Philately of Spain: Varieties of Postage Stamps

January – March 1850. Queen Isabella II.

TYPES
6 cuartos
Spain 1850 postage stamp Queen Isabella II 6 cuartos type II
Type II		 Type I:

  • letters T and O in CUARTOS separated.

Type II:

  • letters T and O in CUARTOS connected by a dot.

1856/59. Queen Isabella II.

TYPES
4 cuartos, paper without watermark
Spain postage stamp Queen Isabella II 4 cuartos type III Type I:

  • regular stamp.

Type II:

  • dot on the left frame,
  • additional white lines on the neck.

Type II:

  • two white dots on each side of the medallion,
  • the right outer frame is broken at the top.
Type I Type II Type III

January – June 1865. Queen Isabella II.

TYPES
4 cs.
Spain 1865 postage stamp Queen Isabella II 4 cuartos type I
Type I		 Spain 1865 postage stamp Queen Isabella II 4 cuartos type II
Type II		 Type I:

  • letter S in CS. thick.

Type II:

  • letter S in CS. thin.

January 1873. King Amadeo I.

TYPES
10 c.
Spain 1873 postage stamp Amadeo type I
Type I		 Spain 1873 postage stamp Amadeo type II
Type II		 Type I:

  • the top frame of the right denomination box consists of a solid line.

Type II:

  • The right denomination box is broken at the top.

October 1874. Coat of arms.

TYPES
10 c.

Type I
Type II
Type III		 Type I:

  • numeral 10 thin and large.

Type II:

  • same as type I, 1 and 0 wider apart,
  • numeral 1 closer to the left frame of the tablet.

Type III:

  • numeral 10 small and thick.

1922/30. Definitive issue. Alfonso XIII.

TYPES
2 cs.

Type I
Type II		 Type I:

  • the bottom right point of numeral 2 long and sharp.

Type II:

  • the horizontal stroke of numeral 2 rounded.
10 cs.

Type I
Type II		 Type I:

  • numeral 10 slightly smaller,
  • light green color.

Type II:

  • numeral 10 larger,
  • dark green color.
15 cs.

Type I		 Spain postage stamp Alfonso XIII 15 cs type II
Type II		 Type I:

  • numeral 15 small.

Type II:

  • numeral 15 larger, base of numeral 1 more elaborate, thickening of numeral 5 confined by a straight vertical line.
25 cs.

Type I		 Spain postage stamp Alfonso XIII 25 cs type II
Type II		 Type I:

  • numeral 25 short,
  • the horizontal stroke of numeral 2 short.

Type II:

  • numeral 25 larger,
  • the horizontal stroke of numeral 2 longer.
COINCIDENTAL VARIETIES
25 cs.
1 Perforation error.

1930/31. Definitive issue. Alfonso XIII.

TYPES
40 c.
Spain postage stamp Alfonso XIII 40 centimos type I
Type I		 Spain postage stamp Alfonso XIII 40 centimos type II
Type II		 Type I:

  • the horizontal stroke of the numeral 4 short,
  • numeral 4 inaccurately carved at the top (white line above numeral 4).

Type II:

  • horizontal stroke of numeral 4 long,
  • numeral 4 separated from the oval frame.

1936/50. Definitive issues. Various motives, state name: ESTADO ESPAÑOL.

TYPES
Numerals: 1 c
Type I:

  • printed in letterpress,
  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS
  • denomination: CENTIMO.
 Type II:

  • printed in letterpress,
  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS
  • denomination: CÉNTIMO.
 Type III:

  • printed in letterpress,
  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS
  • denomination: CÈNTIMO.
 Type IV:

  • no inscription below the frame,
  • printed in:
  • letterpress,
  • offset
Numerals: 2 c El Cid: 10 c
Type I:

  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS,
  • printed in letterpress,
  • perforations line 10¾:11 or 11½:11.
 Type II:

  • no inscription below the frame,
  • printed in:
  • letterpress (perforation line 10¾:11),
  • offset (perforation comb 11¼).
 Type I:

  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS,
  • printed in letterpress in red and green colors,
  • perforations line 10¾:11 or 11½:11.
 Type II:

  • no inscription below the frame,
  • printed only in red color in:
  • letterpress (perforation line 10¾:11),
  • offset (perforations comb 11¼ or 13¼).
El Cid: 5 c
Type I:

  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS about 10 mm long,
  • printed in letterpress,
  • perforations line 10¾:11 or 11½:11.
 Type II:

  • inscription below frame: (LIT.) HIJA DE B. FOURNIER – BURGOS about 15 mm long,
  • printed in letterpress,
  • perforations line 10¾:11 or 11½:11.
 Type III:

  • no inscription below the frame,
  • printed in:
  • letterpress (perforation line 10¾:11),
  • offset (perforations comb 11¼ or 13¼).
El Cid: 15 c
Type I:

  • denomination larger, line over numeral 5 (like on 5 cts stamp)
  • printed in letterpress,
  • perforation line 10¾:11.
 Type II:

  • denomination number smaller,
  • printed in offset, perforations comb 11¼ or 13¼.

1937/49. Definitive issue. Queen Isabella I.

TYPES
30 cts

Type I
Type II		 Type I:

  • inscription below the design: HIJA DE B.FOURNIER – BURGOS

Type iI:

  • inscription below the design: FOURNIER – BURGOS

January – March 1938. Definitive issue. King Ferdinand II.

TYPES
15 cts

Type I
Type II		 Type I:

  • inscription below the design: FOURNIER.VITORIA

Type II:

  • inscription below the design: LIT. FOURNIER.VITORIA
15 cts

Type I
Type II		 Type I:

  • inscription below the design: FOURNIER.VITORIA

Type II:

  • inscription below the design: LIT. FOURNIER.VITORIA

1939/53. Definitive issue. Francisco Franco.

TYPES
25 cts
Type I:

  • vertical shading lines fill the denomination box.

Type II:

  • vertical shading lines in the denomination box are shorter, white outline is well visible.

Type II:

  • denomination number tilted to the right.
40 cts
Spain postage stamp Francisco Franco 40 cts type II Type I:

  • shading lines in denomination box coarse.

Type II:

  • denomination box lightly shaded,
  • letters CTS touching the bottom frame.

Type III:

  • shading lines in the denomination box are well-defined.
60 cts
Spain postage stamp Francisco Franco 60 cts type I Spain postage stamp Francisco Franco 60 cts type II Type I:

  • denomination box fused to the rest of the design.

Type II:

  • white outline around the denomination box, clearly separating it from the rest of the design.
1 peseta
Type I:

  • denomination abbreviation: PTA.

Type II:

  • denomination abbreviation: PTS.

25 October 1981. Centenary from the birth of Pablo Picasso.

TYPES
200 pta
Type I:

  • letters No. in control number in sans-serif lettering.

Type II:

  • letters No. in control number in script lettering.

References

Bibliography

  1. Michel West- und Mitteleuropa 2005/2006, Schwaneberger Verlag GmbH, ISBN 3-87858-681-7.
  2. Scott 2007 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Volume 6, Scott Publishing Co.

External links

  1. Catálogo Unificado EDIFIL de sellos de España y Depencias Postiales, 2009, SCRIBD.