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