Colombia Telegraph Stamp, 1881 Issue

Colombia · 1881 · 10 Centavos

This telegraph stamp from Colombia features the national coat of arms at its center, which includes a Phrygian cap on a lance, a pomegranate, cornucopias, and an Andean condor holding the shield. The design is framed by ornate scrollwork and indicates its value of 'DIEZ CENTAVOS' (Ten Centavos) and its purpose, 'TELEGRAFOS NACIONALES'.

Issued in the late 19th century, these stamps were used exclusively for paying fees on national telegraph services, a critical communication technology of the era, separate from the regular postal system.