The larger "TACA" interior airmail surcharges
The larger TACA surcharge was the result of a recognized government contract awarded to Yerex's new TACA airlines and effective from March 14, 1932. The printing of the stamps was completed by the government and the stamps were used to mail letters in Honduras. To some collectors that makes them genuine philatelic issues ...real postage stamps.
But not to any repectable international catalog publisher. The catch is one basic requirement that these "stamps" do not meet...they must be distributed to and generally available at Honduran post offices and estancos. These stamps were never distributed to either!
They were given directly as a commidity to TACA airlines as payment for services rendered to the government with the understanding that they would be sold to stamp dealers! In turn TACA sold them to buyers who did wholesale them to American stamp dealers. Two of these buyers were the infamous Durón and Dr. Pounds. They both used the stamps to create, mail and distribute covers for the stamp dealer market.
The TACA surcharge was applied to five previously issued stamps. Three of these are official stamps. The combination of the TACA and official surcharge will be defined as the Type S surcharge. Click for details and pricing for the S Surcharge The remaining two stamps were regular issues so their more simple surcharge will be defined as Type U. Click for details and pricing for the U surcharge. Both types are extensively detailed in the surcharge key.
The following cover was mailed to the US by Durón. It carries two varieties of the larger font surcharges that he orchestrated along with two Palace at Tegucigalpa 6c stamps --both counterfeit. One of the counterfeits is even a Thuin counterfeit from Mexico.
Another Durón creation "airmailed" across town. The handwriting is distinctive and a useful identifier.
Another creation mailed with the sender name scratched out but the address is a giveaway.
---------------------------------------
1932 Interior Airmail Surcharges by Irving Green in the Aero Philatelist Annals of Oct 1969.
Exchange of Correspondance by Alex Cohen in the Aero Philatelist Annals of Jan 1971.
10/23
