With the Spanish Postal System being unreliable the majority of the pre-philatelic period outbound mail was carried by foreign flag vessels or coursed through forwarding  agents doing business in  the Philippines. The issuance of the first postage stamps  on February 1, 1854,  resulted in a more reliable domestic mail service, which previous to this date, was virtually non-existent.

As a Spanish colony and not a member of the Universal Postal Union,  mail destined to countries where Spain  had no postal treaties  were franked with 1860s  Queen Victoria issues  of the East India Company, Strait Settlements and Hong Kong. In  some instances the letters were posted stampless  even during the philatelic period.

Each of the four sections of this exhibit cover a defined period of Spanish Philippines postal history, inclusive of related specifics such as postal markings, rates and routes, and where present, the forwarding agents involved.

POSTAL MARKINGS, 1776 - 1853

Except for color varieties, this section illustrates the complete postmarks employed  for the specific period. The highlight is a 1776 Belletti letterset with an encircled red  “MA / NILA” postmark. This is the earliest recorded Philippine postmark on cover.  There is a very strong possibility that this postmark that immediately identify the origin of the letter is the  earliest for the entire Asia as well (the Bishop mark of India was employed much earlier but it is only a date marking). Is  It is significant to note that its usage some seven years  before Governor General Joseph Basco  formally organized the postal system in the Philippines.

PRE-PHILATELIC PERIOD OVERSEAS MAIL, 1797 - 1853

• THE MANILA - ACAPULCO ROUTE
• THE MANILA - CAPE OF GOOD HOPE ROUTE
• THE MANILA - OVERLAND GIBRALTAR ROUTE
• THE MANILA - OVERLAND MARSEILLES ROUTE
• THE PERSIAN GULF ROUTE
• THE FAR EAST - PACIFIC OCEAN ROUTE

• FOREIGN ISSUES PRE-PAYING MAIL TO OTHER COUNTRIES WITH NO POSTAL  TREATIES WITH SPAIN
• OUTBOUND MAIL RENDERED STAMPLESS DURING THE PHILATELIC PERIOD.

• Mail from different countries subjected to local postal charges upon arrival.