A compilation of subject-specific articles which
mention the 1898 La Union provisional surcharged stamps held in the
Spanish-Philippine Annotated Philatelic Bibliography, compiled 2 February 2025.
The compilation does not include where the subject
is mentioned in more general catalogues or in auction catalogues.
American Journal of Philately. (1902a). An Elaborate Swindle. The American Journal of Philately, vol 15 no. 8, pp. 223-225. (1 August 1902).
Report and translation of a document regarding the provisional issue
of postage stamps in San Fernando in June 1898. The Journal reports receipt of
stamps sent from Europe, but on examining the stamps they considered them
fraudulent and part of an elaborate scheme to swindle collectors. [Note that
these “Luzon Provisional” stamps are accepted as being genuine today]. The
account lists the examples that were provided.
The evidence provided to support the conclusion that they were
fraudulent, was that on some stamps the surcharges which had been applied to
Cuban stamps with the labels removed, the Cuban stamps being cheap compared to
those of the Philippines.
The Journal does acknowledge that there may be some genuine
provisionals among the stamps, but advises collectors to steer clear until more
reliable evidence is sourced.
[This article is one reason
why catalogues and collectors had largely ignored these stamps, they are
mentioned by Palmer (1938)].
American Philatelist. (1938a). Philippine 1898 provisional discovered. The American Philatelist, vol 51 no 7, p664. (WN 447, April 1938).
Description and illustration of a cover featuring the
1898 Luzon surcharges. An update is provided in the American Philatelist (1938b).
American Philatelist. (1938b). More on Philippine 1898 provisional. The American Philatelist, vol 51 no 11, p1094. (WN 451, August 1938).
Update to the American Philatelist (1938a) and
account from Philatelic Notes and Offers (James) providing supplementary information on the 1898 Luzon
surcharges.
Ami des Timbres. (1901a). Chronique du mois. [Monthly chronicle]. L’ Ami des Timbres, vol 29 no 328, p1009. (April 1901). (in French).
Report of overprinted stamps that arrived in Paris about a year ago overprinted “La Union” and a translation of the official document which describes the reason for, and the surcharges produced.
Ami des Timbres. (1901b). Chronique du mois. [Monthly chronicle]. L’ Ami des Timbres, vol 29 no 329, p1013. (May 1901). (in French).
Catalogue of the 1898 La Union surcharged stamps on blank paper
(additional stamps are reported in Ami des
Timbres, 1901c and 1901d).
Ami des Timbres. (1901c). Chronique du mois. [Monthly chronicle]. L’ Ami des Timbres, vol 29 no 331, p1021. (July 1901). (in French).
Updates Ami des Timbres, 1901b with unreported issues of the 1898 La Union surcharges on
stamps (additional stamps are reported in Ami
des Timbres, 1901d).
Ami des Timbres. (1901d). Chronique du mois. [Monthly chronicle]. L’ Ami des Timbres, vol 29 no 335, pp. 1037-1038. (November 1901). (in French).
Updates Ami des Timbres, 1901c with further issues of the 1898 La Union surcharges on
stamps.
Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste. (1906a). Tribunaux – Affaire de timbres dit de ‘La Union’. [Courts – The case of the so-called “La Union” stamps]. Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste no 306, pp. 117-119. (in French).
Report of a case where Mr
Maury and two other parties were sued for giving an unfavourable opinion on the
so called La Union stamps (which are illustrated) with a summary of the
judgement provided. The judgement mentions 181 different types and notes the
reasons for the case being rejected.
Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste. (1906b). Les timbres dit de ‘La Union’. [The so-called “La Union” stamps]. Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste no 308, pp. 161-168. (in French).
Maury’s account responding to
reader’s questions and comments regarding the court case involving the so
called stamps of La Union. An account is provided regarding the history of
these overprinted stamps. One of the covers used as evidence is reproduced together
with a discussion of its details.
Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste. (1906c). Chronique universelle. [Universal chronicle]. Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste no 312, pp. 309-310. (in French).
Cuba: report of that the
revolutionary party celebrated its arrival at Cienfuegos by an issue of stamps.
The concluding paragraph of the letter expresses the somewhat ominous hope that
the stamps would not suffer the same fate as the stamps of ‘La Union’.
Der Philatelist. (1901). Neues fur den sammler. [News for the collector]. Der Philatelist, vol 22 no 8, pp. 233-234. (15 August 1901). (in German).
Account for Ami des Timbres (1901a) based on a decree of 1 June 1898 surcharged stamps
supposedly issued in San Fernando. A list of the La Union surcharges is
provided ‘for the sake of curiosity’. Der Philatelist considers these
fraudulent.
Encarnacion, E. (1986). National philatelic treasures. Philippine Philatelic News, vol 8 (Special Edition) pp. 23-46.
Discussion on items that would
be good to be included in the National Postal Museum in Manila. Includes
illustrations of covers and documents from the Spanish-Philippine periods.
Galvez, M. (1950a). Comment and Reply: (Philippine local postage stamps of 1898). The Philippine Journal of Philately, vol 2 no 3, pp. 40-42. (January-February 1950). (in Spanish).
Letter regarding the series of
articles on
the articles of 1949 on the La Union provisional stamps by Warren (1949a-d).
Griffin, R. (1971a). Phun with the Philippines – Phabulous Phind. Western Stamp Collector (2 Jan 1971).
A description of the
supporting evidence regarding the Luzon provisional stamps, invaluable
background account. The illustrations are of low quality due to the condition
of the original article. Continued in Griffin
(1971b). Reprinted in Griffin (2004a).
Griffin, R. (1971b). Phun with the Philippines – Phabulous Phind (Part 2). Western Stamp Collector (5 Jan 1971).
Second part of Grifin (1971a) on the
Luzon provisional stamps reprinted in Griffin
(2004a).
Griffin, R. (2004a). Phun with the Philippines – Phabulous Phind. Philippine Philatelic Journal vol 26 no 1 pp. 5-11.
Reprint of Griffin (1971a, 1971b). A
description of the supporting evidence regarding the Luzon provisional stamps,
invaluable background account. The illustrations are of low quality due to the
condition of the original article.
Harradine, P. (1976a). The “La Union” surcharges.
Philippine Philatelic Society Journal, vol 2 no 2, p19. (December 1976).
A description of the La Union
surcharges, noting new discoveries which could mean that there are 233
examples. Mention of James Victor’s collection.
Harradine, P. (1979). Those
La Union issues.
Philippine Philatelic Society Journal, vol 4 no 2&3, pp. 6-10.
(March-June 1979).
A summary of the comments and
discussion around Meyer (1977) and Meyer (1978) arguments for and against the
La Union stamps.
Jacob, N. (1983). Spanish Philippines 1854-1898 from the collection of Nestor Jacob. unpublished photocopy, 211pp. compiled by Linda Stanfield, April 1983. (in Spanish).
Photocopies of Nestor Jacob’s extensive collection. It includes
complete and reconstructed sheets of the 1854 issue. The scans are of low
quality but provide a useful reference for provenance on many covers and larger
blocks. Archived in six parts:
·
Part
6 – Alfonso XIII (47pp).
Maury, A. (1906). Les timbres dit de ‘La Union’. [The so-called “La Union” stamps]. Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste no 308, pp. 161-168.
Maury’s account responding to
reader’s questions and comments regarding the court case involving the
so-called stamps of La Union. An account is provided regarding the history of
these overprinted stamps. One of the covers used as evidence is reproduced together
with a discussion of its details.
The account includes a letter
from Mr Maury’s Filipino correspondent Ricardo Reyes that Filipino collectors,
even those that held official positions in La Union believe the stamps to be
fantasy. The letter includes names of philatelists and employees of the Post
office in the Philippines at that time.
Also listed as Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste (1906b).
Meyer, P. (1977). La
Union stamps: an elaborate swindle or Phabulous Phind. Philippine Philatelic Society Journal, vol 3 no 2,
pp. 7-16. (December 1977).
An extensive review and presentation
of the arguments for and against the La Union stamps. Continued in Meyer
(1978).
Meyer,
P. (1978). La Union stamps: an elaborate swindle or Phabulous
Phind – part 2.
Philippine Philatelic Society Journal, vol 3 no 3, pp. 2-6. (March 1978).
Continuation of Meyer
(1977) on the arguments for and against the
La Union stamps. Comments on the two articles are provided in Harradine
(1979).
Palmer, F. (1938). The postal issues of The Philippines - Philatelic chaos. A.F.F (Asociacion Filtalelica de Filipinas), vol 3 no 2, pp. 5-6.
This is in part a repeat of the information provided in Palmer (1911p) and Palmer (1912). Describes
the philatelic chaos around the period July 1898 to the end of 1899 and relates
details around the so-call Zamboanga overprints on the 1898 issues surcharged
“1898 Resellado 1899”. Notes the existence of counterfeits. Also mentions the
separate forgeries described by Kohl which may
have arisen at this time. Briefly notes that Luzon Provisionals mentioned in
the American Journal of Philately (1902b) have largely been dismissed and not taken seriously.
Palmer, M.
(2023d). Overprints for La Union
provisional of 1898. Web page retrieved 11 August 2024 from Alfonso XIII
baby head stamps of the Philippines web site. https://www.babyhead.topicalphilippines.com/LaUnion/La_Union.html
Description and illustrations
of stamps with these overprints.
Philatelic Journal of Great Britain. (1902c). From other lands. The Philatelic Review of Reviews in The Philatelic Journal of Great Britain, vol 12 no 141, pp. 148-149. (30 September 1902).
Review of American Journal of Philately (1902a) regarding an elaborate swindle and the 1898 Luzon
surcharges.
Philatelic Journal of Great Britain. (1903). Philately on the continent. The Philatelic Review of Reviews in The Philatelic Journal of Great Britain, vol 13 no 150, p108. (30 June 1902).
Review of the May L’ Echo
Timbrologie regarding the 1898 Luzon
surcharges noting that it is mainly a repeat of the American Journal of Philately (1902b) article.
Postillon. (1906). Philatelie judicaire. [Judicial philately]. Le Postillon, vol 5 no 224, pp. 157-163. (8 April 1906). (in French).
A lengthy report and comment on a court case where a Mr Hidalgo sued
the company of the Catalogue officiel (Societe
Francaise de Timbrologie, 1904) who declared
the stamps as false and A Maury as importer of the stamps of La Union. Account
from the trial that Mr Hidalgo’s brother was responsible for having the stamps
executed. The judsgement is reported on pages 162-163.
Postillon. (1907b). Philatelie judicaire. [Judicial philately]. Le Postillon, vol 6 no 310, pp. 579-580. (8 December 1907). (in French).
Report and comment on the Hidalgo trial (Postillon, 1906) noting
that the stamps known as ‘La Union did not exist and were speculative
fantasies’. Note of article in Echo de la Timbrologie defending these issues, and that a further claim for
damages due to loss of value due to declarations that the stamps were false was
not upheld.
Postillon. (1910a). Timbres qui n’existent pas. [Stamps that do not exist]. Le Postillon, vol 9 no 391, pp. 125-126. (25 March 1910). (in French).
Description and illustration of the La Union surcharged stamps made
famous in-part due to the trial brought by Mt Hidalgo. Note that Hidalgo upon
loosing the claim went into exile to avoid paying the costs. Reference made to Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste (1906b).
Reyes, R. (1906). Letter to Arthur Maury, Paris dated 10 March 1905. Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste no 308, pp. 161-168.
The letter is reproduced in Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste (1906b). The letter is responding to Maury regarding a request
for information regarding the La Union overprints. Reyes provides the
information that Filipino collectors, even those that held official positions
in La Union believe the stamps to be fantasy. The letter includes names of
philatelists and employees of the Post office in the Philippines at that time.
Societe
Francaise de Timbrologie. (1905). Catalogue Officiel de la Societe Francaise de
Timbrologie Timbres-Poste et Telegraphe. [Official Catalogue of the French Society of
Timbrology Postage and Telegraph Stamps]. 2nd edition 1882pp. (pp.
1426-1448), editors Plon-Norrit, publ. Libraire Plon, Paris. (in French).
A world catalogue based on
contributions from an extensive list of French Philatelists. The first edition
of this catalogue was cause of a court case in France regarding the
classification of the Luzon provincials as false (see for example Postillon, 1906). The
Annex to the catalogue includes adverts from many French dealers based in Paris
at that time.
Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal. (1902b). New issues and varieties. Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal, vol 13 no 147, p48. (30 September 1901).
Account from American Journal of Philately
(1902a) of “an elaborate swindle” and the
supposed issue of surcharged stamps from San Fernando in June 1898. A list of
surcharged stamps is provided, but the article is very dismissive of the
validity of these stamps.
Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal. (1906). New issues and varieties. Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal, vol 17 no 196, p75. (31 October 1906).
Account from Colectionneur de
Timbres-Poste (1906c) of report of that the
Cuban revolutionary party celebrated its arrival at Cienfuegos by an issue of
stamps. The concluding paragraph of the letter expresses the somewhat ominous
hope that the stamps would not suffer the same fate as the stamps of ‘La
Union’.
Warren, A. (1949a). Philippine local postage stamps of 1898 issued by the Municipal Government of San Fernand, La Union Province. The Philippine Journal of Philately, vol 1 no 3, pp. 26-28. (January-February 1949).
First part of a series of
articles advocating that the La Union provincials are genuine. Comments on this
article were provided in a letter by Galvez
(1950) to which Warren (1950) replied.
Warren, A. (1949b). Philippine local postage stamps of 1898 (continued). The Philippine Journal of Philately, vol 1 no 4, pp. 34-35. (March-April 1949).
Continued from Warren (1949a) in a series
of articles advocating that the La Union provincials are genuine.
Warren, A. (1949c). Philippine local postage stamps of 1898 (continued). The Philippine Journal of Philately, vol 1 no 5, pp. 27-29. (May-June 1949).
Continued from Warren (1949v) in a series
of articles advocating that the La Union provincials are genuine.
Warren, A. (1949d). Philippine local postage stamps of 1898 (continued). The Philippine Journal of Philately, vol 1 no 6, pp. 21-23. (July-August 1949).
Continued from Warren (1949c) and the
conclusion in a series of articles advocating that the La Union provincials are
genuine. This copy is a reprint from Arnold’s compendium of articles on La
Union provincials and includes additional reproductions of a La Union cover,
photocopy of the San Ferando letter (from the Los Angeles philatelic library)
and copies of two sheets of stamps provide by E.A.G.
Warren, A. (1950). Comment and Reply: (Philippine local postage stamps of 1898). The Philippine Journal of Philately, vol 2 no 3, pp. 40-42. (January-February 1950).
Reply to the comments of Galvez
(1950) on the series of articles regarding
the La Union provisional stamps by Warren
(1949a-d).
Warren, A. (2003). Philippine Local Postage Stamps of 1898 Issued by the Municipal Government of San Fenando. La Union Province. Philippine Philatelic Journal, vol 25 no 3, pp. 1-11 &cover.
Reprinted from series of
accounts in the Philippine Journal of Philately
Jan-Aug 1949. Account of this issue and
description of documents validating the use. Description of surcharge types and
illustration of part of Ferarri collection and a cover.