When the Spanish surrendered in Manila, the United States established a branch of the San Francisco Post Office in the existing Spanish Post Office. United States stamps, the regular 1894-95 and 1898 issues in stock and some of the Colombian and Trans-Mississippi issues, were placed on sale on July 16, 1898.

As the supply of United States stamps were used, additional stock was ordered. The replacement stamps were overprinted "PHILIPPINES" and first went on sale on June 30,1899, the sale of stamps without the overprint was discontinued at the same time. Both regular and overprinted stamps were valid for postage in the Philippines as well as in the United States until October 1,1903.


Fig. 1.1: Genuine Black "PHILIPPINES" Overprint

The genuine overprint is FLAT BLACK, not shinny or dull, in UPPER CASE letters with SERIFS. The length of the overprint is 15.5 mm and the height is 2.75 mm and rises from left to right at an angle of 22 degrees from the horizontal plane.

During the latter part of the 18th century and the early 19th century, stamp collecting was the hobby of the aristocracy in Europe. Some of the wealthy collectors there, including royalty, would go to any length to amass the most prestigious collection, and there were some who found ways to accommodate them.

The United States Post Office did not release very much information on the stamps being used in the Philippines, only that they had overprinted stock on hand from current issues. When the second issue was put on sale on September 20, 1903 many collectors began trying to obtain the first issue, and it was not readily available. The first Forgeries of the overprints came from Switzerland with some known earlier than 1908. Because of the lack of information about the overprints and of the stamps they was applied on, the Switzerland overprints are found on stamps which were not genuinely overprinted and forged overprint is not within specification.

After the Philippine-American War ended, the Post Office Department decided to terminate the overprinting of stamps with "PHILIPPINES" and discontinued their use on September 8,1906. The remainders, except for some Postage Due Stamps, were destroyed on February 13 and 14,1907. 

With an accurate listing of the stamps issued with "PHILIPPINES" overprint by Gen. H.H.Bandholtz, recorded at the time of destruction, Many men who had served in the Philippines and had obtained some stamps, tried to complete their collections. To meet this demand, another group of forgeries known as the "New York" forgeries, from their place of manufacture, were supplied. These forgeries are much more dangerous as they are on the correct stamp and the overprint is close to the genuine one.