SPANISH PHILIPPINES - FIRST ISSUES OF 1854 - 1 REAL, Bright Blue (Position 36)



1-Real Fuerte: RE-ENGRAVED, Worn Coarse Shading
(Scott #4; Edifil #3) Used. Bright Blue. Position 36.



Nice used example of the 1-Real Fuerte value of the Philippines first issues of 1854.  The pen cancellation indicates that this stamp was likely used as a revenue, instead of postally.  The pen cancellation probably cancelled multiple copies of this stamp affixed onto a document.

V-PEX 1945 - CELEBRATING THE END OF WORLD WAR II... WITH STAMPS !

Philippines, Scott 461, with V-PEX black exhibition overprint

I find it somewhat hard to believe that only a few months after the end of World War II that the Philippine Philatelic Club (PPC) held a stamp exhibition in Manila.  Keep in mind that Manila was reportedly the second most devastated city during the war (after Warsaw, Poland).  But as we probably know, philatelists are a unique group of people, and philatelists celebrate events in unique ways... why not a philatelic exhibition to celebrate the end of Japanese Occupation and unconditional VICTORY!

The VICTORY PHILATELIC EXHIBITION, or V-PEX, was held in Manila on October 20-22, 1945 to celebrate the end of the war. Since no exhibition labels were readily available, a number of sheets of Philippines Scott 461 were made available to the shows sponsors to be overprinted locally. 


Philippines, Scott 461, plate #145417 single, with V-PEX red/black exhibition overprint



The PPC obtained permission to overprint Scott 461 to be given out at the exhibition as souvenirs.  These were overprinted with "PPC VPEX, Oct. 20.21.22, 19  45,  To, Commemorate, First Anniv., Leyte D-Day".  The alignment of the lines, letters, and fonts varied.  This overprint is found in Red, Black, and it appears a mixture of Red/Black (appears a very dark Red).  Red is the most common overprint. 

Some sheets were overprinted with both Red and Black overprints on the same stamp, sometimes with one of the overprints inverted, but these appear to be trial printings, and are scarce.  

These overprints were explicitly not valid for postage, but only allowed to be used at this exhibition.



Philippines, Scott UX23a postal card with VICTORY overprint (variety with "IC" of "VICTORY"close together), with black handstamp V-PEX exhibition cachet and blue-green CDS dated October 20, 1945 

An special V-PEX handstamp cachet was also used, and these are commonly found on covers and postal cards with a blue-green CDS with the date October 20, 1945, the first day of the exhibition.

SPANISH PHILIPPINES - FIRST ISSUE of 1854, 10-Cuartos. MINT. Carmine. Position 29

10-Cuartos: FINE ENGRAVING

(Scott #2; Edifil #2) 10-Cuartos. MINT. Carmine. Position 29

With original gum

Purchased from Apfelbaum, Inc. on January 16, 1996.

SCARCE THIS NICE!

"DALAGANG FILIPINA", REAL-PHOTO POSTCARDS FROM EARLY 1900s

Tonight, I'd like to share two real-photo postcards, actually studio portriats, that I purchased from an antique shop in the Intramuros during my visit to Manila in 1995.

These two photos were taken at Sun Studios in Manila, probably around the early 1900s, judging from the undivided address-side of the postcard.  Apparently, they had once been in picture frames. 

The photos are of the same lovely young lady, although I have no idea who she is.  But I love vintage photographs, especially of the Philippines and the traditional dress of the early days.   In the United States, these are hard to find.  So, I could not pass up the opportunity to add these lovely real-photo postcards to my collection.

Unfortunately, these photos appear to be disintegrating, leaving powdery residue in their plastic sleeves.  These photos were in rough shape when I purchased them in 1995, but today they seem to be more faded.  Therefore, I want to share these photos now, before she fades away forever.

POSTCARD FROM JOLO ISLAND, AUGUST 1910, "WHERE THE MOROS RUN AMUCK"



Postcard Front, "Jolo, Asturias Road, Jolo, P.I."

Postcard Rear, postmarked at Camp Stotsenberg, Pampanga, P.I., August 7, 1910



This weekend I finished reading "The Moro War" by James R. Arnold (2011).  I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in this little known conflict that lasted from 1902 to 1913 in the southern regions of the Philippines, in Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, or as it was commonly referred to by Americans at the time, "Moroland". 

This conflict should not be confused with the Filipino-American War of 1899-1902.  The Moro War, sometimes called the Moro Insurgency, was the first time that America battled a hostile Muslim population in its efforts to annex, pacify, and assimilate the people of the Philippines.

After reading this book, I re-examined my Philippine postcard/postal history collection, and found a few items that now had greater meaning to me.

The first item I would like to share is a postcard from George Piver, postmarked at Camp Stotsenberg, Pampanga, P.I., on August 7, 1910.    (Camp Stotsenberg later became Clark Air Base.)  It is addressed to a Miss E.F. Piver in West Oakland, California (which is actually only a short distance from where I live).

This postcard shows American soldiers standing across the Asturias Road in Jolo Island, Sulu Archipelago, Philippines.  Jolo is a volcanic island, which lies at the center of the Sulu Archipelago. The Sulu Archipelago is an island chain in the Southwest Philippines between Mindanao and Borneo. There are numerous volcanoes and craters around Jolo, two craters which became sites for key battles, at Bud Dajo in March 1906 and Bud Bagsak in June 1913.

The message reads, "Lonesome.  Write soon. Letter with these + Picture of a southern island where the Moros run amuck."  As James Arnold wrote in his book, "The Moro War", the term "to run amuck", in the language of that period, referred to a Muslim suicide attack, or "juramentado attack". 

Similar to todays's suicide bomber in Afghanistan or Iraq, the juramentado's goal was to simply kill as many Christians as possible before dying.  And like a bomb, the juramentado, wielding his razor-sharp and fearsome kris or barong, attacked with sudden and unbelievable speed.  And like today's suicide bomber, often innocent Muslim bystanders were caught in the carnage that erupted. 

The pictured Asturias Road was the site of several juramentado attacks on American soldiers, as described in this book.  These attacks occured throughout this period in Jolo, lessening after the Moro defeat at Bud Bagsak in 1913.