Variety 1

No longer in use

Variety 2

Nicked "N" and "V" of UNIVERSAL

The hole in the "V" is shaped like a butterfly.

— with or without —

Period behind direccion

Some early 1880 cards exist with only damage to the "N"
but without damage to the "V"

Variety 3

No period after direccion

and

First address line short on right by 1 mm

Some early 1880 cards of this variety exist with a faint or
partial period behind direccion

Variety 4

Multiple nicks on "U" of UNION

Variety 5

Smashed top right end of "U" of UNIVERSAL

Variety 6

"S" of POSTAL ends in a point

Variety 6 & Variety 7 are the same printing plate position. Variety 7's short address line appears in the 1881 cards and is carried over only to the 2c.+2c. 1882 double cards before getting corrected. Variety 7's break in the "U" in ULTRAMAR appears during the printing of the 3c.+3c. 1880 double cards (some are broken; some are not.) Variety 7's single break in the "U" then continues in tandem with Variety 6 through 1882.

Variety 7

"U" of ULTRAMAR broken on the bottom only

In all cards of 1881 and 2c.+2c. 1882 double cards in conjunction with

Second address line is short, 91 mm,
commencing below the middle of the "A"

Some 1880 15 centavos cards exist without the broken "U"

Variety 6 & Variety 7 are the same printing plate position. See the note on Variety 6 for timing.

Variety 8

The second address line short, 94 mm, commencing below the left side of the "A";

"U" of ULTRAMAR is not broken

Variety 8 & Variety 12 are the same printing plate position. Variety 8 does not appear in 1880. Variety 8 appears on all four cards in 1881 plus the the 2c. + 2c. double card of 1882. It does not appear in the 1882 3c. + 3c. double card nor both single cards. This means that the short line break occurred in 1881 and continued through the printing of the 2c. + 2c. double cards of 1882. The line break was fixed for the printing of the 1882 3c. + 3c. double cards and both single cards.

Variety 9

"s" of este upside down

in conjunction with

Damaged "UN" of UNIVERSAL

sometimes in conjunction with

Beginning of second address line bent down

Variety 10

A hole on the inner side of the angle
of the L of UNIVERSAL

and

A taper or downward bent of the right base
on the P of ESPAÑA

Variety 11

Rounded off top of second "A" of ESPAÑA

Variety 12

Nicked second "A" of ESPAÑA at top right

In combination with Variety 8 in 1881 and the 3c. + 3c. double cards of 1882. See the note on Variety 8 for timing.

Variety 13

Broken top serif of "E" and nicked first "A" of ESPAÑA at top right

and

Some early 1880 cards do not have a broken "E"

Variety 14

First "R" & "M" of ULTRAMAR broken

The R is missing the top serif and the M has its left leg detached

This is usually combined with two breaks in the
first address line that are 12 and 41 mm
from the right end of the line

Variety 15

Broken "U" of ULTRAMAR on top and bottom

Some 1880 3 centavos cards exist without
the top left serif of the U being broken.

Some have a partial break; some are missing the left serif entirely.

Variety 16

Broken second "A" of ULTRAMAR

Variety 17

Missing left serif of right leg of "M" in ULTRAMAR

Variety 18

Nick in "Ñ" of ESPAÑA

sometimes in conjunction with

Break in crosspiece of "A" of ESPAÑA

Variety 19

Lower right corner of the "L" in POSTAL is broken
and small indentation towards the bottom of
the right leg of "R" in UNIVERSAL

Variety T-1

Transitory — part of 1882 only

"ULTAAMAR" error:

ULTRAMAR misspelled

Variety T-1 and Variety 6 are the same printing position, but Variety T-1 occurs only in the printing of the 1882 2c. single card and both double cards. Its scarcity suggests that this error was so eggregious that most were destroyed at the printing factory.

Variety T-2

Transitory — part of 1882 only

ESPAÑA without tilde

Variety T-2 and Variety 10 are the same printing position. Variety T-3 occurs on all 1882 double and single cards, but Variety 10 exists independently on all 1882 cards, suggesting a 2nd printing run.

Variety T-3

Transitory — part of 1882 only

"SA" of UNIVERSAL broken

and

Large period after ULTRAMAR

Variety T-3 and Variety 6 are the same printing position, but Variety T-3 occurs only in the printing of the 1882 2c. single card.

Variety T-4

Transitory — part of 1882 only

Large RAISED period after ULTRAMAR

NOT in conjuction with the broken "SA". Variety T-4 and Variety 12 are the same printing position, but it is only found on some of the 1882 3 centavos single cards and the 3c. + 3c. New Composition double card (opposite Variety 16)

Variety T-5

Transitory — part of 1882 only

Broken right top of first "A" of ULTRAMAR
Broken first "L" of UNIVERSELLE
Cross piece of "A" of UNIVERSAL dips down

Variety T-5 is a subvariety of printing position 19 (Nicked "L" in POSTAL). It is found on some of the 1882 single cards (late: 2nd or 3rd printing) and the 2c. + 2c. New Composition double reply card (opposite Variety 10 message card)

Variety T-6

Transitory — part of 1882 only

Broken serif on left foot of first "R" of ULTRAMAR

It is undetermined what printing position that Variety T-6 comes from. It is found on some of the 1882 2c. + 2c. New Composition double reply card (opposite Variety 6 + T-3 message card)

Variety D-1

Double reply cards only

No period behind RESPUESTA

Variety D-2

Double message cards only

No period behind respuesta

One will find other printing errors. Some are the result of too much or too little ink; some not.
The above is our method of differenciating almost all cards by finding at least one constant variety,
mostly in BOLD type setting, that does not appear with the others, except as noted above.