Sale 1139 — U.S. Treasures of Philately from The Irwin Weinberg Inventory
Sale Date — Wednesday, 9 November, 2016
Category — Philiipines, Bureau of Insular Affairs
PHILIPPINES, 1907, 1c-$5.00 Philippines Overprints, Bureau of Insular Affairs Special Printing (226SP, 228SP-240SP, J1SP-J7SP). Blocks of four, lightly hinged, deep rich colors on bright paper, few minor imperfections to be expected including few minor perf separations or toned spots, $5.00 separated along horizontal perfs and rejoinedFINE-VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A REMARKABLE SET OF BLOCKS OF THE 1907 BUREAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS SPECIAL PRINTING. ONE OF THE GREATEST RARITIES OF PHILIPPINES PHILATELY.
Little is known about these special printings. An article in a 1938 edition of The Philatelic Gazette reproduces a letter from the War Department's Bureau of Insular Affairs regarding an inquiry into these special printings. The letter notes that "In May 1907, the bureau had printed one hundred sets of each denomination of stamps formerly used in the Philippines -- that is United States stamps surcharged across their face with the word 'Philippines'. These stamps were printed at the suggestion of the United States Post Office Department for the purpose of supplying requests, which were then frequent, for specimen Philippine stamps. Of the one hundred sets printed, seventy-five were delivered to the Post Office Department for distribution, and I am unable to say whether that department now has any of them". According to the article, the 75 sets received by the Post Office department were turned over, intact, to the National Postal Museum.
Scott Retail as singles.
