Stamps of Mexico, 1856-1900

Definitive Stamps - Classic Period

In Mexico robbery of stage coach lines which transported people and goods between larger cities was a tremendous problem. As a theft protection measure stamps were overprinted upon arrival at their designated district office. This would then validate the stamps for postal usage.

1856

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Issued from August 1, 1856. Designed and engraved by José Villegas. Imperforated without watermark.

Handstamped with district name

Medio real, district Veracruz (№ 1)
Medio real (№ 1)
Medio Real, linear used.
Un real used in Colima, district Morelia (№ 2)
Un real used in Tehuantepec, district Oajaca (№ 2)
Un Real, linear used.
Un real pair used in Puebla (№ 2)
3x un real used in Guadalajara (№ 2)
Dos reales used in district Mazatlan (№ 3)
Dos reales used in district Guadalajara (№ 3)
2 Reales, circle used in 1857.
Un and dos reales used in Veracruz (№ 2, 3)
Un and dos reales used in Pascuaro, district Morelia (№ 2, 3)
Ocho reales used in Puebla (№ 5)

Without district name

Medio real used in Apam (№ 1b)
Quatro reales used in Mexico City (№ 4c)

1861

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Issued 1861. Designed and engraved by José Villegas. Imperforated without watermark. Black on colored paper.

Medio real unused (№ 6a)
Un real used (№ 7)
Dos reales used on fragment (№ 8)
Quatro reales used (№ 9)
Quatro reales used (№ 10)
Quatro reales pair used in Guadalajara (№ 10)
Ocho reales used (№ 11)
Ocho reales used without district overprint (№ 11d)
Ocho reales quadrisect used in San Luis Potosi (№ 11b)
Ocho reales quadrisect used in San Luis Potosi (№ 11b)
Ocho reales used in Pazcuaro (№ 12)
8 reales, cover to Paris in 1863. Note the octogonal blue MEXIQUE arrival postmark.

1864

Issued under Benito Juarez President. Hidalgo portrait, with and without (type a) district name. ABN recess. Scarce to very scarce with district overprint.

Un real unused (№ 14a)
Dos reales unused (№ 15a)
Dos Reales, mute cancel.
Quatro reales unused (№ 16a)
Un peso unused (№ 17a)

1864-1866

Aguilitas (small eagles) coat of arms. Additional overprints, consignment numbers and years, were used from this issue. Five different overprint types are known, exists without overprint also.

Type I: district name only

Un real ultra, used in Cedral, district S.L. Potosi (№ 22)

Type II: consignment number, '1864' and district name

Un real ultra used, consignment nr. 218, district Tampico (№ 22)
Quatro reales, consignment nr. 204, used in district Zacatecas (№ 24a)
Quatro Reales Empire, district GUANAJUATO 217 in 1864 and DC cancel.

Type IV: consignment number, '1865' and district name

Un real, consignment nr. 58, used in district Guanajuato (№ 21)
Dos reales, consignment nr. 208, used in district S.L. Potosi (№ 23)
Dos reales, consigment nr. 42-6, district Jalapa, used in San Juan de los Llanos (№ 23)

Type V: consignment number, large '1866' and district name

Un real, consignment nr. 9, district and cancel Tampico (№ 21)
Un real, consignment nr. 42, district Oaxaca, used in Tehuantepec (№ 21)
Dos reales, consignment nr. 58, used in district Veracruz (№ 23)
Quatro reales, consignment nr. 4, used in district Mexico (№ 24)

Without overprint

Ocho reales, unused pair (№ 25c)
Quatro reales bisected, used in Puebla (№ 24d)

Forgeries

Medio real forgery with bogus cancel
Un real forgery
Un real forgery with bogus cancel
Quatro reales forgery with bogus cancel

1866

Emperor Maximilian I around 1864

Maximilianos, Emperor Maximilian I. Overprinted with consignment number, year, with or without district name.

Lithographed, round period after numerals

7c unused, 74 1866 (№ 26)
13c blue used, 1866 district Puebla (№ 27)
25c buff unused, 110 866 (№ 28)
25c orange used, 2 1866 15 district Puebla (№ 29)
25c red orange used, 1866 district Mexico (№ 29a)
25c red brown used, 12 1866 district Mexico (№ 29b)
50c green used, 1866 46 district Puebla (№ 30)

Engraved, square period after numerals

Stamps without overprint are unissued remainders (a).

7c unissued (№ 31a)
13c unused, 140-866 (№ 32)
13c used, 128-866 (№ 32)
13c unissued (№ 32a)
50c unissued (№ 34a)

1867

Gothics, stamps of 1856-1861 overprinted 'MEXICO' in gothic font.

Un real used (№ 36)
Quatro reales unused (№ 38)
Quatro reales unused (№ 38). Fake overprint (different font)
Dos reales thin grey blue paper, used (№ 44)
Quatro reales thin grey blue paper, used (№ 45)

1868-1871

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Overprinted with consignment number, year and district name.

Imperforated, no period after thin numerals

6c district VERACRUZ, consignment 2, year 68 (№ 46)
50c cancel 'MAYO' (№ 49)

Perforated, no period after thin numerals

25c used, nr. 2, year 68, Veracruz district (№ 54)
50c used, nr. 1, year 68, Mexico district (№ 55)
50c used, nr. 1, year 69, Mexico district (№ 55)
50 cent. issue 1868, overprinted Mexico 1 68, perforated, used. Michel N°57

Imperforated, period after thick numerals

6c used, nr. 9?, year 70 (№ 58)
12c used, nr. 4, year 69, Puebla (№ 59)
12c used, nr. 4, year 70, Puebla (№ 59)
12c used, nr. 14, year 70 (№ 59)
25c used, nr. 2, year 69, Veracruz (№ 61)
25c used, nr. 5, year 70, S.L. Potosi (№ 61)
50c used, nr. 22, year 69, Durango (№ 62)
100c used, nr. 1, year 71, Mexico (№ 64)

Perforated, period after thick numerals

12c used, year 70, Mexico district (№ 66)
25c used thick paper, nr. 1, year 71, Mexico district (№ 68c)
25 cent. issue 1869, overprinted Mexico 1 69, perforated, DC used. Michel N°56

1872

'Garbancitos', profile of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Overprinted with consignment number, year and district name.

Imperforated, watermarked

Watermarked 'PAPEL SELLADO' in sheet.

6c district SALTILLO, consignment 36, year 72 (№ 81)

Imperforated, unwatermarked

12c district VERACRUZ, consignment 50, year 73 (№ 94)
25c district GUANAJUATO, consignment 18, year 73 (№ 95)
100c district VERACRUZ, consignment 50, year 72 (№ 98a)

Pin-perforated and serrate perforated

100c district MEXICO, consignment 1, year 72 (№ 104)

1874-1883

Recess printing by the American Bank Note Co., New York. Portrait of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Overprinted with district name and/or consignment number and year. Perforated 12, partially or entirely imperforate exist. Some showing vertical or horizontal ribbing.

1874-1880, thick wove paper

Without watermark, stamps watermarked 'LACROIX' exist (scarce).

4c unused, consignment 34, year 82 (№ 105)
5c unused, district CORDOVA, consignment 61, year 77 (№ 106)
5c, district VERACRUZ, consignment 50, year (№ 106)
10c, district PUEBLA, consignment 20, year 78 (№ 107)
25c, district MEXICO, consignment 1, year 77 (№ 109)
25c unused block of four, consignment 39, year 83 (№ 109)
50c, district MAZATLAN, consignment 26, year 75 (№ 110)
50c unused, consignment 51, year 77 (№ 110)
100c, consignment 27, year 77 (№ 111)

1881, thin wove paper

Fragile paper without watermark.

4c, district VERACRUZ, consignment 3, year 83 (№ 117)
5c, without overprint (№ 118a)
10c, consignment 41, year 83 (№ 119)
50c, consignment 3, year 82 (№ 121)
50c unused, district JALAPA, consignment 33, year 83 (№ 121)
100c, district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 83 (№ 122)
100c, district GUANAJUATO, consignment 33, year 83 (№ 122)

1879-1883

Benito Pablo Juárez García around 1862

Foreign mail issue, depicting Benito Juárez and small numerals (only the second issue). A complete new issue for foreign mail use only, fitting into the new international UPU rate schedules (which Mexico joined). Overprinted with district name and/or consignment number and year. Perforated 12.

April 1 1879, thick unwatermarked paper

Some showing vertical ribbing.

1c, district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 79 (№ 123)
2c, consignment 44, year 79 (№ 124)
2c, district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 79 (№ 124)
5c, district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 79 (№ 125)
10c, district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 81 (№ 126)
25c unused, without overprint (№ 127a)

1882, thin unwatermarked paper

Usually with defective perforation.

12c, district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 82 (№ 136)
24c, district MAZATLAN, consignment 27, year 82 (№ 138)
100c unused, without overprint (№ 144a)
100c, district MAZATLAN, consignment 27, year 82 (№ 145)

1882-1883

Small numbers 'numeritos' issue. Overprinted with district name, consignment number and abbreviated year. Issued to cover the national service.

2c consignment 17, year 83 (№ 146)
3c district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 82 (№ 147)
6c district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 83 (№ 148)
6c district MEXICO, consignment 54, year 82 (№ 149)

Definitive Stamps - Post Classic Period

This period can be defined coinciding with the expansion of the railroad system in Mexico which meant secure transportation. The postal office discontinued the district overprint system as a theft protection measure for the shipment of mint stamps between cities.

1884

Medallion issue, depicting Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Without watermark, perforated 12.

4c used (№ 153)
25c unused (№ 159)
1p unused (№ 161)
2p unused (№ 162)
5p used (№ 163)
10p used (№ 164)
10p used (№ 164)

1886

Large numeral. Without watermark, perforated 12.

1c used (№ 174)
2c used (№ 175)
3c used (№ 176)
4c unused (№ 177)
5c unused (№ 178)
6c used (№ 179)
10c used (№ 180)
12c unused (№ 181)
20c unused (№ 182)
25c unused (№ 183)
25c used (№ 183)

1887

Large numeral. Without watermark, perforated 12, 6, 12x6 or 6x12.

1c used, perforated 12x6 (№ 194A)
2c used, perforated 6x12 (№ 194B)
5c used, perforated 6x12 (№ 194D)
10c used, perforated 6x12 (№ 194F)

1887

Large numeral. Without watermark, perforated 12, 6, 12x6 or 6x12. Paper ruled with blue lines on face or reverse (r) of stamp.

Perforated 12

1c used (№ 195)
2c used (№ 196)
5c used (№ 198)
10c used (№ 199)

Perforated 6

1c used (№ 201)
1c used mute cancel (№ 201)
2c unused (№ 202)
2c used (№ 202)
5c used CAMARGO (№ 204)
10c brown lilac unused (№ 205)
10c brown lilac used (HE)RMOSILLO (№ 205)
10c scarlet used (№ 206)

Perforated 6x12 or 12x6

5c unused, perforated 12x6 (№ 209 r)

1890-1895

Large numeral. Watermark 'CORREOS E U M' (№ 152) on every line of 10 stamps. Perforated 5.5, 6, 11, 12, 5.5x11 and 11x5.5 compound and irregular.

1892, 10c unused perforated 12 (№ 225)
1892, scarce 10p used perforated 12 (№ 229)
1892 blue green, rare 10p used (№ 231)
1894, 4c used, perforated 5.5 (№ 234)
1894, 25c used, perforated 5.5 (№ 237)
1894, 3c unused, perforated 5.5x11 (№ 238B)
1894, 20c used, perforated 11x5.5 (№ 240A)

1895-1898

1895 'R' of watermark 'CORREOS E U M' (№ 152)

Scenes of various mail transport, including a letter carrier, a mail coach and a mail train. Nicknamed ‘Mulitas’ or in English ‘Little Mules’, after the 4 and 12 centavos stamps depicting a mule carrying a pack of mail followed by a mailman on horse. Designed by Gilbert Lomeli. Different perforations: