1943 The First Philippine Souvenir Sheet

The first Philippine souvenir sheet was released on October 14, 1943 (Scott # NB1). At the time of release the Philippines was still occupied by the Japanese under WWII. The souvenir sheet commemorates the “Independence of the Philippines from western domination” and is another fine example of Japanese war propaganda.

Depicted below is a “special folder” which was printed on plain white paper and in which the souvenir sheet would have sat loosely (un-affixed). Not all souvenir sheets came in the “special folder” and the folder itself is far less common than the souvenir sheet. Light creases are common due to the folder being printed on thin paper and light stains from the tropics are often seen on examples (though minimal on the example below).

I’ve so far been unable to ascertain how many souvenir sheets were released with the folder.

The stamps on the souvenir sheet are Scott #’s PH N29a, N30a and N31a. The stamps were issued as both imperforate and perforated (PH N29, N30 and N31) varieties in 1943. The special cover shown above describes the stamps as:

The central design portrays a Filipino woman in native dress. On the upper part appears both Roman letters and in the old Philippine script the phrase “Kalayaan Nang Pilipinas” (Independence of the Philippines). On the right side is shown the monument of Dr. Jose Rizal – foremost Filipino patriot and martyr. On the left side is the Philippine National Flag. On both sides are two broken chains symbolic of the liberation of the Philippines from western domination.

The writing underneath the stamps is a facsimile of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell), taken form the fourth stanza of the original manuscript.

The full text on the special folder reads:

The stamps appearing on the Souvenir Sheet are the exact replica in size, color, and denominations of the mint sets issued to commemorate the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines on October 14, 1943.

The mint sets-perforated with gum and the imperforated without gum-were sold in all the provincial capitals and chartered cities of the Islands.

The central design portrays a Filipino woman in native dress. On the upper part appears both Roman letters and in the old Philippine script the phrase “Kalayaan Nang Pilipinas” (Independence of the Philippines). On the right side is shown the monument of Dr. Jose Rizal – foremost Filipino patriot and martyr. On the left side is the Philippine National Flag. On both sides are two broken chains symbolic of the liberation of the Philippines from western domination.

The poem in the Sheet is a reproduction from the original of the fourth stanza of the “Last Farewell” of Dr. Rizal.

Discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in the sixteenth century for Spain, the Philippines are composed of 7,083 islands and islets. As an outcome of the Spanish-American War the country was ceded by Spain to the United States in 1899.

The City of Manila, the capital, was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Forces on January 2, 1942. Independence granted by Japan, was inaugurated on October 14, 1943.

Individual souvenir sheets measure roughly 127mm x 178mm. Unused varieties typically sell for more than those with the Manila first day cancellation. The folder detailed at the start of this post can be a challenge for the collector to obtain. Souvenir sheets are easily obtainable with or without the Manila cancellation. Cancellations do exists from other locations (Bacolod, Banguid, Bayombong, Bulacan) but are much harder to find, are seldom offered up for sale and typically sell for premiums.

Thanks for reading, happy hunting and have fun with your collection!