Rainer's Pages for
Colombian Semi Official Stamps,
Colombian City Post Stamps
and
Semi-Official Express Companies

Introduction

Colombian Semi Official stamps, in Spanish called „Correos Semioficiales", issued by Semi-Official Express Companies, what are they?

Undoubtedly, these developed with the increasing use of the motor car and the consequent improvements of roads after World War I. Some garages launched out with bus services, some baggage agents added carriage by road to their other activities. At first, no doubt, the carriage of letters would be por favour when an urgent message had to be send shortly after the (probably) weekly post had gone; then as the demand grew, a tip would be look for until word of this reached the ears of the operators when, if the traffic warranted, a definitive scale of charges was fixed.

I have divided the listing in "Stamps issuing Express Companies" and Express Companies which have used there own postmarks, cachets etc. but which have not issued their own stamps.

The legal ground for this type of services was established since 1859 by the General Postal law. This law determined:
"Article 52. The postal service will not be a monopoly of the confederation; therefor states, companies or individual's may provide the service even where the government does"
As a consequence of this law, the sovereign states, the urban and private postal services where developed. During the 19th. century only three private companies where created as follows:.

Express Companies established in the 19th. century:

	Correo Semanal del Dorado
	Correo de Mora y Compania
	El Correo del Comerico

The degree #192 from 2nd. of February 1926 created the legal basis for the contracts with private companies. Throughout the decade of 1920 and 1930 the expansion of this type of services stood on it's highest point.

Express Companies established in the 20th. century:

	Expreso Colombiano Ribon e Hijos
	Correo Rapido Norte de Santander or Correo Rapido Santander. These ones are also known as „COSADA" Companies.
	Cía de Transportes Terrestres
	"Bus Expreso de Alfredo Perilla"
	Caldas (Correos Departamentales) 1931
	Expreso Tobon
	Transportes Económicos Ignacio Rojas C. y Compania
	Cía Urbano de Transportes (Sucesores de Pachuribe)
	Transportadora Colombiana Correos Extrarapidos
	„La Flota Santa Fe" (Jorge Posado)
	Correos Expreso „Bus" Trans-Ocampo  (updated on 17.02.2001)
	Expreso Trejos Limitada  (updated on 17.02.2001)

	SACO (Sociedad de Aviación de Colombia)  (updated on 17.02.2001)
	Expreso Caribe
	Garage Hudson
	Cía Interdepartamental de Autobuses „SPA"
	Cía Automoviliaria de Colombia
	Sociedad de Autobuses Colombia
	Rápido Magdalena
	Sociedad Cooperativa de Autobuses „Saurer"
	Cia Colombiana de Transportes
	Cía Colombiana de Comisiones y Transportes (J. Londono y Cia)
	"La Vanguardia Liberal" Correo Rapido
	Empresa de Autobuses ---- This one might listed above as "Sociedad de Autobuses Colombia" but I have no proof yet
	Correo Expreso Trans-Ocambo. This one might be the same as the above listed Correos Expreso „Bus" Trans-Ocampo.Who can proof it or can supply additional information's?
	TAXADER, Taxi Aereo de Santader, S.A. (updated on 17.02.2001)
	Tropical Oil "TROCO"
	Compania Colombo Venezelana de Transportes
	Superexpreso Bogota (NEW DISCOVERY)

Apart from the Semi Official stamps, there are also the City Post stamps, in Spanish called „Correos Urbanos".

	Correo Urbano de Bogotá
	Correo Urbano de Medellín
	Correos Urbanos de Manizales
	Post of Mora at Barranquilla (apparantly the same as listed above as Correo de Mora y Compania)
	Correo Urbano Municipal de Palmira
	Correo Municipal Sonson (NEW DISCOVERY)

The Government (central as well as departmental) was interested with SCADTA in COSADA who were authorised to issue their own stamps. No doubt government entered into postal agreements with others of the principal Express Boys, for their special territories, and authorised, or winked at, their issuing their stamps to denote the prepayment of their surcharge (over national postage which also had to be prepaid). Some of the lesser ones, too, would carry without such agreement and issue own stamps until stopped. Gradually, the agreements expired and were not renewed until only Ribon and Tobon were left carrying letters and issuing own stamps. But on 15. June 1937 their agreements too ceased and after 1. July 1937 the national Government became the only letter carrying agency in the country (see „Die Deutsche Briefmarken und Luftpost Zeitung, Sep. 1937).