Catálogo Unificado Especializado – Sellos de España
Catálogo Unificado Especializado – Sellos de España. By Edifil. 9 volumes, 300-350 pages per volume, 10 x 7 inch format. Published by Edifil, 2021. Vol. I: XIX century (1850-1900); Vol. II: Alfonso XIII and II Republic (1901-1939); Vol. III: Spanish State (1936-1975); Vol. IV: Juan Carlos I (1975-2000); Vol. V: Felipe VI (2001-2016); Vol. VI: Barcelona, Asturias y León, Beneficencia, Canarias, Franquicias, Telégrafos, Enteros Postales, Etiquetas de Franqueo; Vol. VII: Pruebas de Lujo, Hojas Recuerdo, Hojas Promoción, Sellos+Monedas, Emisiones Locales y Patrióticas, Guerra Civil Española, Primeros Vuelos; Vol. VIII: Dependencies in Africa I; Vol. IX: Dependencies in Africa II. Price 80 euros per volume (plus shipping), available from www.edifil.es.
Reviewer: Jaume Balsells
Instagram: @2_reales_azul
APRL Locator: [G6560 .A1 C357ue 2005-2007]
Every collector of the Spanish area wanting to advance beyond filling basic holes in an album should consider the Specialized Edifil catalog, a massive nine volume production with over 3,000 pages, currently being published on a 3- to 4-year cycle. On the current series, volumes I-V cover the stamps of Spain while volumes VI-IX cover Spanish dependencies, Civil War, locals, postal stationery, or ATMs, amongst other Spanish-area philatelic topics. Buy only the volumes you need based on the region, period, or topic you collect. This is the only catalog for collectors to experience both the richness and complexity of Spanish philately. The main advantage with Edifil is that its editors are stamp dealers and experts. They are well connected with philatelic scholars and every new edition incorporates additional information and studies. The specialized catalogs cover many aspects of the life and history of every stamp such as proofs, specimens, major varieties, errors, cancels, and even plating details for a few iconic stamps. Every value of every issue is pictured on the catalog from an actual genuine stamp. The catalogs also cover periods of use, postal rates both domestic and international, and feature select examples of covers across different periods. The most noticeable difference between Edifil and other major catalogs such as Scott or Yvert & Tellier is that Edifil does not have a back of the book section. It lists airmails, semipostals and so forth alongside postage stamps according to their date of issue. While some collectors might not like this approach, none of the alternatives come even close to the amount of information contained in Edifil’s works. Ironically, Edifil’s catalog being published by dealers may also be its biggest limitation. One can’t help thinking commercial interests drive catalog valuations, with prices that kept climbing at a regular pace during many years of recession. Despite a drastic adjustment in 2019, Edifil’s values today still greatly overestimate the reality of the market. This should not be a deterrent though. Use the catalogs as a source of information to build your collection rather than a price list. Once you get your first copy you will likely not need to replace it for the next 10-15 years. Edifil also publishes two versions of a basic stamp catalog annually. A simplified edition covers Spain while the expanded edition includes Spanish dependencies and Spanish Andorra. These will fully meet the needs of basic collectors.
Prefilatelia Española – Marcas postales de España y sus dominos de Indias. By Manuel Tizón. 3rd Edition, 4 volumes. Edited by Edifil (www.edifil.es). There was mail for centuries before there were stamps and this comprehensive study covers the postal markings of Spain and its former colonies during the stampless period. Includes postal markings from Spain and most of today’s Latin American countries up to the southern U.S. and the Philippines while under Spanish control. Catálogo de los sellos locales de la guerra civil española. By Julio Allepuz Querol. 6 volumes. Edited by Edifil (www.edifil.es). A highly popular topic for collectors, the civil war of 1936 to 1939 was a huge free-for-all of local stamps and labels, some for postal use, some as postal tax and most for charity use. Julio Allepuz’s work covers stamps issued by towns or other organizations under government authorization on both sides of the conflict.