The 1868 Issue of Mexico

This is an uncompleted exhibit of the 1868 issue of Mexico. I was constructing this exhibit to be a 10 or 12 frame 1868 exhibit. At the same time I exhibited an 1868 thin figure exhibit to see if I was going to enjoy exhibiting. I didn't. So now this is the only venue where this exhibit will be shown. Enjoy it for what it is.

It strikes me that collectors will get a bigger kick out of seeing their collections exhibited than other people will. So, almost apologetically, I present the 1868 issue the way that I believe outlines the issue and its usage during the period, September 8, 1868 to March/April 1872. When presenting the 1868 issue, or most classic Mexican issues for that matter, it is impossible to present it without also presenting the Mexican geography. From Mexico City stamps were distributed first to main offices, there were 40, and from the main offices stamp stock was distributed to suboffices. For the most part, these offices and suboffices can be determined by the cancels used to kill the stamps.

What is presented as a single issue is really two, perhaps more, issues using a single design. Initially the stamps printed were what is called today "thin figure stamps", which comments on the handwritten denomination on each stamp. The stamps were printed utilizing lithography and the figures of value, or denomination, were entered by hand into each position on each printing stone, or on the intermediate stone. So I have more or less separated them into these two issues initially. The thin figure issue was distributed in the years 1868 and 1869 only. The thick figure issue was distributed from 1868 to 1872.