Correo del Comercio

Around 1890, members of the Chamber of Commerce of CUCUTA, founded the ”CORREO DEL COMERCIO” in order to improve the communications between the Santander Provinces and Venezuela and at the same time to have a faster access to the coast - MARACAIBO - to sent mail to the United States and especially to Europe. The mail was sent from CUCUTA via PUERTO VILLAMIZAR and ENCONTRADOS to MARACAIBO.

This service never issued stamps, only a few Registration labels. Stamps of the national postal system were used at the official postage rates cancelled by various types of ”CORREO DEL COMERCIO” handstamps.

The service continued for over 30 years until about 1915.

After about 130 years, a new and previously unrecorded postmark from that company has been discovered, I catalogue this marking in line with the existing numbering schema as "Type E"

Cover from Cututa to Italia, canceled with the oval round postmark "Correo del Commercio, Cucuta (undated) of type B.

Cover from Cututa to Italia, canceled with the round postmark "Correo del Commercio, Cucuta (undated) of type C. Small circle with small lettering CUCUTA

Registration label issued by the Correo Del Commercio

Registered cover from Cucuta to Paris via Maracaibo, Curacao and New York. Franked with 15 Centavos, the postage rate for a registered cover up to 15 gram (Postage 5 Centavos plus 10 Centavos Registration fee), consisting of stamps of the Colombian National Post, cancelled wit the Postmark Type “D” (small circle but with condensed larger type of CUCUTA.) in violet. Registration label of the Correo del Comercio in blue colour, in addition Registration label of Maracaibo (Venezuela) and Transit-Registration label of New York. On reverse Transit Postmark of New York (31.12.1906) und Arrival Postmark of Paris dated 30.01.1907.

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