MEXICO 1856-1863

Mexique - Mexiko

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 most Mexican stamps (stamps without this overprint were not supposed to be valid for use). This security overprint was applied to prevent stolen stamps from being used.

A nice website on the early issues of Mexico can be found at: http://oneof.stampsofmexico.org/.

1856 Head of Hidalgo, inscription "CORREOS MEJICO", inscriptions in white

Coloured stamps on white paper

  1/2 r blue
  1 r yellow
  2 r green
  4 r red
  8 r lilac

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 (nice website with plenty of information by the way). The portrait of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was chosen for the design of the first stamps of Mexico.

Black stamps on coloured paper (1861)

  1/2 r black on brown
  1 r black on green
  2 r black on red
  4 r black on yellow
  8 r black on brown

A 2 r black on yellow seems to exist (misprint?).

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.

Coloured stamps on coloured paper (1861)

  4 r red on yellow
  8 r green on brown

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

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

Overprinted 'Mexico' in fancy (gothic) letters (1867)

  1/2 r black on brown
  1/2 r grey
  1 r black on green
  1 r blue
  2 r black on red
  2 r green
  4 r red
  4 r red on yellow
  4 r lilac
  8 r black on brown
  8 r green on brown

This gothic overprint was made after Emperor Maximilian was overthrown in1867. Two slightly different handstamps were issued to make the 'Mexico' overprint. The values 1/2 r grey, 1 r blue, 2 r green and 4 r lilac were printed on bluish paper with sheet watermark 'R.S.P'. I'm not really sure if these last four values were always issued with the 'Mexico' overprint, any information would be welcome on this subject.

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

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

A nice website on the security overprints can be found at: http://overprints.stampsofmexico.org/Issues/1856_district_overprints.htm.

Reprints:

Illegal reprints seemed to have been made with cleaned original printing plates. They are very difficult to distinguish and differ in paper and color. They also exist with forged district overprints and forged cancels and were made between 1892 and 1906. If my information is correct mainly the 4 r and 8 r values were affected. In 1902 another set of reprints appeared made with stolen printing plates. These second reprints apparently are easier to detect. I have no further information.

I've been told that these are reprints.

Cancels:

Many fancy cancels exists on this issue, example:

Tepot Zotlan cancel in a box

'ORIZAVA' and 'OAXACA' in a box cancel

Bisected stamps:

The next bisected stamp of a 8 r value with a cancel of Durango is genuine:

Forgeries:

Forgeries exist (by the way, I'm not sure if all the above stamps are genuine), examples:

First forgery:

(2 r green and 4 r red on yellow forgeries)

This forgery has the label with 'CORREOS MEJICO' too straight. The execution is very poor. I have also seen the 1/2 r blue, 2 r black on red, 4 r black on yellow, 8 r lilac and 8 r black on lilac of this particular forgery (see Bill Claghorn's forgery site: http://members.tripod.com/claghorn1p/Mexico/Mex01x.htm).

(A forgery with inscription "CORREOS MEJIOS")

The above forgery has the wrong inscription "CORREOS MEJIOS", it is described as the second forgery in Album Weeds. Only the value 1/2 r is mentioned. It might have been made by the same forger who made the forgeries above.

These forgeries have a perfect ellipse in the center (the genuine stamps have ornaments on top, below and at the sides of the ellipse). I've usually seen them to be cancelled with a pattern of dots, but a circular cancel also exists.

Forgery with a totally different bottom value label.

Other forgeries:

I've been told that these are Spiro forgeries:

Note the special shape of the top and bottom label in these forgeries. I've been told that these are so-called Riesa forgeries (probably the stamp forger Engelhardt Fohl. I've also seen 1/2 r blue, 4 r green on yellow and 8 r black on brown.

In the above forgeries, the bottom ornaments are different from the genuine stamp. The inscription reads wrongly 'CORREOS MEDICO' . The upper label is too straight. There are many other differences. I have also seen the values 1/2 r blue, 4 r red, 4 r black on yellow and 8 r green on brown of this particular forgery. I've been told that these are so-called Behtmann forgeries. It is described as the third forgery in Album Weeds. Other values exist with wrong inscriptions: 'MEDIO REALES' and 'UN REALES' (see image above). the 2 r has inscription 'DOS. R EALES' with a larger space between the 'R' and 'E', the image was obtained from Bill Claghorn's forgery site: http://members.tripod.com/claghorn1p.

Other forgeries:

Besides the above values, I have also seen the values 1 r black on green and 4 r red on yellow. I have seen the cancels 'PUEBLA FRANCO' in two lines (only part of this cancel is visible on a single forgery), 'PUEBLA' in one line, 'FRANCO MEXICO' in a circle and a grid cancel consisting of a circle with squares (see the above sheet of forgeries for more details).

Forgeries made by the same forger? I have seen the 4 r red on yellow forgery with the same cancel as the 4 r red; ellipse consisting of lines. Also the numeral "408" cancel

The following forged cancels can be found in The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries (which contains forgeries made by Francois Fournier):

Another cancel exists used by Fournier: 'FRANCO 1 FEBR. 72 MORELIA' in a single circle, similar to the above circular cancels.

I don't know on which forgeries Fournier used these cancels, but the image of some 4 r red stamps shown next bear a cancel 'FRANCO MEXICO 29 OCT. 18..' in a single circle, identical as shown above. Note that the last two numbers of the year are very blotched and cannot be identified. Are the next forgeries Fournier products?

Fournier forgeries(?) of the 4 r values, they both have a 'FRANCO MEXICO 29 OCT. 18..' cancel and a 'URES' overprint. Also a 1 r forgery with another Fournier cancel.

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

One of the previously described forgeries, enhanced by Fournier with a "FRANCO EN TUXILA CHICHO" cancel.

Forgeries of the 8 r lilac stamp

More dangerous are forged overprints; the next stamps with gothic 'Mexico' overprint are such forgeries:

(forgeries)

I have also seen a reprint of the 4 r red on yellow with a forged cancel.

Sperati forgery of the 1/2 r value.

The forger Sperati made a deceptive forgery of the1/2 r value. The distinguishing characteristics can be found in the BPA book.

For stamps of Mexico from 1864 to 1865, click here.

Stamps - Timbres-Poste - Estampillas - Sellos

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