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.
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 first 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. Just click on the links below 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.
August 3rd – Tour of I.S.G.C.’s Online Resources (presenter Eric Dyck) Link to YouTube video.
September 7, 2020 (Labor Day) Forgeries of Guatemala - Part 1 (presenter: David Reitsema)
October 5, 2020 Forgeries of Guatemala - Part 2 (presenter: David Reitsema) REGISTER
November 2, 2020 An Overview of Guatemala Postal History - Part 1 (presenter Rod Haenni) REGISTER
December 7, 2020 An Overview of Guatemala Postal History - Part 2 (presenter Rod Haenni) REGISTER
January 4, 2021 Essays and Proofs of Guatemala - Part 1 (presenter Michael Bloom) REGISTER
February 1, 2021 Essays and Proofs of Guatemala - Part 2 (presenter Michael Bloom)
March 1, 2021 Perforatio0n Varieties of the Tipografia Nacional Issues (presenter David Lindwall)
After you register, you will receive an email from Zoom with a link to join the Chat. Questions? Contact info@GuatemalaStamps.com
ISGC Benefit Auction 2020: June 15 - August 31, 2020
All of the 59 lots donated for the ISGC 2020 Benefit Auction were sold to members. There were 35 bidders, with 22 members obtaining winning bids. Bidding was heavy and generous, and most winning bidders won their lots at their bid price. There were only a few lots where bids could be reduced to one increment over the next highest bid. All of the lots have been sent out to the winning bidders. After expenses, the net amount benefitting the ISGC is around $2500. Thank you to all who participated.
2020 Auction Results
2020 Auction Rules and Bid Sheet
2020 Auction Lot Listing
2020 Auction Lot Images
Auction Manager:20
Jonathan Topper
Topper Stamps & Postal History
10480 Grant Road, Suite 117
Houston, TX 77070
email: jonathan@topperstamps.com
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. 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.
More articles in this series about Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries will continue to be posted periodically on the website.
To watch the video Guatemala - Forged Stamps and the ISGC, click the play button on the YouTube player, and enlarge to full screen.
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 1-4
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 5-6
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 7-10
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 11-14
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 17-20
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 60-74
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 75-85
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 86-87
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 124-130
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 133-135
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 143
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott 252-254
Guatemala Fakes and Forgeries, Scott O1-5
Jonza Documents Available for Member Download
Long-time ISGC member Jack Jonza has 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
David Reitsema is the current editor of El Quetzal . Reitsema is one of the Directors of the ISGC and has previously served as its President. He has authored numerous articles in El Quetzal over the years. EQ has an entirely new format commencing with the December 2012 issue, and the printing quality has been dramatically improved. 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, #383, September 2020, including the table of contents, 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.
Quick Links
New Issues