PHILIPPINES 1854-1870

Filipinas - Philippinen

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1854 Queen Isabella II in an ellipse with pearls, inscription 'CORREOS 1854-55', imperforate

  5 c orange
  10 c red
  1 r grey (blue)
  2 r green

Overprinted 'HABILITADO POR LA NACION' (1869)
  1 r grey

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

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

These stamps were issued with inscription 'CORREOS 1853' for Spain. The 5 c were used for light interior letters (under 1/2 ounce), the 10 c for heavier ones (1/2 to 1 ounce) and the 1 r for letters between 1 and 1 1/2 ounce. The 2 r was used for registered letters. A nice website on these first issues can be found at: http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Isabella/1854.htm. Many examples of forgeries can also be found on this website http://www.nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Forgeries/Isabella/1854-5cuartos.htm.

For the specialist, the inscription 'CORREOS 1854Y55' is in the top label for the 5 and 10 c, it is in the bottom label for the 1 r and 2 r. The value label is in the bottom label for the 5 and 10 c and in the top label for the other values. There are 40 types of each stamp (as many stamps as there are in the sheet). A famous type is the 'CORROS' misprint of the 1 r:

(A misprint 'CORROS' instead of 'CORREOS')

Cancels:

Circle consisting of dots

The 'Parrilla' cancel also is know on these stamps (an ellipse with lines and stars in the center); see for an example the Sperati forgery shown next. Also a large circle with townname (Baeza cancel) was used on these stamps.

Forgeries:

Fohl forgeries of the 5 c and 2 r stamps. The 2 r with top and bottom inscription inverted. The pearl below the 'Y' is not round but 'D'-shaped. The '5' of '1854' is too short at the top. The 10 c also exists in this forgery type.

The forger Engelhardt Fohl made forgeries of the 1 r and 2 r, where the inscription 'CORREOS 1854Y55' is at the top instead of at the bottom. The forgeries of the other two values made by him are deceptive since they are engraved.

Sperati forgery:

An extremely dangerous forgery of the 10 c was made by the forger Sperati. An image of this Sperati forgery was found on the website: http://www.nigelgooding.co.uk/Pick/2002_02.htm :

The distinghuishing characteristics of this forgery are (also obtained from the above mentioned website):

The stamp chosen by Sperati was from sheet position 33, (third stamp in the seventh row)

1. The central stroke of the 'F' in 'FRANCO' is very weak.
2. There is a white dot in the upper right side of the '0' in '10'.
3. The right frame line has an 'extension' just above the level of the nose.

He also made proofs in black of this stamp. Sperati forgeries are not often met with and are quite expensive. More information on Sperti forgeries can be found in: 'The Work of Jean de Sperati' by the British Philatelic Association, 1956.

Senf forgeries of the 10 Cs and 1 R values (1 R value obtained thanks to Nigel Gooding). They were distributed with a stamp journal issued by Senf as 'Kunstbeilagen' (art supplements). In 'CORREOS' the 'RE' is printed lower in the 10 c value.

Some other primitive forgeries.

1855 Queen Isabella II in an ellipse with much smaller pearls, inscription 'CORREOS 1854-55', imperforate

 5 c red (slightly other design from the 1854 issue)

Two types exist of this stamp.

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

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

Forgeries, examples:

This forgery type is also listed by Nigel Gooding as forgery #6F10, see http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Forgeries/isabella/1855-5cuartos1.htm

This forgery type is also listed by Nigel Gooding as forgery #6F7, see http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Forgeries/isabella/1855-5cuartos1.htm

A forgery made by the forger Senf with 'FALSCH.' (=forged in German) printed on it. The word 'FALSCH.' is often 'cancelled' or barred.

Sperati forgery, 'Reproduction A', I've also seen an uncancelled Sperati 'proof' on a minisheet. There is small red dot above the 'S' of 'CORREOS' and a line connecting the inner and outer frameline above the '1'.

Sperati 'Reproduction B', blackprint.

Sperati's 'Reproduction B', I've also seen it with cancel.

The forger Oswald Schröder made a forgery of this stamp as well. It is pictured on the front page of the book 'The Oswald Schroder Forgeries' by Robson Lowe.

Schroeder forgery (image obtained from Nigel Gooding). According to Nigel, the '8' is too slanting and the '5' of the bottom inscription is too small. The letters are slightly different. This forgery is an imitation of position 2 on the plate.

1859 Queen Isabella II, imperforate

inscription 'CORREOS INTERIOR'

  5 c red (4 main types)
  10 c red (2 main types)
  1 r violet
  2 r blue

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

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

Overprinted 'HABILITADO POR LA NACION' (1869)

  5 c red
  10 c red
  1 r violet
  2 r blue

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

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

 Inscription 'CORREOS'

  1 R PLATA F green (2 types)

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

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

Overprinted 'HABILITADO POR LA NACION' (1869)

  1 r green

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

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

Stamp of Spain (left) and Spanish Antilles (right) in similar design.

For issues in similar types, see Spanish Antilles and Spain.

Cancels:

A Parrilla cancel

Forgeries:

An excellent website on the forgeries of this serie can be found at: http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Isabella/isabella.htm or http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Amadeo/amadeo.htm

Examples of forgeries:

The little dot should be behind the 'S' of 'RS' and not below it as in the above forgery of the 2 rs value. The cancel is a typical 'forgers-cancel'. I believe the 10 c next to it is a forgery made by the same forger.

In the above forgery the 'C' of 'CORREOS' is too far to the left. There are some other differences in the lettering (for example the last 'R' of 'INTERIOR' is too broad at the bottom. It seems that this forgery also exist with cancel (see for example the 10 c forgery above with a cancel consisting of lines).

This forgery has the 'F' of 'FRANCO' too far to the right and the 'C' of 'CORREOS' too far to the left. I've also seen it with a diamond like numeral cancel '30'; see second image or: http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Forgeries/Isabella/1863-10cuartos.htm. The 2 Rs forgery was made by the same forger. These forgeries often carry a typical 'VF' cancel that can be found on forgeries of many other countries.

(Other forgeries)

Forgery, text at the bottom differently spaced and vertical line behind 'O' of 'INTERIOR' and in front of first 'R' of 'CORREOS'.

Forgery of the 10 cs stamp with the head of the Queen different and the lettering too small.

Very likely a forgery, no dot under the 's' of 'Rs'.

Picture obtained from http://nigelgooding.co.uk/

The above forgery with overprint 'FALSCH' (='forged' in German) was made by Senf. It is not very dangerous with the 'FALSCH' overprint and was not intended to deceive. It was given as an art supplement with a journal issued by Senf. However, some clever forgers have applied cancels to this forgery, in order to cover this word (see for an example the above mentioned website).

Sperati forgeries of the 1 r value (reproductions A and B).

Sperati forgery of the 2 r value. There is a spot of color in the central circle (under the first 'R' of 'INTERIOR') as in the genuine stamp from which Sperati based his forgery.

Sperati made forgeries of the 1 r and 2 r stamps, unused and used. The paper is thicker than the genuine stamps and is also more yellowish (the genuine stamps have more greyish paper). Sperati made two types of the 1 r stamp (reproduction A and B). In both types, the top of the 'S' of 'CORREOS' is faulty. he 'T' of 'INTERIOR' has no bottom left serif. The 'O' of this word has a break in the lower left part. The word 'FRANCO' also has some defects, such as a small coloured dot on the upper left part of the 'C' and white spots in the upper right hand side of the 'O' of this word. In reproduction B, the loop and right foot of the second 'R' in 'CORREOS' are separated from the vertical left part of this letter. Also, in reproduction B, he upper right part of the 'T' of 'INTERIOR' is separated from the rest of this letter.

1864 Queen Isabella II facing the left

  3 1/8 c black on yellow
  6 2/8 c green on red
  12 4/8 c blue on red
  25 c red

Similar stamps were issued in Spain and the Spanish Antilles.

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

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

Overprinted 'HABILITADO POR LA NACION' (1869)

  3 1/8 c black on yellow
  6 2/8 c green on red
  12 4/8 c blue on red
  25 c red

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

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

Forgeries exist, example:

I suspect this to be Segui forgeries, the second 'R' of 'CORREOS' is larger. A similar Segui forgery with large 'R' of the 3 1/8 c value also exists.

More information on forgeries of these stamps can be found at http://nigelgooding.co.uk/Spanish/Forgeries/Isabella/1864-25centimos.htm. Five forgeries of the 3 1/8 c value, four forgeries of the 6 2/8 c, three crude forgeries of the 12 4/8 c (all three rather crude) and four of the 25 c are described on this site.

For issues of the Philippines from 1871 to 1881, click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer