The first meter was installed in 1928 while the country was a Commonwealth of the United States. The country became an independent republic in 1946.
Stamp designs issued during the Commonwealth are inscribed “P. I. POSTAGE” while those issued since 1946 are inscribed “REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES” and more recently “PILIPINAS”.
The stamps are grouped according to political conditions and use:
A – Stamps issued during Commonwealth period
B – Stamps issued since independence
PO – Special stamps used only in Post Offices
GROUP A: Stamps issued during the country’s status as a Commonwealth of the United States[edit | edit source]
A1. Pitney Bowes “HF” (FV-5), 1929. [$50]
As United States Type DB1 but with “P. I. POSTAGE” at top and “CTVOS” at the top of the oval.
M# with “METER NO.” prefix, M#s 15471 and 15473 known.
TM: DC
Values: 2, 4, 10¢
A2. Pitney Bowes “HF” (FV-5). [$10]
As Type A1 but M# with “METER” prefix.
M#s 15474, 16043, 16142 and 16149 known.
TM: DC
Values: 2, 4, 6, 10, 20, 50¢
A3. Pitney Bowes “HF” (FV-5). [$20]
As Type A1 but M# with “P.B.METER” prefix.
M#s 16152 and 16153 known.
TM: DC
Values: 2, 4, 10, 20¢
A4. Pitney Bowes “HX” (LV-10), 1933. [$5]
As United States Type DC1 but with “P. I. POSTAGE” at top.
a. Town mark reads “ANNISTON / ALA”. M# 87904 used in error in the United States. One example known dated 1 September 1936 [Extremely rare. Value uncertain]
A6. Pitney Bowes “JD” (MV), 1940. [$5]
As United States Type G1 but with “POSTAGE” (without “U.S.”) above “PAID” and with “PESOS” and “CENTAVOS” stacked at sides of the value figures.
M# below eagle with “P.B.METER” prefix.
TM: SC
V/F: ★ 00
GROUP B: Stamps issued in anticipation of or since gaining independence in 1949[edit | edit source]
B1. Hasler “F22” (MV), 1948.
Horizontal frank with straight-line border within the simulated-perforation frame line.
“POSTAGE” at bottom between two small rectangles.
ID# preceded by “Nr.” below frank.
A. Box at top containing "REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES" and "POSTAGE" at bottom 3½ mm tall
B. Box at top containing and "POSTAGE" shorter, 2½ mm tall
TM: SC, BIC large (27 mm) with stars at sides. “a.m.” or “p.m.” after date
d. Government Official Business stamp, with "OB" below the ID number
e. With factory modified slogan twice the height of the stamp
B2. Pitney Bowes “R” (MV), 1947.
Open design without outer complete outer frame line and with the town mark merged into the frank.
“REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES” across the top, and three stars along the right side.
Between the TM and the value box are two sets of two horizontal bars with the meter number below.
No line between “POSTAGE” and value box.
M# with “P.B. METER” prefix.
TM: SC
V/F: 00 :
a. V/F without colon: 00
B3. Pitney Bowes “DM” (LV-20), 1952.
Small open design without complete outer frame.
As Type B2 but with feather between TM and value box.
M# with “P.B.” prefix.
TM: SC
Values seen: 10, 15, 20 (all values from 1¢ through 20¢ presumably exist)
B4. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV), 1961.
Nearly square frank with simulated-perforations outer frame, “REPUBLIC OF THE / PHILIPPINES” across the top.
Small “PESOS” below value figures.
"POSTAGE" left justified at bottom.
M# with "P.B." prefix below frank
V/F: =0.oo =00.oo
a. Post Office stamp, with “P.O.” in the town mark
B5. Pitney Bowes “5300” (MV), 1960s.
Similar to Type B2 but value box is wider with line across top.
M# with “P.B. METER” prefix.
TM: SC, or DC (DC is uncommon)
V/F: 0.00
a. Post Office stamp, with “P.O.” in the town mark
B6. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
Large horizontal frank with straight-line border.
“REPUBLIC OF/THE PHILIPPINES” in panel at top, “POSTAGE” and meter number in panel at bottom.
M# with “H” prefix.
TM: DC, SC
V/F: 00.00 000.00
a. Post Office stamp, with “P.O.” in the town mark
NOTE: Types B7 through B10 were catalogued as Types PO-C1 through PO-C4 in the original catalog. Despite the presence of “POST OFFICE” or “CPO” in the town mark or "P.O." prefix to the identification number, they are from regular private use postage meters.
B7. Postalia “D2” (MV), 1973.
Frank somewhat wider than tall with large simulated-perforation outer border and straight-line inner border.
"REPUBLIC OF THE / PHILIPPINES" in top panel.
"POSTAGE" in box at lower left with meter number with "P.O. prefix at lower right.
TM: DC with inner circle truncated at bottom
V/F: 000
a. With right frame line of value box removed, and a zero added at far right of value figures
b. M# unengraved block
B8. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV).
Frank does not have a straight-line inner border.
Four stars along left and right sides.
M# with "P.B." prefix at bottom above "POSTAGE".
TM: DC
V/F: =00.oo
B9. Pitney-Bowes-GB “6300” (MV).
Frank similar to Type B4 but much wider.
M# with or without “P.B.” prefix at bottom left with “POSTAGE” at bottom right.
TM: DC
V/F: 0.00
a. “POST OFFICE” in town mark
b. “C.C.P.O.” in town mark
B10. Pitney-Bowes-GB “6600” (MV).
Frank similar to Type B9 but larger.
M# with “P.B.” prefix.
TM: DC
V/F: 0.00
a. “C.P.O.” in town mark
B11. Neopost “205” (MV).
“REPUBLIC OF THE" between TM and frank, "PHILIPPINES" at top of frank.
There are two sets of two horizontal bars between the TM and the frank.
M# with “N” prefix.
TM: DC
V/F: 000
GROUP PO: Stamps generated only by machines at post offices[edit | edit source]
SUB-GROUP PO-A: Franks without frame or border[edit | edit source]
PO-A1. NCR (MV), 1928. [Exceptionally rare with only a few examples known. Value uncertain]
Narrow vertical label, plain white (possibly pale brown), straight at the sides and with teeth at top and bottom.
Text printed in purple as follows:
"Postage Paid" above a facsimile of the signature of Jose Topacio (director of the Philippine Bureau of Posts)
"R3 -" value figures
"MANILA, / P.I."
3-digit transaction number, month and day
The stamps were available for about ten months only, from February to November, 1928.
V/F: 0.00
NOTE: Documents exist that claim this stamp was generated by a self-service vending machine installed in the lobby of the post office. Based on the facts that NCR is not known to have made a vending machine before the 1970s, and that they closely resemble NCR stamps used in Canada for franking Parcel Post and collecting Postage Due (Canada types PD1 and PP1-4), they are cataloged here as Post Office stamps rather than vending machine stamps.
PO-A2. Pitney Bowes (digital), 2015.
Open frank without frame lines.
"REPUBLIC / OF THE PHILIPPINES" at top above "PHLPOST running man logo.
Value figures centered with "PESOS" at right.
Below the value figures are a line of code, the meter number and date, with town name at bottom.
V/F: 0000.00
SUB-GROUP PO-B: Franks with ornamental border[edit | edit source]
PO-B1. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV), 1972.
Horizontal frank with border resembling bamboo sections.
Fluted column at left.
Inscribed “PILIPINAS / POSTAGE” at top.
P# at bottom left, with or without “P” prefix.
M# at bottom right with “M” prefix.
With inspirational word below the column.
A. FAITH
B. HOPE
C. CHARITY
D. PEACE
E. JUSTICE
TM: DC
V/F: =00.oo
a. Blank at bottom left; without “P” (permit) number
PO-B2. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV).
Very similar to Type PO-B1 but with line under “PILIPINAS” and above meter number.
Number at bottom left, often with “P” prefix.
M# at bottom right with “M” prefix.
Date figures without stops.
With inspirational word below the column.
A. FAITH
B. HOPE
C. CHARITY
D. PEACE
E. JUSTICE (not seen by authors but presumed to exist)
F. blank, no word
TM: DC
V/F: =00.oo
PO-B3. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
Nearly identical to Type PO-B2 except for the date and value figures.
The date figures have stops after D and M.
The value figures are of equal height.
A. Inscribed “USE / ZIP CODE” below the column
B. With inspirational word "HOPE" below the column ♦
C. With inspirational word "CHARITY" below the column ♦
TM: DC
V/F: 00.00
a. Number with “N” prefix vertical left of the town mark
♦ Other inspirational words probably exist.
PO-B4. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV). [$5]
Similar to Types PO-B2 and -B3 but frank much shorter and wide.
Meter number without prefix below the column.
Date raised in relation to value figures.
Line above meter number.
TM: DC
V/F: 0.00
PO-B5. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV).
Similar to Type PO-B4 but "POSTAGE" is at bottom right.
Date and value figures on same level and without interior lines.
No line above meter number.
TM: DC, often with solid inner circle except for square around date.
V/F: 0.00
PO-B6. Neopost “Electronic” (MV).
Smaller frank, nearly square.
Bamboo style border is thinner than earlier PO-B types.
Column at left is tall and narrow.
M# with “SE” prefix.
TM: DC
V/F: 0.00 000
PO-B7. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
Large horizontal frank with delicate ornamental border.
Value figures same height as with PO-B3.
“PILIPINAS / POSTAGE” at top right.
Tall fluted column at left.
Inscribed “USE / ZIP CODE” at bottom, left of the M#.
A. M# with “M” prefix
B. M# with "S.N." prefix
C. M# without prefix
TM: DC
V/F: 00.00 000.00
a. With “PERMIT” or “P-“ number at base of TM
SUB-GROUP PO-C: Open frank without complete outer border[edit | edit source]
PO-C1. Pitney Bowes-GB "5000" (MV).
Similar to Type B5 but "REPUBLIC" is above "OF THE" rather than in line with it.
The "E" of "POSTAGE" is below the "S" of 'PHILIPPINES".
M# with "P.B. METER" prefix.
TM: DC
V/F: 0.00 00.00
a. With a zero added at right replacing that side of the value box
b. Solid block in place of a meter number (shown)
c. Meter number "488D" without Post Office name in town mark. This machine possibly was used by a private business.
PO-C2. Pitney Bowes-GB "5000" (MV).
As Type PO-C1 but the value box is much wider.
The "E" of "POSTAGE" is centered below "ES" of 'PHILIPPINES".
M# with "P.B. METER" prefix.
TM: DC
V/F: 0.00 00.00
PO-C3. Pitney Bowes "5300" or "6500" (MV).
Very similar to Type PO-C1 but the date figures are shorter and more widely spaced.
[$50]
2, 4, 10¢
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