Why would some of these stamps have centimos overprints? Was it connected with a Spanish quarrel over ownership of Gibraltar (which is still going on today)?
Hi Frank. From 1 July 1856 until 1 January 1876 all mail to Spain required postage to be prepaid by Spanish stamps and there issues were supplied by the Gibraltar Postal Authority acting as a Spanish Postal Agent. The mail forwarded under this system was cancelled at San Roque with a horizontal barred oval, later replaced with by a cartwheel postmark showing numeral 63. From 1857 combination envelopes showing the 2d ship mail fee paid in British stamps and the inland postage by Spanish issues exist.
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