2 reales, green.

Plate I emerald	Plate I olive April 16, 1857	Plate I sapphire January 19, 1857	Plate II green May 19, 1857	Plate III blue-green

Three plates were used: Plate I & II with 60 subjects arranged in 6 columns and 10 rows, and plate III with 190 subjects arranged as 19 columns and 10 rows. The stamps produced from plate III are also found on porous wove paper from 1858.

There were 13 deliveries of the 2 reales stamps from the printers. The actual number of printings is unknown. Stamps from the first two (smaller) plates are much scarcer than stamps from plate III, but scarcity can be strongly dependent on which district the stamps were used in, since some districts received a larger proportion of the early plate stamps.

It is not possible to say whether the stamps from the various plates have survived at the same rate. It is generally believed that plate I and II are equally scarce. However, some experts are of the opinion that plate II is scarcer than plate I.

Though the 2 reales was also used split in half, it was only done very rarely. The number of split stamps hardly affects the quantity of surviving whole stamps.

According to Chapman the first delivery of the 2 reales was printed exclusively using plate I and II, and plate III was used for production as of the second delivery from the printer. It should be noted that the number of stamps received from the printer is not the number of stamps printed. We will show how it is possible to substantiate Chapman's claim.

The following timeline will try to show that all the stamps from the first delivery were distributed before March 1857, and that only stamps from plate III were distrubuted after that date.

From March 3, 1857 and onward most consignments are divisible by 190. This gives reason for the following speculations:

• The first delivery from the printer consisted entirely of stamps from plate I and / or plate II.
• The second delivery consisted entirely of stamps from plate III
• All 285,780 stamps delivered on July 31, 1856 were sent to the districts.
• The earliest date for a plate III stamp would be January 10, 1857, and it would be from Mexico City
• Any stamp from Mexico City with a cancel date after late March 1857 is most likely from plate III.
• The earliest date for a plate III stamps overprinted and used outside of Mexico City would be March 3, 1857, from Veracruz or Orizava. Any stamp used prior to this date, and not from Mexico City, is almost certainly from plate I or II.
• All stamps from plate I and II were distributed by mid March 1857.

It must be stressed that no proof has been presented here, only conjecture. It should be noted that stamps could potentially be used a long time after they were distributed.

Plate I stamps are normally about 7mm apart. A vertical pair from plate II showing a 4mm margin was in the Mazepa sale on December 10, 2000.

There are other minor things to look for, but some are not consistently present. The horizontal spacing is not a good indicator for determining which plate a stamp originated from, since it varies a lot. In general, the stamps were spaced a bit further apart on plate I and II, but some positions are as close as they often are on plate III.

One indicator is somewhat subjective, and necessitates a stamp for comparison (or a lot of experience), and that is the quality of the impression. It is generally better in plate I than in plate II. The colors found on plate I are not found on plate II.

CAVEAT EMPTOR: The difference between plate I and II has not been adequately described to me at this point. The only real difference seems to be the vertical spacing between the stamps. However, very few vertical pairs exist (none exist from plate I), and very few stamps have adequate margins to show even a small piece of the stamp above or below. Color seems to be used to distinguish between plate I and plate II, a very inadequate and subjective distinction, at best.

The emerald green stamps from the Mexico district are only found with the solid, serif font overprints. The hollow type overprints were put in use later and are not found on at least the emerald plate I. It is unknown if the hollow type overprints were used on some of the other plate I and plate II stamps. It is common on plate III stamps.

The following images were provided by Nicholas Follansbee. They show the major colors found on the 2 reales stamps.

A color study of the 2 reales stamps can be found at
http://mepsi.info/greenshades.htm

Please be aware that color is a subjective perception. A very large amount of these stamps are inaccurately described by buyers and sellers alike. It is strongly advised that you get an expert opinion before buying the more expensive stamps. Visit MEPSI for info on getting a stamp expertized.

Note: According to Bubba Bland, an expert on the 2 reales, the olive shade from Guadalajara exists, but olive shade from Mexico City does not. The sapphire from Mexico City is only known as a forgery. The olive shade from Chihuahua, Huejutla, Merida and Veracruz is known, but is (or was) not priced by the Follansbee catalog. Stamps in the emerald shade from Tixtla Guerrero are priced in the latest edition of the Follansbee catalog. Many other stamps may exist, and even in quantity, though they are not priced.

The numbers indicated (with permission) in this table are the prices quoted in the 1998 Follansbee catalog. The catalog was last revised in 2006 (3rd edition), and you are strongly encouraged to acquire a copy of the newest version. Many updates have been made. See footnote.

The emerald green plate I stamps seems to be the only kind sent to the following districts: Apam, Baja California, Chalco, Ciudad Bravos, Tepeji del Rio and Tulancingo. The fact that some varieties are not priced, should not be taken to indicate that they do not exist.

The following districts did not overprint their stamps, and are therefore only recognizable by the cancel: Colima, Guadalupe Hidalgo, Perote, Polotitlan, San Felipe del Obraje, Tepeji del Rio, Texcoco, Tlalpam, Villa del Valle and Zitacuaro. Guadalupe Hidalgo and Tlalpam were overprinted with the MEXICO overprint. Tepeji del Rio is found both with and without the MEXICO overprint.

Guadalupe Hidalgo and Tlalpam received stamps from plate I (or, less likely, from plate II). On March 12, 1859, Zitacuaro received one sheet of 190 stamps from plate III. None of these stamps are known to exist today.

The Follansbee catalog is issued by
Follansbee Philatelics
PO Box 3210, Ashland, OR 97520
FAX (541) 773-3964
nfollansbee@uci.net Check out his new website at http://www.nicholasfollansbee.com