Stamp Market Tips by Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world by both area and population. It is the only country in Latin America whose primary official language is Portuguese.

Brazil is popular with many collectors of Latin American stamps.

As Frank Sinatra sang in The Coffee Song, “Man, they got a gang of coffee in Brazil!” Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of coffee.

In 1727 Francisco de Mello Palheta introduced coffee to Brazil from French Guiana. On Feb. 5, 1928, Brazil issued a set of three stamps (Scott 290-292) to commemorate the bicentennial of the introduction of coffee.

The stamps, denominated 100 reis, 200r and 300r, all feature the same design of Liberty holding coffee leaves. The 2020 Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940 values the set of three at $12.50 in unused hinged condition and $20 in mint never-hinged condition.

In addition to collectors of Latin America, this set is also popular with coffee topical collectors.

The set is a good buy in the $8-to-$10 range in unused hinged condition and the $15-to-$20 range in mint never-hinged condition. Make sure the gum isn’t toned or noticeably dark.

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