Mexico

Ocho reales green.

Mexico is located in the state of Mexico. It was the largest postal district, based on the number of stamps used, and the largest by total value of all stamps used. The average cost of the stamps used was 1.90 reales. Mexico City had about 200,000 inhabitants in 1861.

Mexico had 3 sub-offices: Rio Frio, Tacubaya and Tlalpam.

The following consignments were made according to Chapman:
  Day Month Year Invoice # Medio Un Dos Cuatro Ocho
Sent 20 4 1861 142 180 1200 2660 480 240
Sent 22 4 1861 143 180        
Sent 23 4 1861 144 360 2400 3420 480 360
Sent 1 5 1861 152   1600 400    
Sent 2 5 1861 153     2850   120
Sent 10 5 1861 160   1200 2660    
Sent 11 5 1861 162 1200 1600 1900 180  
Sent 27 5 1861 166 120 600 1330 180 120
Sent 1 6 1861 173 180   2280    
Sent 7 6 1861 177 120 800 380    
Sent 10 6 1861 178 300 1000 2660 120  
Sent 14 6 1861 192   200 190 180  
Sent 17 6 1861 194 240 1000 2280 240 120
Sent 28 6 1861 202 120 1200 1520 180 180
Sent 3 7 1861 204 180 600 1900    
Sent 13 7 1861 207 120 600 760    
Sent 17 7 1861 208 600 1600 1900 240 60
Sent 26 7 1861 211   1000 1520 240 240
Sent 5 8 1861 213 180 1000 950   60
Sent 10 8 1861 215 180 1000 950    
Sent 16 8 1861 219 180 1200 1330 120 120
Sent 24 8 1861 222   1000 1900 240 240
Sent 3 9 1861 225 180 1200 1520 60  
Sent 7 9 1861 228       120 120
Sent 12 9 1861 229 240 1200 1900 60 120
Sent 23 9 1861 233 300 1000 2850 300 300
Sent 3 10 1861 236   1000 1330    
Sent 10 10 1861 240 360 1600 1520 120 120
Sent 23 10 1861 245   1200 2280 240 240
Sent 5 11 1861 249 180 800 760 60 60
Sent 11 11 1861 250 180 800 760 60  
Sent 16 11 1861 252 120 1200 1140 120 120
Sent 23 11 1861 256 240 1000 1900 240 240
Sent 3 12 1861 257 180 1000 1140 120  
Sent 10 12 1861 258 180 1000 1140   60
Sent 17 12 1861 263 120 800 950 180 120
Sent 23 12 1861 264 240 1000 2280 120 180
Sent 4 1 1862 4   1200 1140    
Sent 6 1 1862 5   400 380    
Sent 9 1 1862 6 240 1600 1900    
Sent 16 1 1862 8 120 800 1520 120 120
Sent 23 1 1862 11 300 400 2280 300 180
Sent 1 2 1862 14 120 1200 1520    
Sent 10 2 1862 18 120 1200 1520    
Sent 17 2 1862 21 180 1200 1520    
Sent 27 2 1862 26     380 180 180
Sent 1 3 1862 28 240 1200 1140    
Sent 6 3 1862 30     570    
Sent 10 3 1862 34 120 1600 1900 60 60
Sent 17 3 1862 35 120 1600 1900 60 60
Sent 24 3 1862 36 120 400 1900 120 180
Sent 2 4 1862 38 120 1200 2280 120 60
Sent 10 4 1862 42 180 1200 1520 60  
Sent 16 4 1862 45 180 1200 1900    
Sent 23 4 1862 49 300 400 2280 240 240
Sent 29 4 1862 50   400 570    
Sent 1 5 1862 51   1200 1900    
Sent 12 5 1862 52 180 1200 1520    
Sent 17 5 1862 54 300 1000 1900 60 60
Sent 26 5 1862 56   800 2280 240 240
Sent 3 6 1862 58 300 1000 2280    
Sent 9 6 1862 64 120 1200 1520 120 120
Sent 18 6 1862 68   1600 1900 120  
Sent 25 6 1862 70 300 1000 1900 300 300
Sent 3 7 1862 73   1200 1900    
Sent 9 7 1862 76 180 1200 1900 120 180
Sent 16 7 1862 79 300   1795 120  
Sent 23 7 1862 84 240 1200 2280 240 300
Sent 31 7 1862 88 94 289 326    
Sent 1 8 1862 89 180 1600 2280    
Sent 11 8 1862 95 300 1000 1900 240 240
Sent 16 8 1862 98   1200 1900 120  
Sent 26 8 1862 100 252 1417 2036 293 331
Sent 1 9 1862 104 300 1000 2280    
Sent 10 9 1862 109 120 1000 2280 120 120
Sent 18 9 1862 113 120 1200 1520 60  
Sent 25 9 1862 117 120 400 2280 180 180
Sent 1 10 1862 120 240 1000 1900    
Sent 9 10 1862 122 300 1700 2650 240 180
Sent 16 10 1862 124 300 1004 1900    
Sent 24 10 1862 129 120 1200 2280 180 120
Sent 30 10 1862 131 120 1000 1520 150  
Sent 5 11 1862 136 180 1200 1140    
Sent 10 11 1862 137 300 1000 1900    
Sent 19 11 1862 138   1200 1520 180 240
Sent 24 11 1862 142 176 1066 1951 251 180
Sent 2 12 1862 146 60 600 1900    
Sent 9 12 1862 150 120 1200 2090 120 120
Sent 18 12 1862 155 140 1300 1960 120 160
Sent 27 12 1862 160 300 1000 1900 480 180
Sent 5 1 1863 1   1200 1520    
Sent 12 1 1863 8   1000 1520    
Sent 16 1 1863 9 180 1000 1520    
Sent 24 1 1863 11   1200 2280   120
Sent 3 2 1863 18 360 1000 2280 120 120
Sent 9 2 1863 20 120 1200 1140    
Sent 17 2 1863 28 300 1000 1900 240 120
Sent 26 2 1863 31   1000 1140    
Sent 3 3 1863 34 300 1000 2280    
Sent 10 3 1863 42   800 760 120 120
Sent 17 3 1863 46 300 1000 1900    
Sent 23 3 1863 48 180 1200 950 300 180
Sent 6 4 1863 51 120 400 380    
Sent 10 4 1863 53 180 800 950 60 60
Sent 18 4 1863 54 300 1000 1900 300 300
Sent 23 4 1863 56   1000 380 60 60
Sent 2 5 1863 57 120 1000 1900 180 180
Sent 14 5 1863 63 180 600 570    
Sent 18 5 1863 65 300 1000 1900 120 120
Sent 23 5 1863 69   600 950 180 120
Sent 7 6 1863 1 90 270 415    
Sent 8 6 1863 2       60 60
Sent 11 6 1863 3   400 760 120 120
Sent 12 6 1863 4 3 56      
Sent 17 6 1863 6   400 570    
Sent 23 6 1863 8   400 1140 120 120
Sent 1 7 1863 10   400 760 120  
Sent 9 7 1863 12   400 1140 480 60
Sent 13 7 1863 15   400 570 120 120
Sent 16 7 1863 17   400 950 120  
Sent 24 7 1863 21   1600 1900 240 240
Sent 3 8 1863 22   200 950    
Sent 9 8 1863 25   800 1140 360 180
Sent 12 8 1863 27     380 120  
Sent 16 8 1863 28   400 950 120  
Sent 21 8 1863 31   200 570 120  
Sent 24 8 1863 34   600 570 120 180
Sent 27 8 1863 35   800 1140   60
Sent 2 9 1863 36   600 1140 60  
Sent 9 9 1863 40   1000 1140 360 180
Sent 12 9 1863 42     570 120 120
Sent 18 9 1863 44     1140    
Sent 23 9 1863 45   400 1520 360 360
Sent 1 10 1863 49   800 760    
Sent 8 10 1863 54   200 380    
Sent 9 10 1863 55   800 1140 240  
Sent 13 10 1863 56   400 570 60  
Sent 17 10 1863 57     1140    
Sent 23 10 1863 59   800 1520 480 480
Sent 2 11 1863 61   1600 1520    
Sent 9 11 1863 62   600 1140 360  
Sent 16 11 1863 69     1140 120  
Sent 23 11 1863 72   1200 1520 240 240
Sent 28 11 1863 76     570 60  
Sent 1 12 1863 78   1600 1900 60  
Sent 10 12 1863 81 60   1520 480 240
Sent 14 12 1863 83   800 760 120  
Sent 16 12 1863 85     1900 120 60
Sent 23 12 1863 87   1000 1520 360 180
Sent 28 12 1863 90     760    
Sent 31 12 1863 91   200 190    
Sent 1 1 1864 1   2000 1900 120 60
Sent 9 1 1864 7     1900 360 240
Sent 14 1 1864 11     760    
Sent 16 1 1864 12   800 1900 240 120
Sent 23 1 1864 17   1200 2850 480 240
Sent 1 2 1864 20   2000 1900 60  
Sent 9 2 1864 22   800 2280 480 240
Sent 15 2 1864 27     380 60  
Sent 16 2 1864 29   1000 1520 300 60
Sent 20 2 1864 33   1000 950    
Sent 24 2 1864 38   800 1900 360 240
Sent 1 3 1864 39   800 2660    
Sent 7 3 1864 43   400 380    
Sent 9 3 1864 46   980 3040 323 180
Sent 15 3 1864 49   400 380    
Sent 17 3 1864 52   1600 2850   240
Sent 24 3 1864 53   1600 3040   240
Sent 1 4 1864 57   800 3420    
Sent 9 4 1864 63   1200 3420   180
Sent 16 4 1864 67   1600 3800   300
Sent 23 4 1864 69   2000 2660   120
Sent 1 5 1864 72   400 3420   60
Sent 5 5 1864 76   800      
Sent 9 5 1864 77   800 3420   360
Total Sent       175 18275 150682 268033 20277 15251
Returned         -682 -11581 -10749 -1148 -712
Total Used 447646     175 17593 139101 257284 19129 14539
Distribution         3.93% 31.07% 57.47% 4.27% 3.25%
Distribution vs. all stamps         9.08% 17.10% 27.86% 18.37% 23.10%

According to Roberto Liera (Mexicana, April 1996, "The High Value Stamps of the 1861 Issue"), the distribution of the cuatro and ocho reales stamps was approximately
2,040 cuatro reales black on yellow (7,316?)
17,210 cuatro reales dull rose on yellow (11,813?)
1,140 ocho reales black on brown (5,108?)
13,664 ocho reales green on brown (9,431?)
These numbers appear to be wrong somehow (new estimates in parenthesis). Don't take them too literally.

Mexico introduced at least four overprints around 1861: 13 by 2 mm, solid serif, without dots.
14 by 2¼ mm, solid serif, without dots.
15½ by 2½ mm, italic solid serif, without dots.
16 by 2½ mm, hollow type, without dots reading MEXICOO.
Several other overprints are common, for example a solid sans-serif (block type)
They are generally nicely struck.

On average, the stamps have normal margins for the issue.

Forgeries from Mexico exist. A MEPSI certificate is recommended.

 

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