Oval Municipal Crown Cancellation

Between the mid 1860s and the mid 1880s, an oval ‘Municipal Crown’ cancel was used in small towns throughout the Philippines. The oval cancel consists of the words ‘PROV. DE [Name of Province]’ in a semi-circle across the top; a crown in the center; and the straight-lined name of the town on the bottom; often with an ornamental design of an arrow below (some cancels do not have this ornamental design present). The cancel is 1 inch (26mm) high and 1½ inches (32 mm) wide.

Little is known about this cancel and to date there is no known reference to any Philippine Orders authorising the cancel. The cancel exists on covers dated from 1866 through 1885, and is usually applied on the stamp. All of the cancels are black and appear mainly on covers to interior destinations, but overseas usage is also known. Most of the covers are to larger towns, such as Manila, where a receiving cancel was often applied. It is interesting to note that a dated cancellation was seldom applied at origin when the municipal cancel was used.

Although there are minor variations between town cancels, they are generally very similar. The cancel appears to have been used primarily in small towns and villages. Given its rather uniform shape and wide distribution throughout the Islands, it is speculated that its use and standard design must have been authorised in Manila, probably around 1864. However, given the minor variations that occur between the town cancels, they were probably produced locally, consistent with some general design specification provided from Manila. The cancel appears to have been used for postal purposes only, as none have been recorded on telegraph receipts or revenue documents.

List of Philippine Towns and Provinces with
Oval ‘Municipal Crown’ Cancellations

Count	Province	Town	Source
1	Albay	Sorsogon	Cover
2	Batangas	Calatagan	Peterson
3	Batangas	Nasugbu	Peterson
4	Bulacan	Angat	Peterson
5	Bulacan	Bustos	Peterson
6	Bulacan	San Rafael	Peterson
7	Cagayan	[Not Legible]	Peterson
8	Camarines Sur	Caramoan	Peterson
9	Camarines Sur	Pasacao	Peterson
10	Camarines Sur (Ambos Camarines)	Pili	Peterson
11	Capiz	Cuartero	Peterson
12	Capiz	Ibisan	Peterson
13	Cotabato	[Not Legible]	Peterson
14	Ilocos Sur	Balaoan	Stamp
15	Ilocos Sur	Santa Cruz	Stamp
16	Iloilo	Badiagan	Stamp
17	Iloilo	Guimbal	Cover
18	Iloilo	Jaro	Stamp
19	Iloilo	Passi	Peterson
20	Iloilo	Pototan	Peterson
21	Isabela	Cabagan	Peterson
22	La Union	Arinhay	Peterson (Cover)
23	La Union	San Juan	Peterson
24	La Union	Namacpacan	Peterson
25	Laguna	Majayjay	Peterson
26	Lanao del Norte	Yligan	Stamp
27	Leyte	Ormoc	Peterson
28	Manila	Mariquina	Peterson
29	Mindoro	Calapan
30	Misamis Occidental	[Not Legible]	Peterson
31	Misamis Oriental	Cagayan	Peterson
32	Nueva Ecija	Gapan	Peterson
33	Nueva Ecija	Penaranda	Peterson
34	Palawan	Culion	Peterson
35	Pampanga	San Isidro	Peterson
36	Pangasinan	Dagupan	Cover
37	Pangasinan	Manaoag	Peterson
38	Pangasinan	San Carlos	Cover
39	Romblon	Badajoz	Stamp
40	Samar	Calivo	Peterson
41	Tayabas	Banilad
42	Tayabas	Mulanay	Stamp
43	Zambales	Agno	Stamp

Extracted and modified from an article by Don Peterson
“The ‘Oval Municipal Crown’ Cancel of the Spanish Philippines”
Philippine Philatelic Journal, Volume XXVIII No. 1, First Quarter 2006

A similar Crown Cancellation was also applied on Philippine stamps in use in the Marianas Islands.

Philippine Stamps Used in Marianas with
Oval ‘Municipal Crown’ Cancellations

Marianas Islands	Town	Source
Marianas	Rota	Stamp
Marianas	Saipan	Stamp

Comments and Feedback Always Welcome .... Please Email

Return to Home Page