October 29, 1900.

Both the Large and Small Shield overprints have been counterfeited so care must be taken when acquiring items, especially varieties.

Typographed Shield

In December 1900, again according to Leavy, the stamps appeared with an electrotyped shield device. The following values exist on a thin, white wove paper.

TSt1 - 1 centavo (this is Type 1 with the word "centavo" centered in bottom value tablet.

TSt2 - 1 centavo (this is Type 2 with the word "centavo" to left in bottom value tablet.

TS2 - 2 centavos

TS3 - 3 centavos

TS4 - 5 centavos

TS5 - 10 centavos

TS6 - 12 centavos

TS7 - 13 centavos

TS8 - 24 centavos

TS9 - 26 centavos

There are several shades especially of the 1 centavo, 2 centavos, 5 centavos and 13 centavos.

Leavy lists the following varieties:

Overprint double

TSt1a x

Overprint Inverted

TSt1b

TSt2b

TS2b x

TS3b

TS4b x

TS5b

TS6b x

TS7b x

TS8b

TS9b x

Pair, one overprint normal, the other inverted

TSt1c

TSt2c

TS2c

TS3c

TS4c

TS5c

TS6c

TS7c

TS8c

TS9c

I have the following not listed by Leavy

Shield Double

TS4a x

TS6a x

TS9a x

Shield in black, double on 50c (unissued value) x

Shield double, one Type 2 (small handstamped) in violet, one Type 3 (typographed) in black on 24c x

Printed on both sides, shield inverted on one side, missing on the other

TS2d x

TS2da (imperf) x

TS7d x

Imperforate pair

TS3e x

Pierre Cahen reported the following varieties in El Faro, but I do not know from which printing they were produced:

1 centavo

Shield Double

Shield Triple

Double overprint, one inverted

Triple overprint, one inverted

Imperf pair

Imperf pair, overprint inverted

2 centavos

Printed both sides

Overprint double

Imperf pair

3 centavos

Double overprint

Imperf pair

5 centavos

Imperf pair

Double overprint, one inverted

Imperf pair, overprint inverted

10 centavos

Double overprint

Imperf pair

12 centavos

Double overprint

Imperf pair, overprint inverted

13 centavos

Double overprint

Imperf pair

Printed both sides

24 centavos

Double overprint

The earliest cover I have seen is dated May 10, 1901.

Sometime in 1901 Leavy states that the stamps were reprinted on a thick, hard, white wove paper in the following denominations:

TS2-1a 1 centavo (Type 1)

TS2-1b 1 centavo (Type 2)

TS2-2 2 centavos

TS2-3 3 centavos

TS2-4 5 centavos

TS2-5 13 centavos

TS2-6 24 centavos

TS2-7 26 centavos

The also lists the following varieties:

Overprint Inverted

TS2-1aa x

TS2-1ba x

TS2-2a

TS2-3a

TS2-4a x

TS2-5a x

TS2-6a x

TS2-7a x

Pair, one overprint normal, the other one inverted

TS2-1ab

TS2-1bb

TS2-2b

TS2-3b

TS2-4b

TS2-5b

TS2-6b

TS2-7b

I have the following varieties not listed by Leavy:

Shield Double

TS2-4c x

TS2-5c x

Shield Double, one inverted

TS2-4d x

Harry Eisenstein had in his collection a 13 centavos stamps with the inscription "UPU" missing as well as the "1" and final "0" in "1900". I suspect this is a printing variety not a constant plate variety.

In 1902 four values were printed on a soft, slightly yellowish wove paper according to Leavy.