ALFONSO XIII - BABY HEAD stamps of the PHILIPPINES
Catalogue
40c issue
1897 40c dark violet
Cliché Type V, Gum Type D.
Sheets of 100 (10 x10) inscribed CORREOS, 20,000 from 200 sheets issued ~April 1897
The colour of the stamp is generally described as “violet” or “dark violet” with Bartels et al (1904) suggesting shades of "violet" and "deep violet".
#MP51 40c dark violet
This is the only 40c stamp issued for the Philippines. When the director general of the post in Manila was advised that a newly designed stamp would shortly replace the Baby Head series he was advised to only order those absolutely necessary to cover the period between 1897 and 1898. The 40c value was one of the three issues he requested.
Bartels et al (1904) and Palmer (1912) report that the 40c dark violet stamp was issued in 1897 although the month and quantities are unknown. Palmer reports that it was supposedly issued for internal postage but that this is not definitely known as no full sheets at that time had been seen. However, partial sheets with sheet inscriptions are now known to exist that confirm the sheet format and ‘CORREOS inscription.
Partial sheet of the 1897 40c dark violet issue with inscription confirming the sheet format of 100 stamps and intended ‘CORREOS’ usage.
The London Philatelist (in July 1897) recorded that similar to the new 40c and 80c issues received by Cuba, that the two values had also been supplied to the Philippines. The Madrid Filatelico (June 1897) similary reports the issue of a 40c dark violet stamp. Peterson (PPJ 2006-4) reported the discovery of a 40c stamp with a postmark dated 26 April 1897 which suggest that the 40c issue was issued on or before this date.
The Madrid Filatelico (November 1898) report that 20,000 stamps were issued and this is repeated in Galvez (1951) and by Harradine (1987).
The clichés for this printing appear to have been created from a new or altered die resulting in clichés with a marked break in the oval frame between the 12 o’clock and 1 o‘clock positions (i.e. cliché type V).
Characteristic detail of cliche type V
Shade varieties of the 40c dark violet
Edifil: #129 deep violet ‘violeta oscuro’ (1897)
Scott: #179 dark violet (1897)
SG: #205 deep purple (1897)
Anon, 1897. New Issues. London Philatelist vol 6 no 67 (July), p225.
Peterson, D. 2006. Earliest Reported Postmark for the 1897 Issues. Philippine Philatelic Journal, vol 28, no. 4, pp 18.
Palmer, M. 2015. Cliché types in the Babyhead Issues. Philippine Philatelic Journal, vol 37 no. 1, pp 32-34.
Postal Usage
Used examples are not common
Catalogue
Postal Issues
Newspaper Issues