Blue "ULTRMAR" handstamp on strip of 5

[Marc Gonzales]

Spuff,
A number of Mexican UPU specimen stamps issued to Portuguese colonies have been examined by the EC, I have attached an example with the Ultramar overprint.  Apparently the archive from one of the Portuguese colonies (I heard Gamboa) came on the market over the last few years   All the examples we have seen are singles attached to manila paper with various overprints, Ultramar, Especimen, Specimen, Colonias, Amostra and Muestra.   

However the UPU was formed after the Eagles were in use.  The UPU founding was at the first congress held in 1874. Mexico became a member on April 1, 1879.  I believe the first Mexican stamps distributed were the 1882 Juarez issue. 

Regarding why multiples, stamps in blocks and sheets are sent to the Swiss who administer the distribution of stamps to members.  The UPU preferred stamps be sent without overprints but that was not always followed. When received by members their own overprints were typically applied.

I can't imagine your Eagles were overprinted for UPU use, it is possible the overprint is bogus, or applied by some other entity for an unknown reason.
Marc

[Martin "Spuff" Spufford]

Thanks for all of that pertinent information everybody.
If anyone likes the esoteric this could be for them.

It will be for sale as a "curiosity" in my ebay sale ending 4th June as lot k730 at a nominal start price.

spuff

[Tad Mackie]

If  a specimen, why a strip of five...?

[Farley Katz]

Searching ULTRAMAR OVERPRINT STAMPS on Google produces many ULTRAMAR overprints put on UPU samples by Portugal, but those all seem to be circa 1895-1910.  Here is one quote--
"A siting of a scan on Ebay of a faint overprint of ‘Ultramar’ (Over Seas) on an unique blue Two Pence Western Australian Letter Card intrigued me. The vendor had placed a price of USD 1,200 on it, and he gave the following account: "From the Archives of the Goa (Portuguese India ) Postal Administration. The item listed above is from the original Postal archive distributed by the UPU to its member nations for the period of from approx. 1899 thru to 1942. Receiving Authority specimens are of Philatelic importance as they provide confirmatory evidence that these were in fact distributed by the UPU. The best known Receiving authority specimen is the ‘ULTRAMAR’ handstamp applied either in violet or in blue to UPU distributions sent to th Portuguese Ministry for the colonies during the period 1895-1910 and all those distributed were applied with protective markings. The earliest issues are handstamped "ULTRAMAR. In 1925 (they were) handstamped as COLONIAS in 1927-31, and as ESPECIMEN in 1932-39 and 1939-42 as AMOSTRA. The ULTRAMAR postcard is seen in Figure 7".   See http://www.auspostalhistory.com/articles/1928.phpMexico didnt join the the UPU  until 1879, so it seems this is some fabrication.

[Martin "Spuff" Spufford]

I think ULTRMAR means "overseas"
Its not in my dictionary but I have seen it on Spanish Colonial stamps.

[Tad Mackie]

ULTRAMAR = Ultramarine (?) = Proof (?)

[Martin "Spuff" Spufford]

This just crossing my desk.
On the face of it it is just another strip of 5 Chihuahua 1R remainders (169-1865) with gum.

However I notice there is the word "ULTRMAR" in blue handstamped on each stamp.

Any ideas anyone?
I have never heard anything about the usage of this word on Eagles,

spuff