Brazil Bull's Eye (1843) — First Stamps of the Americas

The Bull's Eye (Olho-de-boi) is the first postage stamp of the Americas, issued by the Empire of Brazil on 1 August 1843. Its large numerals in ornate black ovals made Brazil the second country in the world, after Great Britain, to introduce national adhesive stamps.

How to identify a Bull's Eye

A genuine Bull's Eye shows a large numeral — 30, 60 or 90 — set inside an ornate oval filled with fine engine-turned (guilloche) lattice work, printed in black on yellowish to greyish wove paper. The dense, swirling background pattern is similar in spirit to the lathework of the Penny Black and was intended to defeat forgers.

There is no country name, no portrait and no inscription apart from the numeral of value in réis. The design is enclosed by a thin rectangular frame line, and the stamps are imperforate, so genuine copies were cut from the sheet with scissors and ideally show four clear margins.

The stamps were printed by intaglio (line-engraving) at the Casa da Moeda, the imperial mint in Rio de Janeiro. Under magnification the black lines feel crisp and slightly raised. Flat, greyish or fuzzy impressions are a warning sign of lithographed forgeries.

History

Brazil adopted prepaid postage remarkably early. A decree of Emperor Pedro II dated 29 November 1842 ordered adhesive stamps on the British model, and the three values went on sale on 1 August 1843 — only three years after the Penny Black and months after the Canton of Zurich. That made Brazil the second country in the world and the first in the Americas to issue national postage stamps.

Unusually, the design deliberately avoided the emperor's portrait: it was considered disrespectful for Pedro II's face to be defaced by postmarks. The mint chose pure numerals instead, and the bold figures in their wide ovals soon earned the nickname Olho-de-boi, the eye of the ox.

The 30 réis paid printed matter and local letters, the 60 réis the standard single letter rate, and the 90 réis heavier mail. Surviving records indicate roughly 856,000 of the 30 réis, 1.34 million of the 60 réis and only about 341,000 of the 90 réis were sold. In 1844 the large design was replaced by the smaller, lighter Inclinados, known to collectors as the goat's eyes.

Rarity and varieties

The 60 réis is the most frequently seen value today, the 30 réis somewhat scarcer, and the 90 réis is clearly the rarest of the set thanks to its small printing. Condition matters enormously: most survivors were cut close, so copies with four full margins command strong premiums.

One plate was composite, carrying 30 réis and 60 réis impressions on the same sheet. Se-tenant pairs of the two values from this plate are among the great rarities of classic philately — the famous Pack strip combining both denominations realised a record price for Brazilian philately. Early dated covers, especially first-month usages from August 1843, are also keenly fought over.

Specialists distinguish printings by paper and impression: early printings on greyish paper with sharp, fine impressions, later ones on yellowish paper with worn, blurred backgrounds. Forgeries and later reprints exist, so material offered as unused or in multiples should always come with an expert certificate.

Estimated value

As a broad, approximate estimate, used 30 and 60 réis Bull's Eyes with average margins often trade somewhere in the 100 to 500 USD range, while the scarcer 90 réis typically runs from several hundred up to roughly 1,500 USD or more. Four-margin examples, unused copies, se-tenant pairs and covers climb into the thousands and well beyond. These are general guides only, not catalogue values; actual prices depend heavily on margins, impression, paper and certification.

Frequently Asked Questions