MEXICO 1864-1865

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Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
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Upto about 1882 a security overprint with the name of the city or a number was applied to most Mexican stamps (stamps without this overprint were not supposed to be valid for use).

For stamps of Mexico issued from 1856 to 1863, click here.

1864 Head of Hidalgo, perforated, coloured inscription

  1 r red
  2 r blue
  4 r brown
  1 P black

These stamps only seem to have served in Saltillo, Monterey and Paso del Norte. They are very rare in used condition. The perforation is 12. Many remainders exist.

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

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

Genuine remainders with forged cancels exist.

Surcharged '1/2', this is a bogus issue made by Fournier, it bears the overprint 'SALTILLO'. Fournier used genuine stamps to create these surcharges:

The forged overprints 'SALTILLO' and '1/2' as found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'. It seems different from the above overprints; the top part of the '/' is slanting more downwards in the Fournier forgery.

A Senf forgery with overprint 'FALSCH' (=forged in German):

This forgery is also mentioned in Album Weeds as the fourth forgery. This forgery was issued around 1905.

Forgery of the 2 r value

There are other forgeries (even engraved ones of these stamps). I think the next stamps are such engraved forgeries:

Fournier probably also offered these engraved forgeries, the following forgeries have cancels that can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries':

'FRANCO 29 OCT 18.. MEXICO' on 1 r, 'FRANCO ADALAJA' on 2 r, and 'FRANCO EN TUXILO CHICHO' (red) on 1 P

Some of these forgeries ended up in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries', in that case they have the overprint 'FAC SIMILE' at the backside.

'FRANCO 1 FEBR 72 MORELIA' (Fournier forged cancel)

The forged Fournier cancels from 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'

Other forgery of the 1 r and 4 r values. The 'O's in 'CORREOS' and 'MEJICO' are too narrow.

1864 Eagle with snake

(Reduced size)

  3 c brown
  1/2 r lilac
  1 r blue
  2 r red
  4 r green
  8 r red

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

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

The number of stamps printed obtained from http://www.regencystamps.com/Mexico.shtml.

An illegal reprint exists of the 3 c stamp; the letters 'TRES CENTAVOS' are different according to 'The forged stamps of all counties' by J. Dorn.

These stamps exist with:
district names only (first period, 1864)
district name, invoice number and year in large figures (1864)
no overprint,
district name, invoice number and year in small figures (1864 to 1866)

(District name 'LAGOS', invoice number '21.', year '1865', cancel 'LAGOS')

(Typical cancel, 'VERACRUZ')

Forgeries:

In the genuine stamps, the downwards pointing limb of the 'X' in 'MEXICO' is much thicker than the upwards pointing limb. The head of the snake should point towards the 'E' of 'MEXICO'.

In the next forgeries, the 'X' has the two strokes of equal thickness, the head of the snake is pointing towards the 'M' of 'MEXICO'. Also note the strange cancels and the lack of any security overprint. These forgeries were offered by Fournier and picutures of it can also be found in Fournier's album of philatelic forgeries. The six values of this series were offered by Fournier for 2 Swiss Francs in his 1914 pricelist (as second choice forgeries). The forgeries below are the first forgeries described in Album Weeds.

These forgeries as they can be found in the Fournier Album.

I have seen the 1/2 r of the above forgeries with overprint 'SALTILLO 48 64'.

Other forgeries exist. Examples:

And another set of forgeries:

A forgery of the 3 c (in black!) and the 1 r value.

Forgery with a numeral "??8" cancel (most likely "408" as can also be found on forgeries of the 1st issue).

Som forgeries of the 4 r, also in the wrong colors brown and blue:

Perhaps a cut from a souvenir card 4 r blue (wrong color). Note the peculiar cancel.

Rather deceptive forgery of the 3 c value.

Mystery stamp

(Proof or essay of a 1 r blue stamp? With circles in the corners and slightly different design with the snake much straighter)

For stamps of 1866 and onwards click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer