Missing C's-Colombian States

Antioquia 1893 Scott 95 5c vermilion

Quick History
The United States of Colombia (1862-85) consisted of nine original States: Antioquia, Bolivar, Boyaca, Cundinamarca, Panama, Santander, Cauca*, Magdalena*, and Tolima. Naturally, all of them  issued stamps as early as 1863. After a new constitution was adopted in 1886, the States became Departments, losing their sovereignty. But the Departments retained some rights, including issuing stamps as late as 1904. It should be noted that Panama left the Republic in 1903.
* Cauca and Magdalena did issue "stamps", but they are not presently listed in Scott.

Cundinamarca 1904 Scott 23 1c orange

Big Blue Picture
Imagine collecting the Union of South Africa stamps without being interested in  the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River Colony issues? Or how about collecting Canada, while ignoring Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland stamps? Wouldn't make any philatelic sense, would it?
So the collector of Colombia should clearly be interested in the Colombian States/Department issues.

Unfortunately, Big Blue dropped coverage of the Colombian States with the '69 edition. Ironic, as these issues are quite inexpensive, and have been offered even in beginner/intermediate Scott albums for a long time. Scott's "The Modern Postage Stamp Album", my Father's album copyright 1933, had 3 1/2 pages and 122 spaces reserved for these issues!

So what should a compleat Big Blue collector do? If one has a '69 edition or later, adding several supplemental pages for these issues, or even pirating the pages from an earlier edition is recommended.

Well,  what does the '47 and earlier editions offer for Colombian States?

Big Blue '47, on six pages, has 69 spaces for Antioquia, 8 spaces for Cundinamarca, 34 spaces for Bolivar, 7 spaces for Boyaca, 58 spaces for Santander, and 25 spaces for Tolima; for a total of  201 spaces. But the 2011 Scott Classic catalogue has dropped 38 of the listings for Santander ( and the city of Cucuta), leaving 20 "recognized"spaces for Santander, and a total of  163 spaces. More about that later.

The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue has 156 descriptions for Antioquia (44%), 35 descriptions for Cundinamarca (23%), 103 descriptions for Bolivar ( 33%), 18 descriptions for Boyaca ( 39%), 35 descriptions for Santander ( 57%), and 67 description for Tolima ( 30%), for a total of 414 major stamp descriptions.
Overall coverage by Big Blue is 39%. Each State/Department percentage coverage by BB is indicated above.

 Big Blue '47 gives a nice representational selection of the Colombian States. I find the stamps quite attractive, and to boot, very inexpensive!

The selection, though,  is marred by 38 stamp spaces in Santander which Scott has now removed from their catalogue. The City of Cucuta's stamps with and without surcharges are believed by Scott to have been produced without government authorization. But I did find the Scott numbers in my '47 catalogue for these stamps if one still would like to fill the spaces.

Naturally, there are a LOT of additional inexpensive Colombian States the BB collector could add on supplemental pages. I list them below.

Additionals.... (132 stamps)
Antioquia (49 stamps)
5,6,7,8,9,12,16,17,20,21,22,27,29,30,32,35,37,39,40,41,43,57,58,59,61,62,63,66,67,68,71,76,77,79,80,81,84,85,109,110,130B,141,142,143,153,154,155,156,157, (<$1-$2+)

Cuninamarca (6 stamps)
3,10,11,17,19,20,(<$1-$2+)

Bolivar (36 stamps)
10,33,34,35,36,47,48,54,59,60,63,67,68,69,71,72,75,76,F1,F2,F3,F4,F5,F6,F7,F8,F9,F11,H1,H2,H5,I1,I2,I3,I4,(<$1-$2+)

Boyaca (4 stamps)
1,6,8,9, (<$1-$2+)

Santander (13 stamps)
3,5,6,8,11,12,14,15,28,29,35,36,37,(<$1-$2+)

Tolima (24 stamps)
9,16,17,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,36,37,38,39,51,52,64,65,68,69,70,71,87,(<$1-$2+)

Tolima 1879 Scott 15 10c blue

Big Blue Checklist ('47 & '41 editions)
Antioquia
1886-88 "Coat of Arms"
55,64,56,65,(<$1)

1889-90
73,74,75,(<$1)

1892
89,90,92,(<$1)

1893
93,94,95,96,(<$1)

1896
97,98,99,100,101,102,103,(<$1)
104,105,106,(<$1)
Two blank spaces: suggest 107,108,($1+)

1899
117,118,119,120,121,122,(<$1)

1899
123,124,125,126,127,(<$1)

1901
128,129,(<$1)
Two blank spaces: suggest 130,130A,(<$1)

1902-03
131,143A,132,144,133,134,135,(<$1)
136,137,138,139,140,(<$1)

1903-04
145,146,147,148,149,150,151,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 152(<$1)

Registration stamp
1899-1902
F3,F4,F5,(<$1)

Acknowledgement of Receipt Stamps
H1($1+),H2(<$1)

Too Late Stamps (Late Fee)
I1,I2,I3,(<$1)

Cuninamarca
1904
23,24,25,26,27,28,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 29(<$1)

Registration stamp
1904
F2(<$1)

Bolivar
1879
11 or 15, 12 or 16($1+), 13 or 17, (<$1 eN)
Note: Scott 15-17 is bluish laid paper.
eN=except noted

1880 Dated "1880"
19 or 25, 20 or 26($2+), 21 or 27,(<$1 eN)
Blank space: suggest 23(<$1)
Note: Scott 25-27 is bluish laid paper.

1882
29,30,31,(<$1)

1883 Dated "1883"
37,38,39,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 41(<$1)

1884 dated "1884"
43,44,45,(<$1)

1885 dated "1885"
49,50,51,(<$1)
Blank space: suggest 53(<$1)

1891
55,56,57,58,(<$1)

1903 
62 or 70($1+), (<$1 eN)
1p(illust): 65 or 66($1+) or 73($2+) or 74($5+),(<$1 eN)
Blank Space: suggest 67(<$1)
Note: Scott 62,65,66,67,is Imperf; Scott 70,73,74, is Sewing Machine Perf.

1904
89,90,91 or 92, 93,94($1+),95($1+),(<$1 eN)
Blank space: suggest 73 or 74($2+)

Boyaca
1903 Imperf "Coat of Arms"
4,5,(<$1)

1903 Perf
10,11,12 or 13($2+), 14,(<$1)

1904
18(<$1)

Santander
1884
1,2,(<$1)

1886
4(<$1)

1887
7(<$1)

1889
10(<$1)

1892-96
13($1+)

1899
16,17,18,(<$1)

1903
19(<$1)

1904
22,24,25,(<$1)

1904
26,27,(<$1)

1905
30,31,32,33,34,(<$1)

Tolima
1879
14,15,(<$1)

1880-83
18,19,16*,(<$1)
*Note BB's illustration is for Scott 16  50c green/bluish, an 1879 issue.


1884
23,24,(<$1)

1884
25,26,(<$1)

1888-95
66,67,62,63,(<$1)

1903-04 Sewing Machine Perf/Perf 12
79,80,81,82,82a*,(<$1)
84,85,86,(<$1)
*Note 82a is 50c black/buff, while 82 is black/rose

1903-04 Imperf 
79a,80a,84a,85a,(<$1)
Note: Scott catalogue now has these as minor numbers.

These stamps below are not currently recognized/listed by Scott. The catalogue used is the 1947 Scott. No prices are included, as no current listing.
Santander
1907 (Stamps of 1904-05 Surcharged)
38,43,48,51,54,60,61,
65,66,67,68,69,70,71,

Issued in Cucuta, a city in Santander
1904
114,115,116,117,

1907 (Cucuta stamps of 1904-05 surcharged)
134,139
Cucuta 140 or Santander 39*, Cucuta 135 or Santander 44 *
*Note: BB specifies "Medio Cvo" (type "b") surcharge "on 50c yellow", and "on 50c red violet" respectively.
As Bob Skinner of Filling Spaces Blog fame points out in the comment section, these descriptions fit exactly the Santander issues Scott 39 & 44. (Prior Comment "But there is already a space for these numbers in the Santander section."- Not true! The OP is actually Type "a", and should be Scott 38 & 43. I changed the Santander 1907 (Stamps of 1904-05 Surcharged) checklist today (11-13-2015) from 30 & 44 to 38 & 43 for the first two stamp spaces.
So I am giving a choice here. One could substitute the Cucuta issues Scott 140  "Medio Cvo" (type "b") surcharge "on 50c carmine/yellow", and Scott 135 "Medio Cvo" (type "b") surcharge "on 50c violet" for the spaces. Or one could put in the Santander 39 & 44 stamps. Your choice.

1907 (Cucuta stamps of 1904-05 surcharged)
144,147,150,153,159,162,166,
*Cucuta161 or Santander 57D,
*169
*Santander 64 or Cucuta 157, 
170,171,172,173,175,174,
*Note: more detail below.
Stamp space: "Blue surcharge: 2 Cvs (type L) on 5c green" : Cucuta issue Scott 161 "5c blue/yellow" or Santander issue 57D ('47 catalogue) "on 5c green"
Stamp space: "Blue surcharge: 2 Cvs (type L) on 20c brown violet" : Cucuta issue Scott 169 "2c on 20c gray green/yellow"
Stamp space: "Blue surcharge: 2 Cvs (type L) on 5p dark blue" : Santander Issue Scott 64 "2c on 5p blue" or Cucuta issue Scott 157 "2c on 5c blue/yellow"

*Note: A mess. BB describes Santander issues (Scott 57D, 60, 64) in the middle of the Cucuta issues. I elected to insert and "favor" Cucuta issues if they had the right ( L type) overprint on an appropriate denomination; and in one case, even an inappropriate denomination. ;-)  Naturally, these Cucuta issues will have a different color than BB specifies. I did include the Santander issues as choices; but not Scott 60 "on 20c brown violet", as there is already a space in the Santander section for this stamp. Then, BB specifies a 5p denomination, which doesn't exist for the Cucuta issues. I substituted ,as a shaky choice, the 5c Cucuta denomination (Scott 157).

Note: A big "Thank You" to Bob Skinner who found a way through these puzzlers. See his analysis under the Comment section.

Antioquia 1899 General Jose Maria Cordoba

2c "slate brown" & 5c "green"

Shades & Tints abound for Colombia issues.

Kinds of Blue
The '97 edition clearly does NOT have any Colombian States stamp spaces. I have two '69 editions, and NEITHER ONE has any Colombian states coverage.
The '47 and '41 editions are identical in coverage as outlined in the Big Blue Checklist section.

1824 Colombia Map

Big Blue Bottom Line
Unfortunately, the '47 and '41 editions include 38 stamp spaces in Santander which Scott's catalogue now states were not produced with government authorization, and the catalogue numbers have been withdrawn. So if one is using these pages, either leave them blank (163 spaces), or fill them anyway (201 spaces).

The good news is the Colombian States stamps are quite inexpensive. Also there are considerable additional stamps (132!) that could be added by the Big Blue collector. The reality is that the BB collector will need to provide spaces for these interesting stamps, as Big Blue ('97 &'69) does not. A pity.

Note: Map in public domain.

If you enjoyed this post, or have some information to share, or have some constructive criticism, please share your thoughts and reactions in the "comment" section. Thanks!

Note: You will need to consult a Scott catalogue for specific pricing. I only give a very "ball park" price, and never the actual catalogue value.
<$1= less than a Dollar
$1+= more than a Dollar
$2+= more than two Dollars
$5+= more than five Dollars
$10+= more than ten Dollars
$20+..and so on.