Beginning
in the 1880's, the Philippine Islands were plagued by a shortage of stamps
resulting from delayed shipments from Spain, and greatly increased usage
of stamps for both postage and prepayment of telegraph services. The shortage
was remedied by surcharging existing stamp stock with the denominations
most needed for those services.
With the exception
of the first overprint, it is believed all of the surcharges were applied
by hand. With a large number of surcharges being applied to numerous stamps
and often in more than one color, the beleaguered postal employee sometimes
misapplied the surcharge. The result is a group of stamps with surcharges
which are found inverted, doubled, tripled or sometimes even completely
omitted.
This exhibit
offers a tour through the myriad errors which occurred during this confusing
era of Philippine philately. The stamps shown herein significantly expand
existing knowledge regarding the number and variety of stamps having received
specific surcharges. This exhibit contains a number of key items which
deserve the viewer's attention, including:
-
31 different
stamps which are the ONLY RECORDED existing copies
-
6 stamps of
which the example shown is one of only two recorded
-
20 different
stamps where less than 10 have been recorded
-
38 different
omitted surcharge errors
-
Largest recorded
multiple with omitted surcharge errors
-
Largest recorded
multiple of black 8c. on 10 cuartos bistre revenue
-
Only recorded
cover with black 8c. on 10 cuartos bistre revenue
-
Largest recorded
multiple of black 20c. on 250 Mil. ultramarine telegraph
-
Only recorded
multiple of black 2 reales on 2 4/8c. ultramarine postage (first retouch)
-
Only recorded
cover to Finland franked with surcharged stamps
-
Only recorded
cover to Nova Scotia franked with surcharged stamps
-
Only recorded
cover to Russia franked with surcharged stamps
-
Only recorded
cover to Slovakia franked with surcharged stamps
-
Highest recorded
franking of surcharged stamps on cover
-
Latest recorded
use of surcharged stamp on cover
-
Largest recorded
telegraph receipt prepaid with surcharged stamps
-
25 OF THE 30
RECORDED COVERS FRANKED WITH ERROR STAMPS
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