Spanish Colony /
Colonia española
Issue of 1878
Issue of 1879, Plate I
Issue of 1879, Plate II
U.P.U. Issues of 1880
U.P.U. Issues of 1881
→  UPU Varieties 1880-82 ←
U.P.U. Issues of 1882
Interior Issues of 1882
Issues of 1888
Issues of 1890
Issues of 1892
Issues of 1894
Issues of 1896
1898 Single Cards
→  Card Varieties ←
1898 Double Cards
→  Card Varieties ←

U.S. Intervention /
Administración Americana
Issues of 1899

Republic / República 1902-1958
Issues of 1903
Issues of 1905
Issue of 1944
Issue of 1955

Cross index of postal cards
          (1878- 1958)
Equivalencias de catalogación

Postal Card Reference
UPSS Republic, 2013
UPSS handbook, 2010
Higgins & Gage Catalog, 1974
Higgins & Gage Catalog, 1966
UPSS Catalog, 1957
Ascher Catalog, 1928

Postal Cards - Issues of 1899: Overprinting of "CUBA" & "c. de Peso".

Tarjetas Postales - Emisión de 1899: Sobrecargadas "CUBA" y "c. de Peso".

2¢ U.S. Liberty overprinted for Cuba
1899 — 1¢ U.S. Jefferson overprinted for Cuba
UPSS S1e – Break in top of "C" of CUBA in overprint


1c overprint for Cuba
1899 — 1¢ U.S. Jefferson overprinted for Cuba.
Used within Havana with scarce Hampden machine cancellation of 5 October 1899


2¢ U.S. Liberty overprinted for Cuba used to NY
1899 — 1¢ U.S. Jefferson overprinted for Cuba — used 2 June 1903 to New York


Broken Circle around Effigy Varieties
Broken circle around effigy varieties. Illustration of what a low bid contract can yield.
The printer, Albert Daggett, has been roundly criticized for poor quality product.


Plate Flaw Varieties of 1¢ Jefferson
Other Plate Flaw Varieties of 1¢ Jefferson


Period Varieties of 1 and 2 centavos overprints
Missing period and large period varieties of 1¢ Jefferson and 2¢ Liberty


Edifil 39 & 40 Detail with 'ULTRAMAR' hand stamp
These ULTRAMAR [overseas] handstamps were applied across the face of the indicia by
Portuguese postal officials to U.P.U. specimens to prevent subsequent use in the country of origin.
The 2 centavos card has a partially missing grommet on top of the indicium.


2¢ U.S. Liberty overprinted for Cuba
1899 — 2¢ U.S. Liberty overprinted for Cuba


2¢ U.S. Liberty overprinted for Cuba - used to Germany
1899 — 2¢ U.S. Liberty used to Bremerhaven, Germany


2¢ U.S. Liberty Varieties
2¢ U.S. Liberty indicia varieties
Other varieties can be seen by clicking on the hyperlinks in the bottom table.


Technical Details / Detalles Técnicos
Issue Date / Fecha de Emisión 1899
Size / Tamaño 140 x 83 mm
Denomination / Denominación 1 & 2 centavos
Print and Paper Color /
Color Impresión y Papel		 black on cream
negro sobre crema

1899 Postal Cards

      1899 Single Postal Cards / Tarjetas Postales Solas de 1899      
UPSS # Edifil # H&G # Description / Descripción
   S1    39    36 Thomas Jefferson - 1 centavo
Overprint on Scott U.S. UX14 postal card
   S1a   39ra   36a Without period after "1c"
Sin punto detrás de "1c"
   S1b   39r   36b Without period after "Peso"
Sin punto detrás de "Peso"
   S1c   —   — Error: "2c" printed on 1 cent card – see note below
Error: "2c" impreso en tarjeta de 1 centavo
   S1d   —   — Plate flaws in the underlying card (See above examples)
Variedades de plancha en la tarjeta base
   S1e   —   — Broken "c" in CUBA in the overprint
"C" de CUBA rota en la sobrecarga
   S1S   —   — Specimen: handstamped "ULTRAMAR" (See above example)
Muestra: estampada "ULTRAMAR"
   S2    40    37 Liberty - 2 centavos
Overprint on Scott U.S. UX16 postal card
   S2a   40r   37a Without period after "Peso"
Sin punto detrás de "Peso"
   S2b   —   — Completely missing grommet on top of indicium
Anillo completamente ausente en la parte superior del sello
   S2c   —   — Plate flaws in the underlying card
Variedades de plancha en la tarjeta base
   S2d   —   — Large period after "Peso"
punto grande detrás de "Peso"
   S2S   —   — Specimen: handstamped "ULTRAMAR" (See above example)
Muestra: estampada "Ultramar"

The existence of a double surcharge printed on the 2 centavo card is questionable, even though Edifil has it listed as 40hh; Scott as UX2b; H&G as 37b; UPSS (1971) as S2b and Jones & Roy as PC39a. Peter A.Robertson of the Philatelic Foundation in NY wrote a letter in 1986 that he had never heard of or seen one. He mentioned that Eugene Costales, longtime editor of Scott's catalogs, did not know how it got into the catalog in the first place. Robertson has observed that none of the important collections have had one. We would appreciate any evidence to substantiate the existence of this error.

The 2 centavo over 1 centavo overprint does exist, but its authenticity has been suspected by many. Scott lists the card as UX1c and Edifil also lists it, but with the caveat: "Only one card is known with this error, but its authenticity has not been determined. It was auctioned by Ivy and Mader as lot No. 2504, on March 25-26, 1999." The card first surfaced in a story that apppeared in Lynn's Stamp News of July 2, 1984, mentioning that the item came from the Netherlands through the firm Harmers and that it would be offered at auction by Kover King with an estimate of $10,000. At the time Peter Robertson thought that the item was a fake. It's authenticity was also doubted by William McPherson Jones and Douglas K. Lehmann who wanted to see proof of its authenticity. The item did not sell at the Kover King sale, but was eventually authenticated by the Philatelic Foundation in New York and sold privately for a much smaller sum.