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Hello all,

I recently purchased a small collection of Guatemala stamps to fill vacant spots in my collection. I have attached a scan of one the stamps. I know it is not an official postage stamp, but it looks like it might have been a design proposal created by a printer or it might be a type of Christmas seal. I don't know. Searching the internet did not help.

Thank you.

Tim

Hi Tim,

I don't have a lot of info on this stamp but can share some thoughts. The stamp is most likely produced by the Guatemalan chapter of the Red Cross (La Sociedad Nacional de la Cruz Roja Guatemalteca founded in Guatemala April 22, 1923) in the early 1930's. I have the stamp on a partial cover piece with a nice cancel from Dec 5 1931 and some used singles one of which has the date of 1932. The stamps are fairly common. The portrait is purported to be the founder of the Red Cross. I am thinking this is the founder of the Guatemalan Red Cross. With some research, you may be able to identify the portrait in the stamp. If anyone has more information on this stamp please post it here. - Glen

Glen,

Thank you. Nice to know they are out there and the timeframe they were used. With all the of the postmarks, did the post office count them as valid postage? On your example there is 21c total postage. Was that the postal rate to NYC in 1931?

Anyway, these look like they were made as a fundraiser for the Guatemala Red Cross. I'll treat them in my album like I do with Christmas seals. Unless I hear from others that they had other uses.

Thanks again.

Tim