International Postage Meter Stamp Catalog/Costa Rica

Costa Rica 3 The first meter appeared in 1938. All stamps contain COSTA RICA in the frank. The stamps are grouped according to appearance: A - Upright straight-sided rectangle with country name in curved panel above the value figures B - Straight-sided rectangle without arced inner panel C - Horizontal rectangle enclosing the TM as well as the frank D - Rectangle with simulated-perforation border E - Open design without outer border blue GROUP A: Upright frank with “COSTA RICA” in curved panel near top” left|375px A0.1. Universal “MultiValue” (MV), 1938. 4 [Extremely rare, only two mailed examples known. Proofs are not as rare.] Frank 25 x 31 mm (width excluding curved panel). “CORREOS” at top "CENTAVOS" at bottom. M# “U.1” prefix below "CENTAVOS". Value figures angular. TM: DC V/F: 4 12px000 NOTES: This stamp was previously thought to be an essay until a mailed example turned up in 2012. The “CENTAVOS” version was used prior to the "CENTIMOS" version (type A1). left|350px A1. Universal “MultiValue” (MV), 1940. 4 [Scarce] As Type A0.1 but with "CENTIMOS" replacing "CENTAVOS". M# with “U” prefix. Value figures angular. A. “POST PAID” added beneath curved panel B. Without "POST PAID". M# U1 only TM: DC V/F: 4 12px00 4 12px000 4 0000 a. Printed in brown 4 [One reported] left|343px A2. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV), 1960. Very similar to Type A1, but shorter frank with “COLONES” above M#. Without “POST PAID”. M# with “P.B.” prefix. TM: DC V/F: 4 =0.oo left|508px left|288px A3. Postalia “D2” (MV), 1957. Similar to Type A1B but curved panel is contained within the side borders. Value figures are small, narrow and oval. M# with “P” prefix. A. Wide spacing between TM and frank B. Narrow spacing between TM and frank TM: DC V/F: 4 000 left|525px A4. Neopost “105” (LV6), 1947. 4 [Very scarce] Small frank with straight outer frame lines excepting curved panel containing country name extending outward. Frank is 19 x 25 mm excluding the curved panel. "POST PAID" below curved panel. Wide spacing between TM and frank. M# with “N” prefix. TM: DC Values seen: CENTIMOS: 4 3, 5, 10, 15, 25, 40 COLON: 4 1 a. Examples used without town mark are government Official stamps. left|335px A4.1. Satas "Baby" (MV). 4 [Appears to be quite scarce] Similar to Type A4 but the frank is wider, and the date and value figures are tall. The curved panel containing "COSTA RICA" extends farther outside the sides of the frame. "PORTE PAGANO" below curved panel. Meter number with "PERMISO No. S" prefix. TM: SC V/F: 4 0.00 left|300px A5. Satas “Rotary” (MV). 4 [Very scarce] Post Office stamp. As Type A4.1 but narrower frank. Date and value figures short. ”PERMISO NO.” below “CENTIMOS” at bottom. "POSTA PAGADO" below curved panel. TM: SC V/F: 4 0.00 left|367px A6. Pitney Bowes-GB “Simplex” (LV-25), 1958. 4 [Scarce] Frank 24 x 27 mm with curved panel contained within the side borders. M# with “P.B.” or “S” prefix. A. With “COLONES” and “S” prefix B. With “CENTIMOS” and “S” prefix C. With “CENTIMOS” and “P.B.” prefix TM: DC Values seen: COLONES: 4 0.05 to 1.25 in 5₡ increments CENTIMOS: 4 5 to 125 in 5c increments blue GROUP B: Frank is straight-sided rectangle without curved inner frame left|340px B1. Universal “MultiValue” (MV). 4 [Scarce] Upright frank inscribed “COSTA RICA / CORREOS” in top panels and “MAQ. No (M#)/ PERM. No (P#)” in bottom panels. “CENTIMOS” below value figures. P# with “U” prefix. One seen with machine ID number 1000 and P# U.2. TM: DC V/F: 4 12px00 left|328px B2. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV). Frank is large, simple square with “CORREOS DE/ COSTA RICA” at top and “Colones” above P# at bottom. P# with “Perm. H” prefix. TM: DC V/F: 4 000.00 left|323px B3. Neopost “Electronic” (MV). Frank with double line border broken at bottom by M#. “COLONES” above M#. M# with “RA” prefix. TM: DC V/F: 4 ≋0.00 left|310px B4. Neopost “Electronic” (MV). Frank with double line border broken at bottom my M#. “CORREOS de la REPUBLICA de” in two lines at top. "COSTA RICA" above M#. M# with “RA” prefix. TM: DC solid V/F: 4 ≋0.00 blue GROUP C: Horizontal rectangle enclosing the town mark as well as the frank left|276px C1. Hasler “F88” (MV), 1953. 4 [Very scarce] Mountain and village scene at bottom right and “REPUBLICA DE/ COSTA RICA” at top. “CORREOS/ PERMISO No.” below TM. TM: SC V/F: 4 000 272px|left left|330px C2. Postalia “D2/D3” (MV). 4 [Scarce] Statue of soldier between TM and value figures. “COSTA RICA” at top, “CENTS” vertical at right. M# with “P” prefix at bottom. A. Frank 58-60 mm wide B. Frank 66-67 mm wide TM: SC V/F: 4 000 left|300px left|350px C3. Hasler “F88” (MV). Map of country and compass between TM and value figures. “REPUBLICA DE/ COSTA RICA” at top. “CORREOS/ PERMISO NO. (P#)” below TM. A. Dot at right side of map. M# 26, (Limon) 4 [Very scarce] B. Dot at left side of map. M# 24, (Puntarenas) 4 [Very scarce] TM: SC V/F: 4 0,00 NOTE: The compass on C3B has “E” (east) at left and “O” (west) at right. This is a mistake. blue GROUP D: Frank is rectangle with simulated-perforation outer border left|305px D1. Francotyp (MV). 4 [Scarce] Horizontal frank inscribed “COSTA RICA” at top, the right portion of coat of arms at left. “PERM No (P#)” at bottom. P# with “F” prefix. TM: DC V/F: 4 0,00 a. Printed in black left|280px D2. Francotyp "Cc” (MV). 4 [Scarce] Upright rectangle with three straight vertical lines at left and two vertical lines at right. “PERMISO / No (P#)” at bottom. P# with “F” prefix. TM: DC V/F: 4 0,00 4 12px0,00 left|350px D3. Francotyp-Postalia (MV). As Type D2 but with two vertical lines at both sides. “PERMISO / No (P#)” at bottom. P# with “F” prefix. TM: One example seen with date but no TM V/F: 4 0000.00 blue GROUP E: Open design without complete outer border left|272px E1. Pitney Bowes “R” (MV). Inscribed “CORREOS DE LA REPUBLICA de” across top and “COSTA RICA” above the value figures. National monument design below an arc of five stars between TM and value box. P# with “P.B.PERM.” prefix below monument. TM: SC V/F: 4 4 ≋00 : left|182px E2. Pitney Bowes “DM” (LV-21). As Type E1 but much narrower with “COSTA” above “RICA”. P# with “PB” prefix. TM: SC Values: 4 01 to 21 left|264px E3. Pitney Bowes “5300” (MV). Similar to Type E1 but design is wider and value box has top and right side lines. P# with “P.B. PERM” prefix. TM: SC V/F: 4 4 ≋0.00 left|296px E4. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV). Similar to Type E3 but the top inscription does not extend above the TM at left. The value box is a complete rectangle. P# with “P.B. PERM” prefix. TM: DC V/F: 4 4 ≋0.00 left|294px left|296px E5. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV). As Type E4 but with horizontal lines instead of the arc of stars above the monument at center. Value box broken at lower left by the P#. P# with “P.B. PERM” prefix. TM: DC A. Value box 19 mm wide. 4 V/F: 4 ≋0.00 B. Value box 22 mm wide. 4 V/F: 4 ≋00.oo left|315px E6. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV). Unlike previous Group E types, the date and value figures are on the same level. The P#, with “P.B. PERM.” prefix, is below the value figures rather than the central monument. Value box with lines at right and bottom only. A. Inner line below value figures unbroken B. “COLONES” breaks inner frame line below value figures TM: DC V/F: 4 4 ≋0.00 4 4 ≋00.oo left|322px E7. Pitney Bowes-GB “A900” series (MV). Frank without frame line except below value figures. Wide design with relatively large value figures. “COLONES” below value figures. M# breaks bottom frame line. TM: DC V/F: 4 4 ≋0000.oo blue GROUP PO: Stamps from machines in Post Offices left|272px PO1. Epelsa “RL-Postal” (digital), 2002. Self-adhesive label with wavy edges. Multi-color design picturing a canoe on Manzanillo Beach. Below the image are two lines of text added at point-of-sale, in small letters a machine ID number and the post office name above the date and value figures. V/F: 4 ₵15px15px15px15px15px15px15px0 left|290px right|290px PO2. Epelsa “RL-Postal” (digital), 2003. Self-adhesive label with wavy edges as with PO1, but the stamp is much wider. Normally without post office name showing only a machine number above the date and value figures. Shown are two pictorial designs of several different that have been issued. V/F: 4 ₵15px15px15px15px15px15px15px0 18px15px15px15px15px15px15px15px15px15px0 a. With post office identification above the value figures NOTES: The system produces a registration number label, shown at at right, as well as postage stamps. Besides the designs with red frog on green leaf and the fish with scuba diver shown above, six other designs were issued between 2004 and 2010: green frog with red eyes, volcano erupting, volcano crater, ox cart and people, school of blue fish, sea turtle on the beach. These designs are pictured on the ATEEME web site, http://www.ateeme.net left|310px right|250px left|310px PO3. Epelsa “RL-Postal” (digital), 2012. As PO2, but with postal service logo rather than a landscape or wildlife image. The value figures are different from PO2. Two different designs have been issued, one in 2012 and the other in 2013, both in green and blue and with point-of-sale data added in black. A1. Label with double ribbon across the top, post office identification added in the center. A2. As A2 but with weight, date, time and other data above and to the left of the value figures. B1. Label with stepped bar across the middle, post office identification added in the center. B2. As B1 but with weight, date, time and other data above and to the left of the value figures. V/F for A1 and B1: 6px000,00 V/F for A2 and B2: 6px₵09px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px left|280px PO4. Probably Epelsa (digital), 2016. Similar to Type PO3, but with different underprint design including square 2D barcode field at upper right. Point-of-sale data much smaller than with PO3. V/F: 6px₵09px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px9px 3 green Return to main catalog ⇒ ../ 3 green Return to top ⇒ Costa Rica