Queen Isabella II

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January 1863

The previous issue lasted but a short time, as it was succeeded in 1863 by a complete new issue comprising both the cuartos and reales values. The Type is somewhat similar to the previous issue, except that the shaded part of the background around the circle of pearls has finer lines, and there is a colon between "CORREOS" and "INTERIOR" instead of a period or stop. The word "FRANCO" is of the smaller type, similar to the issue of 1862.

The stamps were lithographed by M. Perez y Hijo on thick, white paper in Manila; issued imperforate; and measure 19 x 23¼ mm. Sheet make-up is identical to that of the previous issue, with 128 stamps to the sheet, (13 rows of 10 stamps each, except the bottom row which held a blank space at each end, with a total of 8 stamps between).

As indicated by the heading on these stamps of "CORREOS : INTERIOR", this issue was for use within the Islands only. Usage of higher values within the Philippines was very restricted, since they were only used for overweight letters, parcels or registration purposes. Mail leaving the Islands for foreign countries still bore the 1-real and 2-reales stamps of the 1856 issue, as well as the 1-real issues of February, March and October 1863.

There were two stones used for this issue, one for the 5-cuartos and 10-cuartos values, and the other for the 1-real and 2-reales values. After the 5-cuartos and 2-reales stamps had been printed, the values were removed from the stone and the new values, 10-cuartos and 1-real respectively, were placed on the stones by hand.


5-cuartos. A total of 9,000 stamps issued in shades of vermilion and red.
(Scott #14; SG #19; Edifil #11)

10-cuartos. A total of 7,000 stamps issued, in shades of rose-carmine. (Scott #15; SG #20; Edifil #12)

1-real. A total of 5,000 stamps issued in reddish-violet. (Scott #16; SG #21; Edifil #13)

2-reales. A total of 5,000 stamps issued in dull blue. (Scott #17; SG #22; Edifil #14)

 Note:
1) The Edifil Unificado Catalogue indicates the first day of issue as January 1, 1863.

VARIETIES AND ERRORS

10-cuartos. Circle around the "1" of "10", which probably occurs as one position in the sheet.

 

ROYAL DECREES AND ORDERS

1863

A Royal Ordinance was issued, directing that demands for Postage Stamps should be made sufficiently in advance to avoid delay and expense.

 

To the Governor, The Captain-General of the Philippines

 

Your Excellency: In view of the letter of Your Excellency, Nos. 822 and 850, dated March 6th and April 30th last, forwarding with the first the report relating to the manufacture of 200,000 stamps of the value of five cuartos, for the franking of inland correspondence, the printing of which was authorised by Your Excellency on August 8, 1862, and giving an account in the second of the unavoidable necessity that had arisen for giving similar authority for other printings of stamps of different values, on account of the exhaustion of the supplies in the offices of the Treasury. The Queen (whom God preserve) has deigned, in view of the reasons expressed in the above-named report, to approve of Your Excellency’s decision in respect of the manufacture of the 200,000 stamps; and in regard to the printing of the stamps of other kinds, since this Ministry has been informed that the required supplies of stamps produced at the National Printing Office have already been sent to Cadiz for immediate despatch to the Islands, Your Excellency must suspend all further printings, which, at the receipt of this order, may not have been completed and distributed to the branch offices of the department. Her Majesty, whilst giving instructions that this service should suffer no further delay ere in the Peninsula, has at the same time directed that I should be pointed out to Your Excellency that in future the requisitions referred to above should be sent in sufficiently and conveniently in advance, it being very extraordinary that it should be asserted that in 1861 a request was made for 80,000 stamps for external correspondence, without any one being able to give the date at which this requisition was made, and without there being any record of it to be found in the books of this Department.

 By Royal Command - Madrid, September 18, 1863

 

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