1 real, yellow.

Hard wove paper. Four plates were used: plate I and II of 60 subjects arranged in 6 columns and 10 rows, and plate III and IV of 200 subjects arranged as 20 columns and 10 rows. The stamps produced from plate III and IV are also found on porous wove paper from 1859. There were 9 deliveries of the 1 real stamps from the printers. The actual number of printings is unknown.

Issue quantities from Chapman:
Quantity sent to districts 1424275
Returned from districts -20892
Total issued 1403383

 

Surviving stamps could approach:
Survival rate Quantity surviving
2% 28068
3% 42101
4% 56135

As seen below, the ratio of plate I & II stamps versus plate III & IV stamps is roughly 1 to 1. Therefore it can be assumed that the number of surviving stamps from each plate group is approximately half the number stated above.

The number of stamps in the first delivery was 527790 stamps, corresponding to 8796½ sheets of 60 stamps. Since we know that the number delivered is actually the number accepted, this is no proof that only sheets of 60 were produced. However, there are NO combinations of sheets of 60 and of 200 subjects that would result in a number of whole sheets delivered!

The second delivery on December 30, 1856 was of 118340 stamps, corresponding to 1972 1/3 sheets of 60, or any one of 197 combinations of 60 and 200 subject sheets resulting in a delivery of only whole sheets. These numbers by themselves can therefore not be used to draw any meaningful conclusions. According to Celis Cano, the stamps delivered were distributed as follows:

Delivered July 30 - Dec. 30, 1856 646130 Only Plate I & II
Deliveries January 31, 1857 and forward 745600 Only Plate III & IV
Total 1391730  

The most important information gleaned from this is that the two plate groups are equally rare, and that the stamps from plate III & IV presumably were used over a much longer period of time. A stamp cancelled before January 31, 1857 must, according to this, be assumed to be from plate I or plate II.

Plate identification hints.
  Plate I Plate II Plate III Plate IV
Vertical spacing between stamps 5 - 6 mm. 3 - 4 mm. 0 - 2 mm. 0 - 2 mm.
Color Yellow, lemon yellow Ocher Yellow Orange yellow
Impression Poor, appears worn. Good Excellent Excellent
Paper Hard, thin Hard, thin Porous, thicker Porous, thicker
Framelines Yes Yes Yes Yes

Consignments and returns from the districts.
District Sent Returned Used Used % of total Ratio vs. Mexico
Acapulco 2520   2520 0.18% 89.9
Aguascalientes 400   400 0.03% 566.1
Apam 11400   11400 0.80% 19.9
Baja California 240   240 0.02% 943.4
Campeche 9520   9520 0.67% 23.8
Chalco 12200 3408 8792 0.62% 25.8
Chiapas 5040   5040 0.35% 44.9
Chihuahua 11740   11740 0.82% 19.3
Ciudad Bravos 2520 62 2458 0.17% 92.1
Colima 1000   1000 0.07% 226.4
Cordova 9820   9820 0.69% 23.1
Cuautitlan 2350   2350 0.16% 96.3
Cuernavaca 19220   19220 1.35% 11.8
Durango 33740   33740 2.37% 6.7
Guadalajara 119524 264 119260 8.37% 1.9
Guadelupe Hidalgo 240 25 215 0.02% 1053.1
Guanajuato 79574   79574 5.59% 2.8
Hermosillo 13040   13040 0.92% 17.4
Huejutla 7020   7020 0.49% 32.3
Isla del Carmen 840   840 0.06% 269.6
Ixtlahuaca 2040 635 1405 0.10% 161.2
Jalapa 36990 120 36870 2.59% 6.1
Lagos 17100   17100 1.20% 13.2
Lerma 4020 1058 2962 0.21% 76.4
Maravatio 8800 510 8290 0.58% 27.3
Mazatlan 44660   44660 3.14% 5.1
Merida 19340   19340 1.36% 11.7
Mexico 227457 1035 226422 15.90% 1.0
Monterrey 12740   12740 0.89% 17.8
Morelia 52520 13 52507 3.69% 4.3
Oajaca 24260 379 23881 1.68% 9.5
Orizava 29260 37 29223 2.05% 7.7
Pachuca 30700   30700 2.16% 7.4
Perote 800   800 0.06% 283.0
Polotitlan 700 340 360 0.03% 629.0
Puebla 125060   125060 8.78% 1.8
Queretaro 82340 920 81420 5.72% 2.8
Saltillo 13520   13520 0.95% 16.7
San Felipe del Obraje 600   600 0.04% 377.4
San Luis Potosi 68260 5995 62265 4.37% 3.6
Sultepec 600   600 0.04% 377.4
Soyaniquilpan 2140 53 2087 0.15% 108.5
Tabasco 14570 3323 11247 0.79% 20.1
Tacubaya 300 136 164 0.01% 1380.6
Tampico 30480   30480 2.14% 7.4
Temascaltepec 3760   3760 0.26% 60.2
Tepeji del Rio 500 2 498 0.03% 454.7
Texcoco 1100 151 949 0.07% 238.6
Tixtla Guerrero 1700 41 1659 0.12% 136.5
Tlalpam 300 50 250 0.02% 905.7
Tlalpujahua 3160   3160 0.22% 71.7
Toluca 25400   25400 1.78% 8.9
Tula 6270 215 6055 0.43% 37.4
Tulancingo 11800 1935 9865 0.69% 23.0
Veracruz 117660 25 117635 8.26% 1.9
Victoria 9240 75 9165 0.64% 24.7
Villa del Valle 200   200 0.01% 1132.1
Yguala 800   800 0.06% 283.0
Zacatecas 50980 85 50895 3.57% 4.4
Zitacuaro 200   200 0.01% 1132.1
           
  Sent Returned Used Percent used  
  1424275 20892 1403383 98.53%