Tag: Peru stamp

The Inca empire covered over 2000 miles and is estimated to have contained 10 million people. Sounds like a management headache, especially with no computers or even a written language. Well some times an ancient people will come up with a work around, or in this case a run around. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Waterlow and Sons had some fun with the design of this exotic stamp from far off Peru. The presentation of the ancient Inca courier is straight forward and at first glance appropriately regal. Notice however how playfully they presented the surrounding designs. Specifically the figurehead at the top center. He made me laugh.

Todays stamp is issue A143, a 10 Centavo stamp issued by Peru in 1936. It was an 18 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents used.

With such a spread out Inca empire. there was a need to have a system of communications. They developed a profession of road running mailmen who worked along regular chain routes throughout the empire. In addition to the skill of fast road running, the mailmen also had to be adept at quick memorization as remember the empire had no written language.

There was a sort of exception to the all verbal communication for the road runners were sometimes tasked with carrying Quipu. The Quipu was a series of strings and knots. The shape, shape, and distance apart of the knots conveyed the meaning. You of course  had to understand the code and be able to make the knots. This was a skill passed from father to son using much repetition. The knots were supposedly also able to keep a record of numbers.

In the way of the modern historian, there is a a way of making romantic this backward work around as an equivalent of the modern binary code of computer languages. It seems to me to be an awfully labor intensive substitute for the talking drum method of long distance communications used in old days west Africa, see https://the-philatelist.com/2020/06/16/the-gold-coast-1954-listening-out-for-the-talking-drum/   . The Africans also had the problem of no written language to work around.

Sometimes even today simple people condemn as evil old systems they do not take the time to understand. After the Spanish Empire’s conquest of Latin America, the Catholic Church declared quipu knots the work of Satan and that they should be destroyed on sight. This might not have been just ignorance. The few in number conqueror will not want the masses to have a form of communication that they don’t understand. A little like Josef Stalin banning the Esperanto language during his 1930s purges. In any case it was the end of the use of Quipu knots and today we have only uncovered a few examples of the old system.

Well my drink is empty. Come again soon when there will be another story to be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2021.

Peru, like so many other Latin American countries still had a feudal style society well into the twentieth century. With the growth of national universities, there came a batch of new leaders, the connected’s children in reality, that sought to speak for the mass of indigenous and overturn the applecart. In Peru, this urge was defeated. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

The top of the feudalist system have things very well. Put in place under colonial times, but then feeling disconnected and even taken advantage of by their distant mother country. The elite elect to break free and go it alone. If you look at the stamps of the Peru of the time all you see is colonial architecture and people serving in puissant armies dressed with more flash than any Nazi. It is no wonder that the new generations chafed in the grandiosity that so lacked achievement.

Todays stamp is issue A 15 Centimos stamp issued by the republic of Peru in 1936. It displays the Avenue of the Republic, a grand boulevard laid out before the republic in colonial era Lima. It was part of an 18 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents used.

What to do with the sons after the first is always an issue in feudal societies. The first son will inherit the estate that cannot be divided and daughters are useful to marry off for gain. The traditional answer was the Church or the army for the superfluous sons. Latin America after independence had chosen to subdivide into many weak nation states. Part of being a nation state was having a new university in the capital. The education combined with a precarious career track is why often the university becomes a hotbed of activism for change from these resentful, superfluous sons.

Peru was incredibly unstable. During 1931, there were 5 Presidents. There were deadly rivalries but all the leaders came from the large landowner class, the latifundistas. Outside looking in were the products of the University of Peru. These people had developed ideas of bringing in socialism that would raise the status of the masses of peasants whose toil supported the current system. This support for the lower classes was mainly theoretical, the movements being controlled by those with much more Spanish blood than found in the mass of peasants.

The left wing movement coming out of the university had two perhaps unlikely leaders. who as with Peruvian tradition were initially allies then later bitter rivals. Victor Haya de la Torre was a homosexual leftist who tried to expand the University to offer more opportunities to peasants  and then used his notoriety to form  a populist political party. Jose Mariategui was more a docturnal communist  that traveled extensively in Italy and Austria making connections to local fellow political travelers. He was more the intellectual and his works tried to show a new “shining path to Peru’s future.” This future was communist, but he insisted not based on European models but based on Peruvian indigenous traditions. That must have been why he spent so much time in Europe. He was not a politician from central casting. He was quite short and handicapped by a amputated leg.

Peru was a republic in theory and as such there were elections from time to time. Usually there was no clear winner, with more room for intrigue. The movements started by the would be politicians above sometimes even won the elections. That does not mean that they were allowed to serve. There was always jail and exile, something both leaders did have experience with. The feudal system was not going to yield without a fight. In 1979, Haya de la Torre was actually allowed to take office as President after 6 decades in politics. By then he was on his deathbed but he had time to sign a new constitution, that did not do much for the economy but at least got the army out of the government.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the indigenous peasant class in Peru. Perhaps at some point someone will inquire as to their thoughts on how the country is to be governed. Crazy talk, I know. Come again for another story to be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.

Peru is the home of the oldest continuing operating university in the Americas that dates from 1653. It has impressive and historic facilities. This stamp shows us a new in 1945 engineering school housed in a large and impressive art deco building. In 2011, Peru opened a new engineering school housed in ultra modern buildings that won the  Pritzger prize for architecture. With such a great commitment to education, you might expect Peru to be at the head of the pack. Or not? So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp issue is right up my alley showing off new construction of the time in Peru. The printing was farmed out to De La Rue in London. Here the ball seems to dropped as the design is lackluster. Perhaps the London printers with access to photos decided to hint that the buildings really were not that great. It also could be that Peru only paid for the economy printing package.

Todays stamp is issue A122, a 25 Centavo stamp issued by Peru in 1952. It was a 10 stamp issue in various denominations. There were later versions for airmail and third world currency devaluation. Interestingly late versions were printed by Joh Enschede in the Netherlands so perhaps Peru was dissatisfied with De La Rue’s work, or were offered an even more economic printing package. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used.

The first University as most early ones in Peru was founded in order to train Priests to serve in spread out religious missions. For this, there was much instruction in indigenous languages. My research lead me to the list of the 130 top schools in Peru, and these older institutions are at the top of the list.

This stamp though has us look to engineering education. Here the picture is less in focus. There were three engineering schools that made the list that were founded in 1997, 2002, and 2011. What about this one dating from 1945? Everyone can’t make the best list, even a very long list, in Peru.

In 2012 Peruvian 15 year olds participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment along with 65 other countries. Peru’s students came in last in reading, math, and science. All three subjects tested. Peru blamed the performance on the particularly low scores of indigenous students that face language issues and often have to work when they should be in school. Peru does however graduate a lot of students and literacy is over 90 %.

Peru since 2009 has been a participant in the international program One Laptop Per Child program that has given out over a million laptops in Peru that have a built in assistant named Butia’. Like building fancy buildings, handing out cheap fake laptops to desperately poor people did not have the desired effect on learning outcomes. The OLPC scam shut down in 2014.

Well my drink is empty. If you can and desire to read some more, there will be a new story to be learned from stamp collecting tomorrow.

Having hope for the future gives the ability to get beyond a bad present. Spaniards had been attracted to Peru with legends of a fabulously rich empire in the mountains with much gold. What they found was a weak empire who fell quickly when they couldn’t mount a defense against 200 men. The gold proved scarce enough that the Conquistadors began killing each other over the dregs. Maybe if they just had more faith in those fellows golden sun God Inti. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This is an old stamp from a Catholic country. Yet here we have a rendering of the Inca sun God Inti. It should be remembered that the Inca Empire lasted a mere 80 years and had fallen 350 years before this stamp. Yet this iconography is still common in Peru and Bolivia. It is clear that what the Peruvians are really praying is that they will finally find that vein of gold in the mountains and strike it rich.

Todays stamp is issue A23 a 1 Sol stamp issued by Peru in 1874. This was just as they were renaming the Peso the Sol (sun) and the currency name as gone back and forth between Sol and Inti since. Poor man’s gold standard? This was a 9 stamp issue in various denominations that had many devaluation overprints later. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $2.40.

The Inca idea was that Inti was the Sun God and married to his sister Mama Killa the moon Goddess. Their children then decended to Earth via rainbows in the mountains and then taught culture and looked out for the people. The Inca Empire rose quickly and did indeed find gold in the mountains panning in tributaries at the beginning of the Amazon River. Hearing the legend Pizzaro landed from existing Spanish outposts in Panama bringing with him a force of 189 men and small pox. The Inca Empire fell in two years and Lima was started on the coast to export the rush of gold that was always right around the corner.

Henry Meiggs was a promoter and builder from the USA that had built piers on the waterfront in San Francisco then borrowed a great deal of money against them and absconded to South America with anywhere from $8000 to $500,000 depending who tells it. His story was that his little bit of money quickly ran out and at a low point had to pawn his fancy watch. I will pause for a moment while you shed a tear….. He did prove able to build railways that the locals had been unable to do themselves even in rough territory. Peru contracted with him to build a railroad from Lima into those old Inca mountains with all the gold. Peru was still praying to Inti and they froze out Meiggs upon the railroads completion in 1874. As with Pizarro. the life changing vein of gold as proven elusive.

Unlicensed gold panning is still a big problem in Peru among the indigenous. They find just enough to keep doing it but not enough to really get ahead. I see all the Uber drivers and stamp dealers out there nodding. In the modern world the environmental impact is especially brought forward. The muddy holes dug and cut down trees are bad for the delicate rain forests. The Indigenous are also putting poisonous mercury in the water that binds with the gold and makes it easier to spot. Waste deep in water now containing much mercury is thought to be slowly killing the prospectors. Inti is not pleased, and neither is the Peru government who is not getting their cut.

Well my drink is empty and you can’t stand in the way of a gold rush fortold by the married brother and sister Gods. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting

During Spanish colonial times, trade with Spain had to pass through Lima. By the mid 20th century, Peru had acquired a large Japanese community and was looking to Japan to now export their economic miracle. That didn’t happen but Peru did manage to export it’s first Japanese President, the “Last Samarai”, back to Japan. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Todays stamp celebrates the 2nd International Pacific Fair held in Lima in 1961. Both Japan and the USA had large displays to promote closer economic ties with a then growing Peru. It must have been nice to be the object of so much competition.

Todays stamp is issue C174, a 1 Sol airmail stamp issued by Peru in January 1962, three months or 90 manianas after the Fair. It was a single stamp issue. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents.

The first Japanese immigrants came to Peru in 1899. They were virtually all male and were to work in agriculture for a usually 3 year period. Their contact salary was twice what a similar worker made in Japan. Most did not stay in agriculture and moved to Lima to start shops. The numbers went up fast after the USA banned immigration from Japan in 1924. Early on there was some resentment toward the new arrivals. A law was passed that required shops to have a percentage of native Peruvian employees. In 1938, Peru also stopped accepting new Japanese immigrants. After an earthquake in Peru in 1940, the Japanese were especially targeted in the third world style looting that followed. During the war about 10% of the Japanese Peruvian community was sent to internment in the USA. Peru had stated none could return post war, but some did. Most stayed in the USA.

This might have chased off the Japanese in Peru but instead the opposite happened. The economic power of Peruvian Japanese grew and ties with post war Japan grew ever closer. In 1990, Alberto Fujimori was elected as the first Asian leader of a country outside Asia. He opened up much of the economy and sold off many state owned enterprises. You can guess who was doing the buying. The influx of investment did get the economy moving again. However there was also corruption. When a corruption scandal was about to break in 1996, Fujimori escaped to Japan. From there he faxed his resignation from the Peruvian Presidency, a first. I wonder which corrupt politician will be the first to text a resignation?

Peru wanted Fujimori to face criminal charges but Japan found enough red tape to prevent extradition. Fujimori in 2005 traveled to Chile to plot a Peruvian comeback. The Chileans put him under house arrest  and started the long process of extradition. From Chile, Fujimori tried to boost his position in Japan by running for a seat in the upper house of the Japanese Diet. He ran on a populist message as the “Last Samurai” He lost that election and was soon in jail in Peru. He was later pardoned for old age and ill health. When he didn’t die fast enough the pardon was overturned and this year, at age 80, Fujimori returned to jail. Peru sounds fun.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the native Peruvians who got jobs at Japanese owned enterprises. The many?, some?, anybody?. Anyway, come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

An exhibition of a rich country in a poor country can be awkward, but less so if a legend of the rich country had done earlier work in the host country. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

When I first spotted this stamp, I reacted badly to it. Poor Peru has nothing to compare to the Eiffel Tower except a long ago Cathedral built by the Church not the state and likely inherited from the Spanish colonial period. This is where digging in deeper as I do on this site helps. It turns out that Gustave Eiffel did a fair amount of work in Peru and indeed the exposition was held in a building designed by Mr. Eiffel. This changes my whole outlook on the stamp. Now the Exposition takes on the spirit of two countries that have had a friendly collaboration for years. Eiffel’s work in Peru was after independence and included work for the State as well as the Church. This was a great bit of history to recognize during the Exposition as it was probably new to the French. Peru even had the confidence to have this stamp look vaguely French. Good Job Peru!

The stamp today is issue AP57, a 50 Centavo airmail stamp issued by the Republic of Peru on September 16th, 1957. It was part of a four stamp issue celebrating the French Exhibition in Lima that year. According to the Scot Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents. There is a version of the stamp with an overprint from being issued directly at the exhibition. This ups the value five times, however still to a modest $1.25.

It is a regret that a young person who might have waited in line to get his commemorative stamp overprinted. He carefully saved the stamp now for over 60 years and yet is only rewarded with a value of a little over a dollar. Being rewarded with a decent valuation might help get his grandchildren collecting. At the current valuation, it is at best a curiosity to the young and even the now grandfather must wonder why he bothered.

The Exposition was a big deal. It was attended by Peruvian President Prado and French President Coty. The French Navy made a port visit to coincide with the Exposition and the French had elaborate trade goods on offer. The two Presidents were similar. Both were older conservative presidents that are not well remembered today. Both were elected by small majorities and served out their terms but beset by agitation from the young left who were dissatisfied but could not win at the ballot box.

Gustave Eiffel did work in many countries during a long career that is forever memorialized by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. He did bridges, aqueducts, churches, train stations and even a few hotels. He was an engineer by training and the aesthetics of his work gave a sense of the industrial revolution going on around him. He also worked on the Statue of Liberty and was part of a failed counter proposal for the Panama Canal. He also did some groundbreaking work in aerodynamics in the early days of manned flight.

My drink is empty so I will toast Peru for far exceeding my expectations with this stamp. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.