A Postal History of Spain de Theo Van Dam

Description

Libro de Historia postal de españa

1972, 97 páginas

by Theo. Van Dam

COLLECTORS CLUB HANDBOOK No. 24

Published by the Theodore E. Steinway Memorial Publication Fund

The purpose of this book is to give the reader a survey of the Postal History of Spain. The author believes that he touched on the major aspects of his subject, without getting too deeply involved in detail.

Please keep in mind that this work will be restricted to Spain itself. The overseas territories are briefly mentioned in connection with the motherland only.

Postal markings have been emphasized since, in the author’s opinion, they are

a “window” to a nation’s postal history.

Regarding terminology, there is always some controversy on certain terms, especially for the covers which were in existence before the adhesive postage stamps were created. We shall refer to these as “pre-adhesive” covers, since we feel that the term “stampless” covers is inadequate. The first postage stamps of Spain were issued on January 1st 1850, but they did not become mandatory for inland postage until July lst 1856 and were not required to be used for foreign countries until the 1858-1874 period, so that there are many “stampless” covers of the “stamp” period.

Also, the term “stampless” includes a much wider field, since it can be used for any cover, no matter which period, on which there are no postage stamps.

They are often used in much later times, such as the military free franks, starting in 1859 and running through present times; the “Official”, Government Agencies, covers; and also in cases where no regular postage stamps were available.

The term “postal marking” (or “markings”) will be used to refer both to postmarks (a marking or notation applied to a cover to denote the office of

r destination, as well as arrival, sometimes including the rates