SPANISH PHILIPPINES - 1 REAL ISSUES OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH 1863

1 REAL ISSUE OF FEBRUARY 1863
(Philippines Scott #18var, SG #24, Edifil #15) MINT. Grey Green.
SCARCE

There were two printings of this issue.  This is from the first printing in February 1863.  A total of 7,000 stamps were printed in grey-green. Printed on smooth, thick, white to yellowish paper. The impressions are generally sharper and clearer than the later March 1863 printing (see below).

1 REAL ISSUE OF MARCH 1863
(Philippines Scott #18var, SG #23, Edifil #15a) MINT. Grey Green.
SCARCE

This is from the second printing of this issue in March 1863.  These impressions are generally poor, owing to the ink being too liquid.  Notice the blurred appearance of the bottom legend "1 RL PLATA F.". A total of 5,000 stamps of this second printing were issued.

PHILIPPINES JAPANESE OCCUPATION HANDSTAMPED "K.P." OFFICIAL BUSINESS ON SCOTT N4

This is a scarce example of Philippine Japanese Occupation 5-centavos Provisional Regular Issue, First Overprinting (thick top bar), Scott N4, issued September 1, 1942, with a handstamped violet "K.P." and Japanese "Koyo" for Official Business mail.

Although Eugene A. Garrett's book, "A Postal History of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines, 1942-1945", shows many examples of handstamped "K.P." and "O.B." markings applied during the occupation, it is unclear to me which office may have applied this handstamp.  I welcome suggestions.  Still, an interesting and scarce stamp.