ALFONSO XIII - BABY HEAD stamps of the PHILIPPINES
Details
Gaceta de Manila - 24 May 1889
On the 24 May 1889 the Gaceta de Manila published the Decree of the General Government of the Philippines issued 22 May 1889 and signed by the then Governor Valeriano Weyler.
The decree notes the receipt of stamps from Spain and the withdrawal of surcharged stamps from 1 August 1889.
Extract from Gaceta de Manila, 24 May 1898
Translation
|
GENERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES Treasury |
|
Manila, 22 May 1889. |
| Having received from the Peninsula [i.e Spain] the
complete additional order for stamped effects and therefore the
use of different authorized stamps that have been put on sale to
cover the shortages of those that do not exist, is now
unnessary, in accordance with what is proposed by the
Intendencia de Hacienda [the Treasury Department], I come
to decree the following: |
| Article 1. As of next 1st August all stamps of any kind in which there is [an overprinted?] stamp or any stamp with authorization seal will be removed from circulation with absolute prohibition of being admitted as current. |
| Article 2. The exchange of these effects that exsit in the possession of individuals, will be verified precisely in the Central stores until 31 July of the current year. |
| Article 3. The General Adminstration of the Treasury will arrange for the collection of the stamps that exist in circulation with the conditions expressed inthe 1st article, supplying, of course, all provincial administrations and sotres with stamped effects of those recently received from the Peninsula, so that the service does not suffer nor does the public suffer any harm for this reason. |
| Publish it, report it to the Overseas Ministry and for other
purposes, return to the Treasure Department. |
| Weyler. |
The Decree implies that an earlier decree had indicated it necessary to surcharge and make available for postage certain stamps.
It is interesting to note that Palmer (1912) mentions a Royal Decree of 22 March 1889 directing that no surcharged stamps should be issued for any purpose after 1 August if that year. Palmer suggested that it was probably contemplated that the forthcoming issue of the Babyhead issue would be ready by that date.
Le Timbre-Poste (1889) and Hanciau (1905) report a notice (possibly issued June or July 1889?) which makes makes reference to the same decree but suggests the date of withdrawal was 10 August with the following translation:
"By a Decree date 22 May 1889 the Governor General decided that the stamps with the surcharge Habilitado should be admitted for the franking of letters and telegrams up to 10 August (1889). We remind the public that all letters deposited after that date in post offcies or in the letter boxes and bearing Habilitado stamps will not be forwarded".
It is not stated which stamps had been received in May 1889 although three Newspaper and 1c stamps of Alfonso XII are reported as being issued 1 May 1889 and are likely to have been part of the expected order possibly together with additional stocks of existing denominations
Alfonso XII stamps issued 1 May 1889
Examples of Habilitado surcharged stamps permitted for postal use prior to 1 August 1889
Bartels et al (1905) notes a decree from the General Governor dated 21 December 1887) permitting the surcharging of these stamps for tax puproses and a later decree of 30 March 1889 permitting the use of the stamps for mail and telegraph usage (which was ratified by Royal Order of 7 June 1889).
last updated 20 October 2024