Gardel in postmarks

ostal seals, postage seals or stamps, as they are commonly called, are used to indicate the cost of postal shipping.

Turning now to history, let us remember that the original idea of the adhesive seal belonged to the English official Rowland Hill, starting with similar labels issued in different European countries, in order to collect certain taxes. Thanks to his efforts, on May 6, 1840 (now the World Day of the Philatelist) Great Britain issued the first official series of glued postage stamps for the price of a penny, which became known as Black Penny. The latter shows the portrait of Queen Victoria, and set a postage precedent in that country.

After the success achieved by these adhesive stamps, numerous countries began to create theirs, so contributing to its generalized usage.

Let us remember, too, that the first Argentine stamp was issued in Corrientes in August 1856. An image of the goddess Ceres was printed on it, an imitation of the head of the early seals of France, and was engraved in copper and printed with black ink on ordinary tissue paper of different colors. Like the Black Penny it had no indenture. Each of them was handmade and circulated, with different values, up to 1880.

Collecting and study of postage stamps and relating material, including postmarks, is known as philately (a Greek word that literally means 'love for what is free or for what is duty-free').

Seals or unique and worthy stamps appeal to collectors not only because of their aesthetic beauty or their economic value, but also because of their historical, geographical, political or artistic value, or as testimony of many other aspects of civilization.

Since this hobby appeared, most philatelists have preferred to specialize in the issues of one or several countries. However, now the number of people interested in thematic collections is greatly growing.

On October 12, 1892, due to the celebration of the IV Centennial of the Discovery of America, the Argentine Republic issued the first commemorative seals, originating, then, the first and most important branch of philately: "thematic philately", which includes stamps and postmarks. It held the first world exhibition, also in our country in 1961.

The postmarks fixed to indicate, stamp or annul postage stamps, include postmarks, in general; the first-day postmarks and the special or commemorative postmarks.

Let us see, now, those which allude to the emblematic figure of Carlos Gardel: