PhilippinesFirst Postage Stamp

Spain’s first stamp for the Antilles

Issued on 24 April 1855, this was the first adhesive postage stamp produced for Spain’s Caribbean possessions. Often grouped under the name “Spanish West Indies”, these stamps were intended primarily for use in Cuba and Puerto Rico. The design is unmistakably mid-19th century Spain: Queen Isabella II in profile, facing right, framed by a beaded circle. The first issue comprised three denominations, ½ real, 1 real, and 2 reales. In 1856, the 1 and 2 reales were temporarily used in the Philippines during a shortage of local supplies. A small but fascinating postal crossover within the Spanish Empire. This issue is widely forged. One somewhat reliable detail is the pearl count, where genuine examples show exactly 73 pearls in the circular frame around Isabella’s head. Many forgeries miscount them. Others reveal themselves through a stark white eye or an exaggerated chin that starts to look almost caricatural once you’ve handled a few originals. Elegant in design and rich in imperial postal history, with its share of forgery traps.