| Curious Case - World's Smallest Stamp We all know that stamps come in various shapes and sizes, but do you know exactly how diverse they are? This week we are focusing on one particular trait, as we are looking for the smallest stamp ever issued for actual postage. The search for the world's smallest stamp takes us back to a time before Ford had produced the first Model T. Actually we have to go all the way back to the Battle of Gettysberg to find the smallest postage stamp ever issued. In 1863, the first stamp was issued by Bolivar - one of the 9 states in the United States of Colombia. The state was formed as part of the United States of Colombia earlier in 1863, after the civil war in 1860-1862. 
The first stamp issued by Bolivar, is the one shown here. It carries the Coat of Arms of Bolivar, with stars traced around the Coat of Arms. The stamp exists in two versions - a version with 6 stars below, as shown here, and a version with 5 stars below. Both versions are rare, with the 5 star version carrying the highest catalogue value. The stamp doesn't look particularly special as seen here, but what makes the stamp special is the size - this stamp is no more than 8mm x 9.5mm in size, which is exceptionally small! A standard American stamp is 22.10mm x 24.89mm, which should give an idea of just how small this stamp must be. You can find the stamp in our catalogue here. | 
