Spanish-Philippine Perfins

A Perfin (Perforated Initials) is a series of small holes punched into a stamp forming a letter, series of letters, insignia or other design. Perfins are applied by an individual, organization or government agency for the purpose of preventing the unauthorised use or theft of the stamps.

Perfins exist printed normally (viewed from front and back respectively), inverted (viewed from front and back respectively), or occasionally sideways.

Smith, Bell and Company

The origins of Smith Bell & Company, Inc. date to 1838, when a young Scotsman named James Adam Smith was sent to the Philippines to look after the interest of Jardine Matheson & Company. Six years later, after establishing good connections, Smith went into partnership with Henry Constable and Robert Philip Wood. This partnership eventually served as the foundation of what was to become Smith Bell & Company, Inc.

The name Smith Bell & Company finally came into being when Robert Wood set up partnership with an American named Lawrence R. Bell. Bell managed the company for a while after Wood left for England. Eventually, Bell also left Manila for unknown reason but the company name remained.

The company primarily engaged in trading, import and export. Hemp (abaca) was a leading item for export and was shipped mostly to the United States to meet the demand of the Atlantic and Pacific shipbuilders. This extensive trading enabled Smith Bell to serve as a bridge between the Asian countries and the West, introducing the country to foreign goods and opening its international markets.

By 1849, Smith Bell was appointed agents of Imperial Insurance Company, Ltd. marking the involvement and entry of Smith Bell into the insurance industry. Years later, it would be appointed as agents for Lloyd's of London in 1877, as well as agents for seven other insurance companies. The year 1866 saw the expansion of Smith Bell as it opened its Cebu branch, the first of many branches to be established throughout the archipelago.

While the company had to contend with one crisis after another, it also managed to reach peak performance. During these years, most foreign firms engaged in the import-export trade and banking operations also ventured into shipping, fire and marine insurance and became agents of international lines and companies. Towards the end of the 19th century, Smith Bell held the agencies of at least four banking institutions, seven insurance firms and at least six shipping lines and was the representative of several commercial Spanish inter-island vessels.

Smith Smith Bell and Company exists today, headquartered in Makati, with ongoing interests in insurance, shipping, and renewable energy.

'S. B & Co' in two lines

Period after the 'S' but not after the 'B'
Sloper Ledgers, Press No. 5099 (Produced Between July and August 1876)
Used between early 1870s and 1880s
Earliest Known Usage on King Amadeo 10c Green issue of 1871

Position A	Position B	Position C	Position D	Position E

Known Stamps with 'S. B & Co' Perfin:

Scott #	Period	Value	Issue Date	Known Positions
40	King Amadeo	10c Green	1871	E
43	King Amadeo	12c Rose	1872	C
52	King Alfonso XII	2c Rose	1875	A
55	King Alfonso XII	10c Blue	1877	A , B
56	King Alfonso XII	12c Lilac	1876	A , C
57	King Alfonso XII	20c Violet Brown	1876	A , C
58	King Alfonso XII	25c Deep Green	1876	A , B
72*	King Alfonso XII	2c on 25m Green	1879	-
78*	King Alfonso XII	2-4/8c Ultramarine	1882	-
79	King Alfonso XII	2-4/8c Ultramarine	1883	A , B
80	King Alfonso XII	2-4/8c Ultramarine	1886	B
81	King Alfonso XII	5c Gray	1882	C
83	King Alfonso XII	8c Yellow Brown	1880	A , C
85	King Alfonso XII	10c Brown Lilac	1882	A, C
86	King Alfonso XII	12-4/8c Bright Rose	1882	A , B , C
87	King Alfonso XII	20c Bistre Brown	1882	C , D
88	King Alfonso XII	25c Dark Brown	1882	A , B , C

* Scott #s 72 and 78 have been previously reported but not seen to date

Roxas Reyes and Company

Little is known about Roxas, Reyes & Company. It was listed as Merchants in Manila in 1879 and the business was involved in shipping of agricultural products from the Philippines. It is possible that Francisco L. Roxas y Reyes (1851 to January 11, 1897) was linked to Roxas Reyes & Company. He was a businessman, musician and a second cousin of one of the richest men in the Philippines at that time, Don Pedro Pablo Roxas. He entered business in 1880 as a comisionista (commission agent) for shipping lines. By 1887 he had become a consignatorio de vapores (shipping agent) with office at Calle de la Barca, Binondo. In 1886 such was his prestige and wealth that he was appointed to the board of directors of Banco Espanol-Filipino, the first public bank of the Philippines. In 1890 he entered the import-export business for shipping supplies.

'R. R & CA' in two lines

Period after the first 'R' but not after the second 'R'
Two periods below 'A' of 'CA'
Used between late 1870s and early 1880s
Earliest Known Usage on King Alfonso XII 20c Violet Brown issue of 1876

Position A	Position B	Position C

Known Stamps with 'R. R & Ca' Perfin:

Scott #	Period	Value	Issue Date	Known Positions
52	King Alfonso XII	2c Rose	1875	A
53	King Alfonso XII	2c Blue	1877	A
55	King Alfonso XII	10c Blue	1877	A
57	King Alfonso XII	20c Violet Brown	1876	A
59	King Alfonso XII	2c on 12c Rose	1877	C
60	King Alfonso XII	12c on 25m Black	1879	A
62	King Alfonso XII	25m Black	1878	A , B
67	King Alfonso XII	100m Yellow Green	1879	A
68	King Alfonso XII	125m blue	1878	A
71	King Alfonso XII	250m Bistre	1879	A
72	King Alfonso XII	2c on 25m Green	1879	A
73	King Alfonso XII	8c on 100m Carmine	1879	A
75	King Alfonso XII	8c on 100m Carmine	1879	A
77	King Alfonso XII	2-1/2c Brown	1880	A
83	King Alfonso XII	8c Yellow Brown	1880	A
89	Surcharge Era	2c on 2-1/2c Brown	1881	A
116	Surcharge Era	8c on 2r Blue	1881	A

H and Company

No validation as to the name and nationality of this firm. Perfins exist on stamps issued between 1892 and 1899. Some have speculated that it is Heacock and Company that occurred in Manila in the 20^th century. However, there is no evidence to confirm this.

'H & Co' in one line

Period below 'o' of 'Co'
Only known to occur printed normally, with Perfin split across two stamps
Used in the 1890s
Earliest Known Usage on King Alfonso XIII 20c Grey Brown issue of 1892

Known Stamps with 'H & Co' Perfin:

Scott #	Period	Value	Issue Date
174	King Alfonso XIII	20c Gray Brown	1892
201	King Alfonso XIII	5c Carmine Rose	1898
204	King Alfonso XIII	10c Vermilion	1898

References:

1) Perfins. IPPS News, Volume II, No. 4, November to December 1982, Page 9.

2) Perfins of the Philippines. Don Peterson, IPPS News, Volume III, No. 3, July to September 2003, Pages 16-17.

3) Early Philippine Perfin. Orwin Austria, IPPS Newsletter, Volume XXI, No. 2 (Whole Number 67), Second Quarter 2001, Page 4.

4) Perfins of the Spanish Philippines. Don Peterson, IPPS Newsletter, Volume XXIII, No. 4 (Whole Number 73), Fourth Quarter 2003, Pages 3-4.

5) Another Sloper Die With a Type II. Roy Gault, January 2016.

Many thanks to Bill Oliver and Brian Freeman for discovering and sharing the identity of the RR&Ca perfin from a corresponding business handstamp on a Revenue Perfin that was discovered in Bill Oliver's collection in 2017.

Special thanks to The Perfin Society, specifically Roy Gault, Jeff Turnbull and Stephen Steere for assistance with the Smith Bell & Co Perfin.

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 Last Update: 01.10.2023