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1859, 20c Blue (6). Four singles, mostly full to large margins except lefthand stamp touched, end stamp at right has slight vertical crease, varying impressions in a deep shade, tied by two perfect strikes of "BOGOTA" framed handstamp on blue legal-size registered cover to Cartagena, red registration markings including "Certificacion a Bogota/Salio en 28 de Fbro. 1860" two-line script handstamp with date in manuscript, matching "Confederacion Granadina, Bogota, Admon. Geral de Correos Nacionales" oval handstamp with coat of arms, multiple strikes of "0" handstamp, manuscript "80cs" rate at upper right, red wax seals, neat receipt docketing at lower left, vertical fold at left

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY REGISTERED COVER EXTANT BEARING THE COLOMBIAN FIRST ISSUE, AND, IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY REGISTERED COVER BEFORE 1863. IT IS ALSO THE LARGEST NUMBER OF FIRST ISSUE 20-CENTAVOS STAMPS KNOWN ON COVER AND THE HIGHEST FRANKING OF THE FIRST ISSUE. TRULY ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR COLOMBIAN COVERS IN EXISTENCE, AND AN IMPORTANT ITEM FROM BOTH THE POSTAL HISTORY AND PHILATELIC PERSPECTIVES.

This remarkable artifact of Colombian postal history is illustrated on page 13 of Dieter Bortfeldt's Colombia Philatelic Handbook and Catalogue 1859-1860. It surfaced in the 1982 Corinphila sale of the Neuberger collection and has no prior recorded history. The only other cover known to us which bears more than one 20-centavos is the cover to Hamburg illustrated on page 5 of the Bortfeldt handbook.

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