Panama First Issue, State of Panama Coat of Arms

Panama · 1878 · 5c

This stamp is the first postage stamp issued by the Sovereign State of Panama, which was then part of the United States of Colombia. The design features the Coat of Arms of the State of Panama, which includes a depiction of the isthmus with two ships, one on each ocean, symbolizing its strategic maritime importance. The inscription reads 'CORREOS E.S. DE PANAMA' (Post of the Sovereign State of Panama).

Issued in 1878 while Panama was a state within the United States of Colombia, this stamp marks the beginning of Panama's postal history, predating its independence in 1903.