ALFONSO XIII - BABY HEAD stamps of the PHILIPPINES
Catalogue
6c issues
1892 6c brown violet
Cliché Type II, Gum Type A.
Sheets of 100 (10 x10) inscribed COMUNICACIONES 180,000 from 1,800 sheets issued 1 January 1892
The colour descriptions of this stamp range from “violet brown” to “brown violet” (including “lilac brown”, or “brown purple”). A pale shade variety also occurs and is possibly associated with one of two plate settings known for this issue.
#MP24 brown violet and #MP24a pale brown violet shade variety
The 6c violet brown stamps commonly display a defective or worn plate causing a line break over the denomination value ‘6’ This defect occurs variably at many locations within the plate. Similarly, the oval frame frequently appears broken. Stamps of this issue with an intact oval frame and unbroken line above the ‘6’ are less common than stamps showing the defect.
Broken and unbroken line above denomination
Uncommon example with both intact oval frame line and intact line above denomnation
Sheet header inscribed "COMUNICACIONES" - 100 stamps per sheet
Edifil: #97 lilac brown ‘castano lila’ (1891-1893)
Scott: #157 brown violet (1892)
SG: #181 brown purple (1 Jan 1892)
Agustin, S., Peterson, D. & Brett, GW. 1993. Plate flaw on 6c brown-violet babyhead issue of 1892. Philippine Philatelic Journal, vol 15 no.3, pp 1-4.
Palmer, M. 2013. Distinguishing Flaws in the 1892, King Alfonso XIII, 6c brown violet (Scott #157) stamp. Philippine Philatelic Journal, vol 35 no. 1, pp 5-14.
1894 6c red orange
Cliché Type II, Gum Type B.
Sheets of 100 (10 x10) inscribed CORREOS 100,000 from 1,000 sheets issued 1 January 1894
The colour descriptions of this stamp are typically “red orange” or “orange”.
Vives (1897) describes the colour as “red” and Scott‘s 1895 catalogue described the colour as “brick red”, and in 1900 as “vermillion” but by 1903 had settled for “red orange”. Stanley Gibbons descibed the colour as "brick red" up until 1975. The ‘red’ descriptions may have resulted from confusion with a deep red coloured imperforated proof known to exist.
#MP25 red orange
Shade varieties exist, Bartels et al (1904) for example noted a "deep red orange" shade.
The plate appears to have been retouched as the broken lines above the ‘6’ denomination and the oval frame, prominent in the 6c violet brown are generally absent in the 6c red orange stamps.
Stanley Gibbons and Galvez (1942) indicate that this issue was printed on thick (or opaque) paper. These descriptions are generally relative to the later 1890 issues which tend to be on thinner paper. In this repsect the 1894 6c red orange is generally on notably thicker and opaque paper than the 1890 issues.
Examples of 6c red orange shade varieties
Edifil: #112 orange ‘naranja’ (1894)
Scott: #158 red orange (1894)
SG: #192 orange-red (thick paper), (1 Jan 1894)
1896 6c carmine rose
Cliché Type II, Gum Type C.
Sheets of 100 (10 x10) inscribed CORREOS 25,000 from 250 sheets issued 1 January 1896 and October 1896
The colour descriptions of this stamp range from “carmine”, “rose” or “carmine rose”. Bartels et al (1904) and Palmer (1912) indicate that there were two issues of this stamp, with the principal difference of the later issue (in October 1896) is that it was of a darker shade.
#MP26 carine rose and #MP26a dark carmine rose shade variety
The problems notable in the 1892 6c violet brown issue with a worn oval frame line and a line break over the denomination value is notable again on occasional stamps of the 1896 issue.
Occasional stamps exhibit a broken line above the denomination
Edifil: #126 rose ‘rosa’ (1896)
Scott: #159 carmine rose (1896)
SG: #201 rosine (1 Jan 1896)
Postal Usage
Cavite circular date stamp on 6c violet brown;
Registration "Certificado" cancel (Peterson Type 6) in black ink on 6c red orange;
Registration "Certificado" cancel (Peterson Type 6) in violet ink on 6c carmine rose
Catalogue
Postal Issues
Newspaper Issues