Four highly crystalline, cobalt-containing microporous aluminophosphates (CoAPO-5, CoAPO-11, CoAPO-44, and CoAPO-46) have been investigated by using liquid He X- and/or Q-band electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in order to investigate the coordination of high-spin cobalt before and after calcination. The ESR spectra of the four zeolite structures are:characterized by an axial signal with an effective g(perpendicular to) approximate to 5.80-5.44 and g(parallel to) approximate to 2.00. Quantitative temperature dependence measurements of this axial signal in the temperature range 4-30 K reveal a Curie-Weiss behavior for both as-synthesized and calcined samples confirming (a) the m(s) = +/-1/2 ground state of magnetically isolated high-spin cobalt and (b) a zero field splitting Delta > 0 cm(-1). Quantitation of the ESR signals indicated that most of the Co2+ is ESR active and that only about 30% of this Co2+ can be oxidized to the ESR-inactive Co3+ after calcination. The spin Hamiltonian parameters of as-synthesized and calcined CoAPO-5 material, as determined by spectrum simulation and the microwave power saturation technique, support the presence of framework Co2+ in a flattened or elongated tetrahedron (D-2d).