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SPAIN, INSCRIPTION 'COMUNICACIONES' 1870-1873

Return To Catalogue - Spain overview - 'Comunicaciones' (issued from 1874 to 1889)

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1870 Woman's head, allegorical to the republic

  1 m violet
  2 m black
  4 m yellow
  10 m red
  25 m lilac
  50 m blue
  100 m brown
  200 m brown
  400 m green
  1 E 600 m grey
  2 E blue
  12 Cu brown
  19 Cu green

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

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

These stamps with inscription 'CORREOS' were issued for Spanish Antilles and Philippines. Typical cancels:

Stamps with 3 horizontal bars are cancelled after the selling period, and sold to dealers. Stamps with circular holes in it, are used telegraphically.

Characteristics of genuine stamps: The line below 'COMUNICACIONES' is broken in two places; below the 'U' and below the second 'C'. The wavy outer frame line is broken to the right of the 'S' of 'COMUNICACIONES'. By the way: the Sperati forgeries also have these characteristics!

Forgeries exist of the 1E600m, 2E and 19 c, examples:

(Could these be Segui forgeries? Note that the star on top of the crown is not symmetric)

Fournier also sold forgeries of these stamps.

(Fournier? the star on top of the crown is also not symmetric in this forgery)

Sperati made forgeries of these stamps:

(Sperati forgeries)

The paper, perforation and cancel are genuine on the above forgeries. The design of a lower valued stamp of the same series was removed by Sperati, he then printed the design on it. He made this forgery look like as if the cancel was on top. His forgeries were so good, that even experts were fooled. These forgeries are not very common, and highly sought after.

Distinguishing characteristics of the Sperati forgeries:
1E600M:
1) There is a small thickening of the line above the 'E' of '1 Eo 600 MILS'
2) The left eye (from our point of view) has a small line going upwards
2Esc:
1) The left leg of the 'U' of 'COMUNICACIONES' is broken at the top
2) The first wavy pattern in the upper right corner has a coloured spot
3) There is a white dot in the 'C' of 'ESCUDOS'
19 Cuartos:
1) There is a very small white spot in the upper part of the 'S' of 'CUARTOS'
2) The 'A' of 'CUARTOS' has a very small coloured dot in its right leg
3) The 'M' and 'U' of 'COMUNICACIONES' have small dots (you really need a microscope to see this!).

1872 King Amadeus I, inscription 'COMUNICACIONES'

  5 c red (1873)
  6 c blue
  10 c grey
  10 c blue (1873)
  12 c violet
  20 c grey (1873)
  25 c brown
  40 c brown
  50 c green

(reduced view)

  1 P lilac
  4 P brown
  10 P green

These stamps have perforation 14.

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	***	***
6 c	R	***
10 c grey	RR	RR
10 c blue	*	*
12 c	***	*
20 c	R	R
25 c	***	***
40 c	***	**
50 c	***	***
1 P	R	R
4 P	RR	RR
10 P	RR	RRR

Stamps with 3 horizontal bars are cancelled after the selling period, and sold to dealers.

Forgeries:

Fournier forgery:

(Fournier forgeries of the lower values)

(Imperforate row of 1 P Fournier forgeries)

The above 50 c stamp is a Fournier forgery. It bears the cancel 'PUYCERDA 7 JUL 73 (CATALUNIA)' as it also can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'. Fournier made forgeries of the all values (Peseta values included). He also used the cancel 'FIGUERAS 21 OCT 73 CATALUNA'. I have also seen the 25 c value with a very blotched cancel. He offers the cents values (9 stamps) for 2 Swiss Francs in his 1914 pricelist (as first class forgeries). The Peseta values (3 stamps) are also offered for 2 Swiss Francs (also first class forgeries). The first 'O' of 'COMUNICACIONES' is not flat at the bottom in this forgery. In the genuine stamps, the line just below the upper frameline, does not continue as much as the lines below it do. In the Fournier forgery, it continues as far as the other lines. I suspect the 6 c forgery also to be a Fournier forgery (note the strange left '6').

I know that Sperati made forgeries of the 4 P and 10 P values (2 different version of the 10 P).

Example of a 10 P Sperati forgery:

(Front and backside of this Sperati forgery)

In the above forgery of the 10 P the bottom of the 'D' of 'DIEZ' is 'shaved off'. There should be a white dot in the right hand side of the 'P', a break in the bottom of the first 'E' and the 'S' is badly done in the word 'PESETAS' (not visible in this copy). The cancels and the paper are genuine (Sperati removed the image of a genuine stamp and then reprinted it).

1873 Woman 'peace', inscription 'COMUNICACIONES C.D.PESETA'

  2 c orange
  5 c red
  10 c green
  20 c black
  25 c brown
  40 c brown
  50 c blue
  1 Peseta grey
  4 Peseta brown
  10 Peseta brown

These stamps have perforation 14.

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
2 c	***	***
5 c	***	***
10 c	*	c
20 c	R	R
25 c	***	***
40 c	***	**
50 c	***	***
1 P	***	***
4 P	RR	RR
10 P	RRR	RRR

Special cancellations:

The higher valued stamps with telegraphic cancel (hole) are worth much less than those used for postal purposes.

Forgeries:

(Forgery)

I've been told that the above 10 P stamp is a forgey, I have no further information.

(Sperati forgery of the 10 P, first type)

I know that Sperati made forgeries of the 4 P value and the 10 P value (2 types); distinguishing characteristics can be found at http://www.graus.com.

These stamps with inscription 'ULTRAMAR 1874' or inscription 'ULTRAMAR 1871' were used in Cuba

For more stamps with inscription 'Comunicaciones' (issued from 1874 to 1889) click here.

Stamps - Briefmarken - Timbres-Poste - Postzegels - Francobolli - Estampillas

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

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