Mexico 1868 Hidalgo : 01b Introduction

Before I go deeper into the various subtypes of the Hidalgo stamps, I will tell more about the two types that are mentionned in the German 'Michel' catalogue.

type A
- the value is a small, thin number (see circle)
- there's no dot behind the number (see circle)
- the overprint of the year  is 68 or 69 (1)
- there's also a district number (2)

later on, an additional district name is added (3)
- these stamps are rouletted in stead of unperforated

type B
- the value is a large, broad (see circle)
- there's a dot behind the number (see circle)
- the overprint of the year can be 68, 69, 70, 71 or 72 (1)
- there's also a district number (2)

later on, also district names are added (3)

On this B-type, overprints with "anotado"  exists too.

There are 41 districts, each number corresponds with one district.

1	Mexico City	22	Durango
2	Veracruz	23	Oaxaca
3	Guadalajara (to 1869)	24	Cuernavaca
4	Puebla	25	Acapulco
5	San Luis Potosi	26	Campeche
6	Guanajuato	27	La Paz
7	Monterrey	28	Chiapas
8	Mazatlan	29	Victoria
9	Matamoros	30	Saltillo
10	Morelia	31	Ures
11	Colima	32	Tixtla Guerrero
12	Queretaro	33	Huejutla
13	Zacatecas	34	Maravatio
14	Jalapa	35	Tula
15	Tulancingo	36	Aguascalientes
16	Toluca	37	Lagos
17	Pachuca	38	Tabasco
18	Orizava	39	Tampico
19	Merida	40	Tlaxcala
20	Cordova	41	Tacubaya (no stamp usage with "41" on record.)
21	Chihuahua	41	Guadalajara (1869 and after)

various Hidalgo-stamps nr 1 to 41

In 1869, a large amount of "Guadalajara 3" stamps were stolen.
Therefore, the unused nr 41 was given to Guadalajara.
The original 41 of Tacubaya (unused so far) got stamps with "1" as they became a subdistrict of Mexico City.

There are of course more 'cities' in Mexico. They resort under one of the districts.
For an already extended collection, one district per stamp type will result in hundreds of stamps.
Additionally one can look for cancels of various cities as well, but that's a study on its own.

more to follow...