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Studies & Reference Tools
The resources below provide a wealth of information related to Mexico's various philatelic periods from Classic to Modern, including details on postal districts, forgery detection, and historical context.
The resources on this page are all free. MEPSI also has a number of important references on Mexican philately available for purchase as digital downloads.
Getting Started with Your Mexico Collection
- The Art of Collecting Mexico, by Bubba Bland
Provides an overview of the philatelic periods of Mexico, where to buy Mexico material, how much to pay, issues related to condition, the importance of learning as much as you can about your area of focus, and where to find useful reference material.
Classic Period
Forgeries and Counterfeits
- The Counterfeits of Mexico's 1856, 1861, and 1867 Issue, by Joe D. Stuart
This classic article from MEPSI's journal, Mexicana, provides detailed descriptions of 16 counterfeit types that were based on the design of Mexico's first issue. - Counterfeits of the 1856-1861 Issue: A New Discovery, by Marc Gonzales
Identifies a 17th counterfeit type and provides high-resolution color images of the most common counterfeit types.
- Post Offices of Mexico 1856-1883, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Well organized listing of the 78 the post offices that received stamps directly and their 814 sub-offices that canceled postage stamps during 1856-1883 — and which stamps each office handled. Includes a helpful list with the map coordinates and present-day name of each location. - The Evans' List of Mexico Post Offices (28.3 MB), by Don Evans
Extensive list of Mexico Postal Districts.
- The Manuscript Postal Markings of Mexico 1856-1878, by Howard Frome
While most stamps during 1856-1878 were cancelled with handstamps, a small percentage were canceled with hand (e.g. with a pen). This remarkable study lists, illustrates, and gives the provenance of the manuscript postal markings used in Mexico during that period. - Other resources on cancellations are available via Digital Download.
- Hidalgo Issue of 1856-61, Compiled by MEPSI Member Jesper Andersen
Clear, well organized distillation of information regarding Mexico's first stamps. - Catalog of the Chapman Collection Part I: The Hidalgo Issues
Catalog of the 1930 H.R. Harmer auction of Samuel Chapman's famous collection of the early Hidalgo issues of Mexico. - Classification of Chapman Sale: 1856 Issue, by Vernon Turnburke, Jr.
Published as a supplement to MEPSI's Mexicana journal, this document organizes the material from the 1930 Chapman auction by districts and post offices as well as by catalog number. It also augments the listings with information on overprints from Odfjell and on cancellations from Yag-Bash and Schatzkès. Requires login. - Introduction to the Mexico 1868 Full Face Hidalgo Thick Figure Transfer Types (19.4 MB), by James H. Ford
Superb overview of "one of the most complex [issues] in philately." Includes numerous color images and examples. - Introduction to the Mexico 1872 Issue Transfer Types (21.9 MB), by James H. Ford
Essential guide to the printing flaws of the 1872 Hidalgo issue. - Mexico: Issue of 1874-1883 (4.4 MB), by J. Brace Chittenden, Ph.D.
Detailed monograph covering the Hidalgo series of 1874-1883, published in 1918 by the Collectors Club of New York. - Usos Provisionales de las Emisiones de Mexico de 1856 y 1861, by Dr. James P. Mazepa
Article based on Dr. Mazepa's award-winning exhibit on the provisional uses of the 1856 and 1861 Hidalgo issues. (In Spanish)
- The Imperial Eagles of Mexico 1864-1866, by MEPSI Member Patrice Mollien
Overview of the Imperial Eagles based on the author's exhibit on this topic. - Mexico Eagles of 1864-1866, Compiled by MEPSI Member Jesper Andersen
Useful overview of the Imperial Eagle series issued under Maximilian. - Catalog of the Chapman Collection Part II: The Eagle Type (1864-66) and the Maximilian Type (1866-67)
Catalog of the 1930 H.R. Harmer auction of Samuel Chapman's famous collection of the Imperial Eagles and Maximilian Issue of Mexico. - The Eagle and Maximillian Stamps of Mexico (213.6 MB), by Samuel Chapman, FRPSL
Provides extensive detail of the changes to postal district overprints during the Maximilian period.
- Maximilian in Mexico: The Story of the French Intervention (1861-1867) (57.9 MB), by Percy F. Martin
History of Maximilian's ill-fated reign as Emperor of Mexico, published in 1914.
- Crónicas Históricas de México Filatélico: Las Emisiones Provisionales del Siglo XIX, by Eladio A. Garcia Prada
Covers all of Mexico's provisional issues in detail. This is a PDF of the book published in 2018 by COFUMEX (in Spanish). Posted by MEPSI with the kind permission of COFUMEX.
- The Stamps of Mexico, 1856-1872 (4.4 MB), by Charles J. Phillips
Book published by Stanley Gibbons, Ltd., in 1917 covering Mexico's early classic issues. Includes district names and numbers and information on reprints and forgeries. - The First Issues of Mexico (1856-1872) (29.3 MB), by Paul de Smeth and the Marquis de Fayolle
Extensive personal correspondence between the authors during 1933-1939 about the early issues of Mexico. - Mexico 1856-1868
A 439-page exhibit by Joseph D. Hackmey RDP, FRPSL
Post-Classic Period
- A Beginner's Guide to the Hidalgo Medallions of México 1884-1895, by Omar J. Rodriguez
Superb overview of Mexico's first issue that did not use postal district overprints. - The Large Numerals of Mexico 1886-1895, by Omar J. Rodriguez
Provides an overview of this colorful issue, including information about its design and production, the story of its complex perforations, and a number of rarities.
Revolutionary Period
- The War Stamps of Mexico (24.1 MB), by George Ward Linn
Comprehensive study published in 1917. Linn closely followed the many overprint varieties in real time.
- Constitutionalist Local Overprints of the Mexican Revolution (23.8 MB), by Nicholas Follansbee
Extensive exhibit of stamps and covers with the Constitutionalist overprints. - Sonora: White & Green Seals Issue, by Dr. James Mazepa
Impressive exhibit of the typeset stamps of the “Free and Sovereign State of Sonora.” - The White and Green Seals of Sonora (3.1 MB), by Henry Irwin
Provides useful background and details on Mexico Scott numbers 321-346. Published by MEPSI in 1971. - Вaja California del Sur - 1915 Local Provisional Overprints and Coach Seal Issue, by Dr. James Mazepa
Exhibit of one of the "rarest of the local provisionals of the Revolution."
Modern Period
- Biographical Sketch of Francisco Eppens Helguera, by Rodrigo Eppens
Brief anecdotes from the life of the artist who designed many of Mexico's most iconic stamps issued from the 1930s to the 1960s. This article was previously published in the October 2009 issue of MEPSI's philatelic journal, Mexicana.
Architecture and Archaeology Series (1950-1975)
- Classification Guide, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Highly useful decision tree for identifying the many types issued during the 25-year run of the Architecture and Archaeology series. - Summary of the Architecture and Archaeology Series, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Provides tables listing all the types issued of for the Architecture and Archaeology series.
- Exporta Stamps and Postal History
Excellent resource about stamps and covers from the Mexico Exporta series (1975-1993). - Classification Guide for the Mexico Exporta Series, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Terrific decision tree for identifying the many types of Exporta stamps. - Summary of the Mexico Exporta Series, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Helpful list that includes every type of Exporta stamp, including the watermarks, perforations, and 14 paper types.
- Classification Tables, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Comprehensive listing if all 162 types in the Mexico Conserva series. Includes the details about the designs, watermarks, perforations, and paper types as well as a handy cross-reference listing for Scott, Michel, and etiangui numbers.
- Classification Tables, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Well-organized classification list for the 299 types that comprise the Creación Popular series.
- Classification Tables, by Enrique Sanchez Garcia (etiangui)
Listing of all the types issued in the Textile Art series.
Travelling Post Offices
- The Travelling Post Offices of Mexico -- 2026 Addendum to the Second Edition (10.5 MB), by Jay Grace Walmsley
This document provides additions and amendments to the data in Miss Walmsley's book, The Travelling Post Offices of Mexico, Second Edition (2014).Please Note: The cancellations displayed in this document print at actual size on A4 paper. If you are printing the document on letter-sized paper (8 1/2" x 11"), we recommend you ensure your settings at "Print Options > Scaling" are set to "Default" so the images are not re-sized by your printer.
- Railway Terms in English and Spanish (124.8 KB)
Includes an extensive list of railway terms with translations from English to Spanish and Spanish to English - Historic Overview and Statistics of the Mexican Railroads from August 1837 to December 1894 (31.8 MB)
Rich resource describing all the railway lines and routes in 19th Century Mexico.
Perfins
- Mexico Perfins Catalog (3.9 MB), by Peter Foltz
Postage Meters
General Sources on Mexican Philately
The following links contain the archives of several publications that covered Mexican philately. Some of these PDFs are quite large and include hundreds of pages of articles about a wide range of topics.
- Dale Pulver Columns As Published in Linn's Stampo News (215.9 MB), by Dale Pulver
Dale Pulver wrote a monthly column on Mexican philately for Linn's from 1983 to 2008. 438 pp. - The Philatelic Gazette / La Gaceta Filatélica (222.2 MB), by Roberto Liera
Archive of the newsletter of the Coleccionistas de Mexico, published in English and Spanish during 1966-1968. 335 pp.
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