SpainFirst Postage Stamp

A queen on every letter

On 1 January 1850, Spain issued its first stamps just weeks after a royal decree, a set of five all bearing the portrait of Queen Isabella II of Spain. The Araña cancel followed almost immediately, first used in Madrid in February before spreading nationwide, a radiating web-like grid designed to protect the portrait while remaining visually distinctive, and now one of the most appealing cancellations for collectors. Yet it was often removable, so it had to be replaced by the heavier Parrilla, then oily inks. Part of a five-value first issue series, the 6 cuartos black shown here sits at the core. Margins are tight, around ¾ mm, so full margins matter more than they seem. It exists in two types, with the “T” and “O” of CUARTOS either separated or touching, and appears in shades from deep black to pale grey. Forgeries are part of the story. Seguí, Fournier, Sperati, and later Peter Winter all produced them. Seguí forgeries are often uncancelled, so caution is needed when "valuable" unused examples appear. He forged all five values of the set. On genuine 6 cuartos, the background pattern extends below the “6” into the vertical white line, and small black lines can be seen penetrating that white line beneath "6 CUARTOS", though some forgeries attempt to replicate these details. Some examples were punch-holed for telegraph use and are usually less desirable. The design was not reused, and later Spanish issues moved to typography, making this first issue unique and easy to distinguish from later issues.