Presented here are scans of the Earliest Reported Postmarks (ERPs) of Cuba on postal stationery which were produced in the periods of the U.S. Intervention (1898 - 1902) and the Republic. The table for stamped envelopes is followed by a table for postal cards. The United Postal Stationery Society (UPSS) has for many years kept track of U.S. ERPs on postal stationery. Beginning with the publication of the book entitled The Postal Stationery of the Possessions and Administrative Areas of the United States of America, UPSS 2009, that tradition has been carried on by its authors for Cuba. The Republic postal stationery is the subject of a forthcoming monograph by Robert Littrell and the ERPs will be extended for Cuba of that period as well.
I want these listing to be as complete as possible. If you have a scan of any missing card or envelope, or have an entirely new Earliest Reported Postmark, then by all means sent it to me, Robert Littrell, for reporting and posting.
| UPSS No. | Edifil No. | ERP Denomination Paper Color / Size |
Illustration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | 4 April 1899 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Source: Robert Littrell |
 "World's Ugliest ERP" |
| 1a | 42hi | 12 May 1899 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Inverted Overprint Source: Robert A. Siegel Auction No. 856 (2003) |
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| 1b | 42hh | 11 May 1899 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Double Overprint Source: H.R. Harmer Auction No. 3000 (2011) |
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| 1c | – | 3 May 1899 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 damaged C in CUBA variety Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 2 | 43 | 13 April 1899 2¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 3 | 48ip | 20 July 1899 2¢ buff 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 4a | 46ip | 3 June 1899 1¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 4b | 46Aip | 12 June 1900 1¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 5 | 41 | 8 October 1899 1¢ blue 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Mark Tyx |
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| 6 | 49ip | 23 November 1899 2¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 |
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| 7 | 47ip | 10 August 1899 2¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 8 | 44 | 24 July 1899 2¢ blue 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 8a | 44 | 9 September 1899 2¢ blue 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 |
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| 8b | – | 11 May 1899 2¢ blue 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Robert A. Siegel Auction No. 856 (2003) |
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| 9 | 51 | 4 November 1899 1¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 10 | 51A | 14 Aug 1901 1¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 11 | 52 | 11 September 1899 1¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 12 | 53 | 1¢ buff 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 13 | – | 8 Oct 1900 1¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 |
Listed in 2009 UPSS Postal Stationery of U.S. Possessions catalog |
| 13a | 65 | 30 September 1899 1¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 14 | 65A | 8 Oct 1900 1¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 78 Thorp knife 83 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 15 | 54 | 1¢ blue 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 |
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| 16 | 60 | 18 October 1899 1¢ blue 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 17 (W1) | 67 | 6 January 1900 1¢ manila 265 x 140 mm Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 18 | 55 | 24 September 1899 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 19 | 55A | 2 February 1900 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 20 | 55B | 5 February 1901 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Mark Tyx |
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| 21 | 62 | 26 August 1901 2¢ white 106 x 241 mm UPSS knife 106 Thorp knife 59 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 22 | 56 | 21 September 1899 2¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 23 | 56A | 23 January 1901 2¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 24 | 63 | 12 July 1902 2¢ amber 106 x 241 mm UPSS knife 106 Thorp knife 59 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 25 | 57 | 4 July 1900 2¢ buff 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 54 Thorp knife 50 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 26 | 66 | 14 December 1899 2¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 27 | 61 | 5 Nov 1899 2¢ blue 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 77 Thorp knife 76 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 28 (W2) | 68 | 21 September 1899 2¢ manila 265 x 140 mm Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 29 | 58 | 19 September 1899 5¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 30 | 64 | 12 June 1905 5¢ white 106 x 241 mm UPSS knife 106 Thorp knife 59 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 31 | 59 | 14 April 1900 5¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 56 Thorp knife 75 Source: Bill Bean |
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| 32 | 75 | 22 July 1904 1¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 33 | 76 | 1¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 |
RESERVED FOR MORE INPUT |
| 34 | — | 1¢ buff 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 |
 NO USED EXAMPLES OF THIS ENVELOPE HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO DATE |
| 35 | 80 | 1¢ white 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 78 Thorp knife 83 |
RESERVED FOR MORE INPUT |
| 36a | — | 1¢ buff 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 78 Thorp knife 83 Elias Miró corner card Source: Octavio Cabrera |
 This the only such envelope known to exist |
| 43 | 77 | 26 December 1902 2¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 44 | 78 | 31 July 1903 2¢ amber 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 45a | 81 | 28 February 1910 2¢ white 95 x 171 mm UPSS knife 78 Thorp knife 83 Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 48a | — | 2¢ buff 95 x 171 mm Elias Miró corner card UPSS knife 78 Thorp knife 83 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
 This the only such envelope known to exist |
| 49 | 82 | 5 February 1906 2¢ white 106 x 241 mm UPSS knife 106 Thorp knife 59 Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 50 | 83 | 1 April 1905 2¢ amber 106 x 241mm UPSS knife 106 Thorp knife 59 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 53 | 79 | 25 June 1907 5¢ white 89 x 160 mm UPSS knife 57 Thorp knife 81 Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 62 | 85A | 3 November 1911 1¢ white 100 x 175 mm with inscription on flap* Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 62a | 85 | 1¢ white 100 x 175 mm NO inscription on flap* Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 64 | 86A | 9 January 1911 2¢ white 100 x 175 mm with inscription on flap* Source: Augusto Brosa Quintana |
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| 64a | 86 | 28 August 1912 2¢ white 100 x 175 mm NO inscription on flap* Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 64b | – | 10 August 1911 2¢ bluish white or gray wove paper 100 x 175 mm with inscription on flap* Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| 65 | 89A | 13 February 1911 2¢ white 106 x 241 mm with inscription on flap* Source: Ernesto Cuesta |
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| 65a | 89 | 19 April 1913 2¢ white 106 x 241 mm NO inscription on flap* |
 Listed in UPSS Postal Stationery of the Cuban Republic catalog |
| 66 | 87A | 24 February 1911 5¢ white 100 x 175 mm with inscription on flap* Source: Robert Littrell |
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| 66a | 87 | 28 December 1913 5¢ white 100 x 175 mm NO inscription on flap* |
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| UPSS No. | Edifil No. | ERP Denomination |
Illustration |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 39 | 17 March 1899 1 centavo Octavio Cabrera |
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| S1a | 39ra | 20 April 1899 1 centavo |
Listed in 2009 UPSS Postal Stationery of U.S. Possessions catalog |
| S1b | 39r | 1 July 1902 1 centavo |
Listed in 2009 UPSS Postal Stationery of U.S. Possessions catalog |
| S2 | 40 | 6 February 1899 2 centavos Source: Octavio Cabrera |
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| S2b | – | 12 July 1899 2 centavos |
Listed in 2009 UPSS Postal Stationery of U.S. Possessions catalog |
| S3 | 69 | 1 January 1904 2 centavos Scan: Mark Tyx |
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I would like to hear from you. Send comments to Robert Littrell.