MEXICO 1872-1879

Return To Catalogue - Mexico overview

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Upto about 1882 a security overprint with the name of the city or a number was applied to all Mexican stamps.

For issues of Mexico from before 1866, click here.

1872 Head of Hidalgo in a circle surrounded with pearls

  6 (seis) c green
  12 (doce) c blue
  25 (veinticinco) c red
  50 (cinquenta) c yellow
  100 (cien) c grey

50 c blue misprint. I'm not sure if this is the genuine misprint or a reprint of this misprint.

(Moire pattern)

These stamps should have a blue so-called moire pattern on the back. Usually these stamps also have a security overprint on the frontside.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Reprints

Some reprints exist without the security overprints (the 50 and 100 c above?).

I know that the forger Henry Flachskamm made reprints of these stamps. However, he did not posess the plate of the moire pattern and forged it. Thus the stamps are reprint-forgeries. These forgeries are also often referred to as St.Louis forgeries, after the town where Flachskamm was operating. Flachskamm also reprinted the 50 c blue misprint.

Forgeries, most likely the above mentioned reprints.

I've been told that this is a St.Louis forgery.

Forgeries

Forgery, example:

(Forgery!)

Spiro forgeries:

(Primitive forgeries)

I think the above stamps are Spiro forgeries. The outer frame line should be thinner between the labels with "CENTAVOS", "CORREOS" etc. and the outer corners. However, in this forgery this line has an equal thickness all around. Besides the values shown above, I have also seen the value 24 c of this particular forgery. The cancels are typical 'Spiro cancels'; arrays of dots, a rectangle with lines or a cancel resembling that of New South Wales. In the 6 c, the word "SEIS" is upside down?

Fournier forgeries

In the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries forgeries with some of the following cancels can be found:

I have not yet been able to obtain images of these forgeries. These forgeries have security overprints as the genuine stamps. Another cancel exists used by Fournier: 'FRANCO 1 FEBR. 72 MORELIA' in a single circle, similar to the above circular cancels:

Fournier forgeries, often with "URES", "SALTILLO" and "VERACRUZ" overprint

I have seen Fournier forgeries with '50 73' and '48 73' overprints. The 50 c had the "FRANCO ANTEPEC" cancel in two lines as shown above.

Part of a Fournier Album with these forgeries.

1874 Head of Hidalgo, various frames

  4 c red (1878)
  5 c brown
  10 c black
  10 c orange (1878)
  25 c blue
  50 c green
  100 c red

These stamps have perforation 12.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1879 President Juarez

  1 c brown
  2 c violet
  5 c orange
  10 c blue
  12 c brown
  18 c orange
  24 c violet
  25 c red
  50 c green
  50 c yellow
  85 c lilac
  100 c black
  100 c orange

These stamps have perforation 12.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Misprints exist, printed in the wrong colour: 10 c brown and 25 c orange. Example:

1879 Number

  2 c green
  3 c red
  6 c blue

These stamps have perforation 12.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

For stamps issued after 1879 click here.

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