ALFONSO XIII - BABY HEAD stamps of the PHILIPPINES
Details
Gaceta de Manila - 6 May 1891
On the 6 May 1891 the Gaceta de Manila published the Royal Decree of the Queen Regent on behalf of King Alfonso XIII as proposed by the Ministry of Overseas issued 13 March 1891. This was communciated to the Governor of the Philippines Valeriano Weyler by the Minister of Overseas, Anotonio Maria Fabie wo also issued a note for compliance dated April 22.
The background to the Royal Decree communicated here is provided on the page describing the Gaceta de Madrid published 17 March 1891. The difference is that the Gaceta de Manila included the table of new postal tarifs.
The decree modified the rates for correspondence within the Philippine Islands and Spain, the only difference being the currency in which the rates were expressed. Note - 5 Spanish peseta = 1 Philippine peso.
Extract from Gaceta de Manila, 6 May 1891
Translation
|
MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS No 203 |
|
Your excelency - On the 13th of the current month, His Majesty
the King (q. D. g.) and in his name the Queen Regent of the
Kingdom, deigned to issue the following Royal Decree: |
| At the proposal of the Overseas Minister, in agreement
with the Council of Ministers; In the name of My August Son,
KING D. Alfonso XIII, and as QUEEN Regent of the Kingdom, I come
to decree the following: |
| Article one. The postal rates in the Philippine
Islands, for correspondence addressed to the Peninsula, are
declared equal to those that govern the latter for those
destined for said islands; establishing equal amounts, although
adjusted to the relationship between the peso and the peseta.
|
| Article 2. For the interior of the
Philippine Archipelago, the same postal rates in force in the
interior of the Peninsula are also declared established, with
the relationship indicated in the previous article. Exception
from this provision is the carriage of ordinary letters, which
is set, for every fifteen grams, at 2 cents in weight. |
| Article 3. The Ministry of Overseas will be
invited to the Ministry of the Interior to arrange what is
convenient for the Peninsular Administration to establish the
postcard service to the Philippines. |
| By Royal Order I inform Your Excellency
for your information, accompanying a statement of the postal
rates comparable to those of the Peninsula that by virtue of the
Royal Decree transferred must be put into force in that
Archipelago. May God preserve Your Excellency for many years. Madrid, 16 March 1891. Fabié. Sr. Governor General of the Philippine Islands. Marila, 22 April 1891. Comply, publish and pass to the General Directorate of Civil Administration for the appropriate effects. Weyler |
The second page of th Gaceta included a table of tarifs
Translation
|
|
For the Peninsular | For the interior of the Archipelago | ||
| Weight | Postage | Weight | Postage | |
| Grammes | Pesos | Grammes | Pesos. | |
| Ordinary Letters | 15 | 0.10 | 15 | 0.02* |
| Simple postcards | 15 | 0.03 | 15 | 0.02 |
| Postcards with paid responses | 15 | 0.05 | 15 | 0.03 |
| Books, printed sheets or circulars, and business papers | 10 | 0.002 | 10 | 0.0005 |
| Medications | 20 | 0.04 | 20 | 0.01 |
| Trade samples sent loose | 20 | 0.04 | 20 | 0.01 |
| Trade samples froming a collection | 20 | 0.02 | 20 | 0.04 |
| Newspapers presented by companies and franked by means of stamps | 1000 | 0.04 | 1000 | 0.06 |
| Newspapers presented by individuals, or without letterhead |
Number items |
0.008 |
Number items |
0.02 |
| Certification for each letter or object |
Number items |
0.15 |
Number items |
0.15 |
| (*) The postage of ordinary letters for the
interior of the archipelago, equated with the postage for the
interior of the Peninsula, would be 0.03 pesos; but it is
reduced to pesos 002, because the current psotage until now in
the Philippines was pesos 0:02 4/8. Madrid, 17 December 1891. - The Head of the Bureau.- Primitive Vigil. - V. B. - The General Director. - Roda. There is a stamp that says: Ministry of Overseas. It is a copy. P. S., F. Ordax. |
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There were only a limited issue of stamps in 1891 none of which appear to have been to addressed the new rates. The 1891 issues are a complicated series to study in themselves. Although the issue of the 10c pale claret with sheet inscriptions of COMMUNICACIONES (which is actually not pale and has a clear transparent gum on thin semi-transparent paper) may have been issued to cover the new rate of ordinary letter to Spain.
On 1 July 1891 the Gaceta de Manila published the Decree of the General Government of the Philippines indicatingd that the 2 4/8c, 12 4/8c and 25c stamps were to be withdrawn due to lack of demand as a consequence of the change in postal rates. In addition that the 2c, 5c and 8c stamps previously reserved for used for postage to UGP countries could be used for postage to Spain.
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Stamps which specially intended for samples and medicines were not released until 1892. |
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The new colours of the 1892 stamps which would cover the new rates to Spain (and interior): e.g. 2c violet, 6c violet brown, 10c pale claret and 15c ultramarine all included inscriptions for Communicaciones
