Will Castillo is a passionate collector of Venezuela and an avid student of how the philately of Venezuela is intertwined with the country’s history. Around a decade ago, he authored a widely respected study of the 1871–1880 Escuelas issue—demonstrating how a complex and often confusing series can be organised into a clear, systematic and accessible framework for collectors.
Latin America is blessed with no shortage of philatelic backwaters that deserve further exploration. Many of these tributaries have been infrequently visited; Venezuelan postal stationery was most certainly one of them. In this article, we discuss Venezuelan philately more broadly but with a specific focus on Will’s motivation to encourage awareness of Venezuelan postal stationery and his recently published series of works dedicated to the subject.
CLA What first sparked your interest in philately and specifically, Venezuelan stamps and postal history?
WC To be honest, mine isn’t a particularly original story: I was around 8 or 9 years old when my older brother started collecting stamps, any stamps, including those from Venezuela. Back then, he had the Catálogo Celta, 1979 edition, the first catalogue of Venezuelan stamps in full colour. It was quite a novelty for the late seventies!
And there they were: the 1902 Guayana “Barquitos” local Venezuelan issues (I was born in Ciudad Guayana). Ugly as they are, they caught my eye, and heart, forever. All those beautiful, multi-coloured stamps from the ‘70s issued in Venezuela were of little interest to 9-year-old Will; I fell in love with that ugly, badly perforated and boringly simple local stamp.
Little did I know that all the Barquito stamps depicted in that catalogue were actually fakes! But by the time I realized they were forgeries, it was way too late: I’d already had the bug for years.
CLA Can you describe how your collecting focus has evolved over time?
WC Sure. My focus has always been very narrow and always centred on Venezuelan philately. I started, as I said, with its locals. The little stories I heard about them, including many myths, were extremely enticing to a kid.
After that, the natural next step in my late teens/early twenties was the 1860–1870 maritime mail but it was a very expensive area for a young student, so I stopped. I sold the few pieces I had and started to focus on Venezuelan vignettes/cinderellas and revenues, particularly, but not limited to, the first three Escuelas series.
Fast forward a few years, around 2004, I began collecting Venezuelan postal stationery, and finally in 2019, I started collecting commercial pre-1915 postcards. In parallel, I’ve been collecting philatelic literature, both in physical and digital form.
CLA Who were the mentors or key influences in your philatelic development, formal or informal?
WC I would separate them based on their approach. For traditional philately, undoubtedly Alberto Moratti. He became the fundamental pillar of Venezuelan philately during the ‘90s and early 2000s, despite all the challenges the country faced. His interest in identifying fakes, forgeries and counterfeits was dangerously contagious.
Along the same lines, I was very lucky to get in contact early in my ‘philatelic career’ with Bruce MacDougall, who taught me a lot about the Escuelas series and how to properly perform traditionally focused philatelic research. Even more importantly, we started a friendship that is now almost 30 years old.
On the postal history side, there are two people I never had the opportunity to meet in person, but whose books have been an inspiration to me: Santiago Hernández Ron and Adrián Hernández Baño. I admire the level of professionalism and depth they put into their research.
From AHB, I actually ‘stole’ a phrase, originally attributed to Aristotle, that I use often in my own papers: “Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas” (“Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend”). That phrase tells me he went through similar challenges to those I have faced during the release of my publications.
CLA Was there a particular moment or discovery that made you realise you wanted to pursue deep research and writing, rather than just collecting?
WC Oh, great question! Definitely an article I wrote in… 2010 or 2011? It was about the Coro a la Vela labels. That article ‘went viral’ back then and became the go-to resource for those labels for many collectors to this day.
I have received many comments, questions and follow-ups about it from many corners of the world, which is actually a bit embarrassing because I wrote it overnight. I didn’t put too much care into it: I was basically dumping my findings because I wanted to share them. From a formatting and style point of view, it left a lot to be desired, but hey… people use it!
The Postal Stationery of Venezuela
CLA What was the motivation behind writing the “Postal Stationery of Venezuela” series of volumes?
WC Between 2016 and 2019, I was able to collect most of the government decrees and ministerial resolutions issued in Venezuela during the nineteenth century (1830–1899). These primary sources are a gold mine for the commercial historiography of the country.
Accidentally, while looking for information about some mysterious revenues from that era, I stumbled across unknown information about our postal stationery that corrected much of what was previously ‘known’. So, I started to actively look for information about every single issue… and I ended up finding comprehensive data for all of them! It was a really fulfilling journey.
It also presented a ‘good’ problem: I found too much information. Much of it would have made little sense in a standard catalogue but I felt compelled to share it. My other two passions (Venezuelan history and genealogy) were colliding, making it impossible to leave that data aside.
As a result, I ended up writing a book about the origins and stories behind every issue, alongside a traditional catalogue. At that point, I thought, heck, let’s help beginner collectors as well, so I designed a few albums where they can store and proudly display their postal cards.
CLA What challenges are there in documenting Venezuelan postal stationery compared with the stamps?
WC Another good question. When someone decides to go deeper into Venezuelan philately, they only have a few references to guide them. Unfortunately, most were written decades ago and the few exceptions are extremely difficult to find, making them basically inaccessible to most collectors.
Right now, anyone can get their hands on the excellent work of Hall and Fulcher, General Wickersham or Ringström, but none of them even mention postal stationery.
Consequently, people rely on hearsay, often from dealers who may not have the collector’s best interest in mind.
When there’s nowhere to fact-check, challenges arise and collectors often give up. I truly hope I’ve contributed my two cents worth to fill this gap and provide a trusted source of information for these often-overlooked items.
CLA In the course of assembling the catalogue volume, were there any pieces or findings that genuinely surprised you?
WC Yes, absolutely. There are three ‘regular’ pieces that have gone under the radar for decades: TP2a and TP4 (either mint* or used***) and TP15a (mint***). Their inconspicuous appearance masks how difficult they are to find!
CLA The albums focus on specific issuers: Casa Agostini, Imprenta Nacional and Litografía del Comercio. What distinguishes these printers from each other?
WC Apart from the printers themselves and their specific techniques, I feel every album marks a unique period in the socio-political momentum of the country and its postal history. Mixing them would have created a ‘salad’ that I’m not sure would taste good. That’s why I decided to separate them.
Research Methodology
CLA What were your primary sources when researching Venezuelan postal stationery – archives, government documents, correspondence, dealer records, etc.?
WC I used four different sources: a) annual government decree compilations from 1880 through 1956, b) ministerial resolution compilations from 1880 through 1920, c) individual Gacetas Oficiales from 1960 through 2006 and d) a couple of philatelic magazines (one from 1884 and others of recent date). The magazines were used for only two recent issues for which I couldn’t find the relevant Gacetas.
Speaking of Gacetas Oficiales, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the person who helped me find them. This person lives in Venezuela and, for reasons no one can understand, making this public information ‘public’ is considered a crime there. This person risked imprisonment to help and yet they did.
CLA How do you verify print runs, issue dates, and demonetisation data when documentation can be scarce or inconsistent?
WC I triangulated the data. For instance, one ministry was responsible for printing postal assets, another for providing the services and a third for paying for the printing. Every ministry had its own accounts to report to Congress at the end of the fiscal year. I simply compared them: if 10,000 cards were requested and printed, 10,000 should have been paid for and 10,000 received by the post offices.
Whenever there were incongruences, I highlighted them. Spoiler alert: there were very few, and in negligible amounts. This research debunked a common myth: the belief that Venezuelan postal cards were printed without control at anyone’s prerogative. This proved to be an absolute fallacy.
CLA Do you incorporate fieldwork – examining actual pieces in collections or archives into your research?
WC Unfortunately, no classic fieldwork was involved. However, I compared key pieces from fellow collectors who graciously provided high-quality images. For measurements like grammage, dimensions, and weight, I used my own collection.
CLA Within Venezuelan postal stationery, what is the relationship between scarcity, price and demand? How easy or difficult is it to build a comprehensive collection?
WC That depends on how I look at your question. Unfortunately, most catalogues undervalue much of Venezuelan postal stationery. Higgins and Gage, for instance, makes us believe that all but one issue (the 1911, 15th issue) are worth twenty dollars or less.
Ironically, for this single item (valued in the 1970s at $300), I’ve kept a public visual record of the pieces I know that are out there and there are twenty-eight copies as of now. And I know there are at least three good collections I haven’t accounted for yet.
With that in mind, yes, you can still find many good copies at great prices today, including those whose scarcity should command much higher prices. For example, there is one PS with a print run of 1,000 cards; most of them was overprinted and for the very few that were not, a handful were used. And yet you can buy one of these used gems for thirty dollars or so.
However, I have started to see an increase in the demand for good items noted by the hammer price of some of them, including a few I had unfortunately lost and am still mourning.
My catalogue, however, didn’t take into account any other catalogue’s prices as references. And this was a deliberate decision. I based the prices on a) the scarcity index I added in the red book (the one on the origins) and b) my own experience buying and recording hammer prices of key pieces since at least 2008. That’s why the prices in my catalogue may seem (to some) somewhat higher than they should.
Finally, I believe it is very important to say that I am not a stamp dealer. I don’t sell postal stationery, for that matter.
Building a comprehensive collection of Venezuela postal stationery is not an easy task. Starting with the fact that most cartagramas have not reached the international market yet and of course, there are quite a few issues where only five or fewer pieces have been recorded so far. Furthermore, some cancellations are extremely difficult to find, if you choose to go that route.
If you scope it properly though, you may have better luck. For instance, mint pre-1912 issues. As usual, the last 5-10% will keep you looking.
Collecting Preferences & Insights
CLA What are your personal collecting preferences within the broader scope of Venezuelan philately?
WC I still collect the same, however, right now, my focus has shifted to pre-1915 commercial postcards. It’s a fascinating topic with a lot of room for discovery.
CLA What aspects of Venezuelan philately do you feel are under explored by collectors and researchers? And any plans to research and write about other areas?
WC This answer may surprise those who know me but I believe modern philately is mostly uncharted territory. For the last thirty years or more, Venezuelan philately has been largely stagnant; consequently, modern philately is the area that has suffered the most.
Combined with the universal challenges facing the hobby, such as new technologies and a lack of new issues, the landscape looks quite challenging. Beyond that, Venezuelan revenues are a rich area to explore and document.
Venezuelan postal routes, special usages, pre-philately, maritime mail… all these areas are ripe for an enthusiastic researcher. I’ve heard people say, “Documentation is difficult to come by!” and it is, but it’s not impossible. Besides, that’s part of the fun!
I hate to say it, but I managed to do it all from the comfort of my desk.
Plans? At one point, I started writing about our locals, but I stopped because I felt I wasn’t doing them justice. With age, I’ve become increasingly picky when it comes to saying something is genuine. Given the lack of legal authorizations or undoubtedly genuine de facto usage, I believe most of them are, in fact, fakes.
That aside, I hope to have something interesting to share in the future regarding Venezuelan commercial postcards.
Motivations & Philosophy
CLA What motivates you to share your research publicly—through books, articles, and talk – rather than keeping it within private collections?
WC I may be naive, but my answer is my family. I’ve always said I’d rather fight on a level playing field today than have my family lose on an unlevel one tomorrow when I’m gone. It’s a long shot, but I’ll try!
CLA Do you see your writing as part of a broader effort to preserve Venezuelan cultural or postal heritage? Why?
WC I certainly do. I’ve noticed young people in Venezuela (15–25 years younger than me) creating great content about our history: its architecture, society and people. A country’s philately is inextricably linked to its history so that may be a natural next step to some of them (fingers crossed!). I like to think my work would help them take their own research further.
CLA What advice would you give to newer collectors or researchers who want to deepen their engagement with Venezuelan philately? If a prospective collector wanted to specialise in 19th-century Venezuelan philately, for example, where would you suggest they begin?
WC The first stops would be the books authored by Hall and Fulcher, Wickersham and Santiago Hernandez Ron. Then, the different magazines from ASOFILCA, the former Club Filatelico de Caracas, but also older classic philatelic magazines from France, Germany and the USA. I found a lot of information there that I couldn’t find anywhere else.
Research Centres were of utmost help to me, so if you have access to a University’s library, and sometimes even your local library, they usually provide access to those centres that combine multiple libraries around the country (and some even around the world). Places like Hathi Trust, the Center for Research Libraries or the Digital Library of the Caribbean to name a few are excellent resources.
All Will’s publications are available direct from his website at willcastillo.com
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