1958-1959 Perf. 12’s
A number of quite unassuming stamps were released in 1958 and 1959, all were perforated at 13.5×13 and each had production runs in the millions of stamps. Variations of these stamps are known to exist as perf. 12×12. The perf. 12’s are definitely the harder stamps to find for your collection. In fact many collectors are not even aware of the 2 different types of these otherwise very common stamps. I have not been able to find definitive information on why these stamps were released in perf. 12 format but they seem too accessible to simply be produced in error so I assume they are second printing. Please drop a comment below if you know for sure.
It is easy to find published numbers detailing the total quantity of stamps that were produced – but not a breakdown on how many were 13.5×13 versus perf. 12.
So, I decided to check my excess stock and see how many perf 12’s I could find. When I started this exercise I did not have a complete set of mint stamps in perf. 12. So I dredged my way through my used stock in order to fill some holes. As you can see below I did manage to compile a complete set but not all are in MNH condition so I will continue to keep my eyes open for replacements.
Here’s the breakdown of what I found (and I decided to include the lone stamp from 1962 as well even though this post is titled ‘1958-1959…’):
| Image | Stamp Name/Color | Number Examined | Number Found |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Year: 1958 Scott #: PH 646a Stamp Name: Inauguration of Manila cathedral | 14 | 5 |
 | Year: 1958 Scott #: PH B8a Stamp Name: Fight against Tuberculosis (5+5) Color: Green | 87 | 1 |
 | Year: 1958 Scott #: PH B9a Stamp Name: Fight against Tuberculosis (10+5) Color: Violet | 34 | 4 |
 | Year:1959 Scott #: PH 804a Stamp Name: 50th Anniversary City of Baguio Color: Green Note: I’ve found no information and no stamps indicating that the PH804 (25c red) stamp was produced in perf. 12 – nor is it referred to in Scott catalogs. | 7 | 1 |
 | Year: 1959 Scott #: PH 807a Stamp Name: Maria Cristina Falls – 6c | 9 | 3 |
 | Year: 1959 Scott #: PH 808a Stamp Name: Maria Cristina Falls – 30c | 7 | 3 |
 | Year: 1959 Scott #: PH 810a Stamp Name: 100th Anniversary Manila Athenaeum Color: Blue | 11 | 4 |
 | Year: 1959 Scott #: PH 811a Stamp Name: 100th Anniversary Manila Athenaeum Color: Red | 6 | 1 |
 | Year: 1959 Scott #: PH B12a Stamp Name: Fight against Tuberculosis Semi-Postal Color: Green (3+5 surcharged in red) | 15 | 2 |
 | Year: 1959 Scott #: PH B13a Stamp Name: Fight against Tuberculosis Semi-Postal Color: Violet (6+5 surcharged in red) | 13 | 1 |
 | Year: 1962 Scott #: PH 849a Stamp Name: Fight against Tuberculosis Semi-Postal Color: Green (6s surcharged in black) | 35 | 2 |
While the sample sizes are way too small to make any accurate estimation on the number of perf. 12’s that may have been produced; they do (in my opinion) show that there are too many to have been produced in error. Finding perf. 12 stamps can be difficult as it is such a minor variation that it is near impossible to spot with the naked eye. Since these varieties are not well known you will likely not see most sellers advertising them as the perf. 12 variety. If you really want to find these (and you have more patience and time than I do) then you could take to counting perorations on advertised stamps (hint, 26 holes on the long side = perf.12; 29 holes = perf 13).
So, they next and most obvious question is – are the perf. 12’s worth more money? Yes, they are but it is difficult to gauge how much more they are worth (though it’s not in the realm of “sell and retire early”, sorry). For now though I suggest that you go through your stamp stock and start counting perforations – you might just have some of these little gems already. As you can see from the images above, I’m still trying to track down a few mint stamps for my own collection as well.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post. Happy hunting and have fun with your collection!