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Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the International Society of Guatemala Collectors web site.  The ISGC is a non-profit organization and APS affiliate founded in 1948; membership in the Society is open to anyone interested in stamps and postal history of colonial and modern Guatemala and adjacent regions of Central America.

All memberships include a subscription to El Quetzal (EQ), published four times a year. Members also have access to the member side of the ISGC website, where you may participate in the online Forum discussions, and have access to the entire run of back issues of EQ, starting with #1, published in 1949. Guatemala-1, the out-of-print Volume 1 of the Postal History and Philately of Guatemala, is also available online to members, as well as other out-of-print ISGC publications. Members may also download the ISGC Guatemala Stamp Album to print through the Document Library and participate in the Society Auctions.

Join the ISGC, or renew your membership   An online only membership is now available at a reduced rate.
Introduction to Guatemala Philately

Donate to the ISGC

ISGC Facebook Page

ISGC YouTube Channel

HANDBOOK Version 2.0 AVAILABLE NOW!

 

The Stamps and Postal Stationery of Guatemala, edited by Michael Bloom, is now available for download. With 1000+ pages and more than 3,500 new color illustrations, this is the first new comprehensive Guatemala handbook in more than 20 years. The downloaded file is a very large PDF file. You will need a PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader, to view the file. Be sure to download the instruction sheet.

A print version of the handbook is now available as a three-volume set on Amazon. The hardbound series is printed by Amazon at various locations throughout the world to minimize shipping costs. To find the book set on Amazon, search on the category "Books" and the keywords "Guatemala Stamps". All proceeds go to the International Society of Guatemala Collectors.

Read articles from the American Philatelist and the Philatelic Literature Review on the Handbook by clicking on the links.

 

2027 ISGC Benefit Auction coming up!



To watch the video got Guatemala?, an introduction to collecting Guatemala Stamps, click the play button on the YouTube player, and enlarge to full screen.

NEW! Guatemala Stamp Chats on ZOOM

On the third Monday of each month, all society members and guests are invited to attend a live chat on Guatemala philately. Sessions will last one hour and begin with a short presentation followed by a question and answer period and time to socialize. Members from around the globe will be able to meet and chat. This is a unique opportunity to meet collectors with similar interests.

Registration is required. An email will be sent to members prior to the Chat with a link to register. All Guatemala Chats are conducted in English. Starting time for the Chats is 9 AM U.S. Pacific time, noon U.S. East Coast time, and 5 PM Universal (London) time.

Link to recorded 2020-21 Stamp Chats on the ISGC YouTube Channel   

Link to recorded 2022 Stamp Chats on the ISGC YouTube Channel

Link to recorded 2023 Stamp Chats on the ISGC YouTube Channel

Link to recorded 2024 Stamp Chats on the ISGC YouTube Channel

Link to recorded 2025 Stamp Chats on the ISGC YouTube Channel

2026 Stamp Chats


Monday, January 19, 2026     Social Gathering and Member Sharing    Link to YouTube video

Monday, February 16, 2026     Part II: Guatemala stamps printed by Enschede     Link to YouTube video
Jaime Marckwordt

After you register, you will receive an email from Zoom with a link to join the Chat. Questions? Contact info@GuatemalaStamps.com     
zoomlogo

 

ISGC Benefit Auction — 1st Quarter 2027

Our next ISGC Benefit Auction is scheduled to be held in the 1st Quarter of 2027. We are now soliciting lots for the upcoming auction.

View the Official 2027 ISGC Benefit Auction Announcement (PDF)

This is your opportunity to dispose of your duplicate Guatemala philatelic material for other collectors in our society to enjoy. 100% of all net proceeds go to the ISGC to help support our society!

Type of material needed: All clean and collectible Guatemala philatelic-related material is welcome, including stamps, postcards, forgeries, revenues, officials, essays, proofs, literature, covers, postal stationery, and collections.

The minimum bid for each lot will be $10.00 USD, so please donate philatelic material that is worth at least $10.00 or more.

A DOUBLE BENEFIT FOR OUR SOCIETY: Our previous ISGC President, Michael Bloom, has offered to donate the equivalent value of all winning bids for this auction. This will double our expected net income for this activity. Thank you to Michael for his generous offer.

As always, you may ask any questions before sending your donated lots to our Auction Manager. Please submit donated lots by December 15, 2026.

Auction listings and scans of the lots will be posted here when bidding opens.

Auction Manager:
Jonathan Topper
Topper Stamps & Postal History
13100 Wortham Center Drive STE 300
Houston, Texas 77065-5631
Cell Phone: 832-518-6558
Email: jonathan@topperstamps.com
www.topperstamps.com

Past ISGC Benefit Auctions

2024 ISGC Benefit Auction
The 2024 ISGC Benefit Auction closed on April 30, 2024. A total of 43 lots were offered, 31 lots were sold, and the auction realized $1,550.00 USD. Net proceeds benefited the ISGC.

2024 Auction Listing
2024 Lot Scans
2024 Auction Results

 

Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries

Collecting the stamps of Guatemala is an interesting and potentially complex challenge, and collectors of the country are helped by a large body of available information. Previous El Quetzal editor and former International Society of Guatemala Collectors (ISGC) president David Reitsema has added to this information by writing these articles to assist ISGC members and other ISGC website visitors distinguish between genuine stamps and fakes. Click here to see the articles and a taped presentation on YouTube by David.

Member Download

Long-time ISGC member Jack Jonza  collected nearly 150 articles and clippings that have information of interest to Guatemala collectors. The articles come from many sources, including magazines that have not been published in many years. These have now been scanned and indexed, and may currently be viewed and downloaded in the Document Library (Non-ISGC Articles in the Non-ISGC Publications folder) by members after logging in. The first PDF in the folder (Jonza Documents Contents) was prepared from a spreadsheet containing information on the documents, including author, publication, publication date, catalog numbers, etc. Download it, then use the links in the titles to go to the individual documents that interest you. 

El Quetzal

Richard Eldridge assumed duties as the editor of El Quetzal, starting with issue #396. A PDF of the entire March 2017 issue has been made accessible on-line to the public to serve as an example of what is available to members.
The cover of the current issue of El Quetzal, #406, June, 2026, is available for viewing. Members may sign in to view the entire issue online in the Library section of this website. All past issues are also available to members.

News

Mazepa's "Colonial Central America" Crowned Champion of Champions

8/26/2017   James P. Mazepa's "Colonial Central America", depicting the development of the postal system in the Kingdom of Guatemala, was crowned Champion of Champions at the APS Stampshow in Richmond, Virginia.   Read>>

A Note on PayPal Payments

Please use the email address listed on the Join/Renew ISGC Button on the Menu to make dues payments via PayPal. The email address for the Treasurer on the Contact Us area is for communication with the Treasurer, not for payments.

Exhibits

Exhibits now available for viewing:  The Quetzal Airmails (Jaime Marckwordt), A Selection of Guatemalan Postmarks, 1871-1902 (Cécile Gruson), Collecting Guatemala (David Jickling, coordinator), Guatemalan Auxiliary Markings, 1898-1967 (David Fine), and Guatemala Airmail 1924-1945 (Dr. Andrew Cheung). Also available:  PDF file of the Perforation Gauge Presentation from Washington 2006.
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