Bolivia Condor, 9 Stars

Bolivia · 1867 · 5 Centavos

This stamp features the Andean condor, the national bird of Bolivia, with its wings spread, perched atop the national coat of arms. Above the condor are nine five-pointed stars, representing the nine departments of Bolivia at the time. The design is enclosed within an oval frame with the country's name at the top and the denomination at the bottom.

This was the first postage stamp issued by Bolivia, marking the country's entry into the Universal Postal Union system. The imperforate stamps were printed in the United States by the American Bank Note Company.