Costa Rica stamps began in 1863, and collectors today can find many interesting, rare Costa Rican stamps for sale if they keep hunting for-sale listings diligently enough. To the north of Costa Rica is Nicaragua, who began issuing postage stamps a year earlier than Costa Rica, and to the south lies Panama, which was originally a part of Colombia and only issued its own stamps in 1906.
The first series of Costa Rican stamps from 1863 used the old system of currency then in use: 1 peso was equal to 8 reales, or decimalized into 100 centavos. There were four values, from 1/2 real to 1 peso. A 1/2 real 1863 Costa Rican stamp with no horizontal perforations is especially valuable.
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Several other issues with these currency units followed until 1900, when Costa Rica revamped its monetary system into 1 colón = 100 centimos. All new stamps until the present day are in this new currency.
From 1885 to 1889, the Costa Rican province of Guanacaste used its own special overprinted CR stamps; see our Guanacaste stamps section for more info and sales listings.
There have been several notable overprints on various Costa Rican stamps over the years; the Spanish word ‘CORREOS’ (post) is often seen, as are various other surcharged stamps. Costa Rica was also an early experimenter with unusually-shaped stamps, with triangular and diamond-shaped stamps being issued in the 1930s.
Overall, Costa Rica had a very light stamp issue policy during the middle decades of the twentieth century, but in recent decades the nation has issued stamps honoring a wider range of subjects and has released special collectible items to appeal to international collectors. Designs tend to feature Costa Rican people, wildlife, structures, and culture, and are generally simple, bold, and effective.
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To find Costa Rican stamps for sale check the listings here. We update the sales and auction listings daily, so check back often to see the newest items.
