Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 2

PHILIPPINES 1854-1855

Filipinas - Philippinen

Return To Catalogue - Philippines 1859-1870 - 1871-1881 issues - 1882-1900 issues - Japanese occupation during World War II - Phillipines miscellaneous

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

5 c orange

Certified genuine by Enrique Soro Bergua Image reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com

Certified genuine by Enrique Soro Bergua

Image reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com

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

Overprinted "HABILITADO POR LA NACION" (1869)

  1 r grey
  2 r green

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c	RRR	RRR
10 c	RRR	RRR	Some 10 c black proofs exist: RRR
1 r	RRR	RRR
2 r	RRR	RRR
1 r and 2 r	RRR	RRR	Overprinted 'HABILITADO POR LA NACION' (1869)

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; 8 rows of 5 stamps). A famous type is the "CORROS" misprint of the 1 r:

A misprint "CORROS" instead of "CORREOS" (sheet position 26), forgeries exist of this misprint.

Cancels:

Circle consisting of dots and Parrilla cancel.

The 'Parrilla' cancel also is know on these stamps (an ellipse with lines and stars in the center). Also a large circle with townname (Baeza cancel) was used on these stamps.

Baeza cancel from Manila

Some other name cancel "Jusqedo Tal de Yloco.. Sur."

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)

The central stroke of the 'F' in 'FRANCO' is very weak.
There is a white dot in the upper right side of the '0' in '10'.
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 (first 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 forgeries.

Some other primitive forgeries.

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

Genuine, with BPA certificate

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

Two types exist of this stamp.

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
5 c	RRR	RRR

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

Forgery!
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.

Forgery #6F4 from Nigel Gooding's website.