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This is the final essay of what would become the 50p Cotton

Exporta Stamps and Postal History

The Exporta issue has all the challenges of 50 years of 19th century Postal History at a fraction of the cost! Plus you don't get dinged for multiple and colorful usages! This site will demonstrate that by focusing on the Postal History of the Exporta issue, however my goal is that it will also contain as much helpful information about the stamps as is possible. It was oringally a census of collector contributed images of covers showing interesting uses of the Mexico Exporta series, and we will continue that focus. We welcome contributions to our database. Contact Tom Droege if you would like to submit covers to the Census. It is also a site where you can find other useful material on Exporta and links to other web sites with Exporta related information and/or dealers knowledgable about Exporta.

The Exporta Definitive series is a very attractive and well designed issue that highlights the products Mexico produces and exports. Mexico experienced a period of inflation during the years of the exportas (though it seems the postal rates outpaced the general inflation by a very wide margin), and so postal rates changed 21 (T29-T50) times in 25 years (1975-2000). Exporta covers are found in "dollar boxes", yet finding correctly rated covers is a challenge. Covers made up of multiples of different stamps, yield attractive, non-philatelic usages. Many single frankings are hard to find. In 25 years, Mexico sent mail to all the continents, yet try finding covers to Africa or Asia. For those florescently minded, there are the "14 Paper Types", with differing reactions to black light. Burelage is a security measure that was printed on many of the higher values, and sometimes it was printed upside down -- making for several inverts! The rarest Exportas, known as the "Bionicas", resulted when the stamps were printed on the wrong side of the phosphorescent coated paper. They are known as the Bionic Bull (only one on cover known) and the Bionic Bicyle (roughly a dozen known). The Bionic Bicycle sells for $1000++ on cover. The Bionic Bull has not been offered publically. I am always buying Exportas, especially if they are not to the US.

Overview of the Exporta Stamps
  • Issued from 1975-1993
  • 30 Designs (regular, airmail, special delivery / entrega, insured / seguros
  • 14 Papers (Series 1a-14a) Phosphorescence and Fluorescence (Yellow, White, Dull White, Reddish)
  • Inverts
  • Perf differences 11-14
  • Design size differences 36mm - 37.5mm
  • Color Varieties
  • Essays
  • Fixed Plate Flaws
  • Rare Errors (bionicas printed on the non-phosphorescence side of the paper)
  • Watermarks
  • Mike Rhode's Exporta Exhibit from Sydney 2011 frame by frame. Frame 1, Frame 2, Frame 3, Frame 4, Frame 5.
Overview of the Postal History
  • 20+ different Tariffs (Postal Rates) T29-48 (+49,50 when the exportas were still being used generally)
  • Airmail, Surface, Registered, Registered with Restricted Delivery, AR, Special Delivery, Printed Matter, Postage Due, City, Border, Domestic uses.
  • 14 papers become 6 papers on cover: 124 yellow, 3 white, 56 dull white, 78 bright white, 9 fibers, 10-14 reddish
  • Foreign destination rates are determined by zones, Domestic, North and Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific
  • Postal rates start with rates by units of 20 grams, later tables are used <20, <50, <100 etc.
  • Early uses of denominations, 1st and last days of rates.
  • Post Card rates, small package rates.

Take the Quick Tour

14 Papers (Series 1a-14a) Phosphorescence and Fluorescence (Yellow, White, Dull White, Reddish)

Scarcest Exporta Denominations on Cover, Rated Correctly Short Rates Only Short Rate and Correctly Rated

The "other" Exportas Seguros, Entregas, Sobres, Correogramma, Telegrama, Meters

Auxiliary Markings, Plate Flaws, Doubleprints, Multiples on cover

The Short Rate Periods (T32, T38, T40, T41A, T42), Rated Correctly

Early Usages by Denomination (5c to 9p), (10p to 90p), (100p to 1900p), (2000p to 7200p), First, Second, Last Days of Tariffs.

Some Difficult Rates, Surface, Restricted Delivery, and AR

These are really hard... Postcard Rate! (T29-T33, T45-T50)

Tough Destinations... Anything to Asia or Africa or a dozen difficult countries like Bulgaria, Czech Republic (not Czechoslovakia), Bolivia, Bahamas, you get the picture... On the flip side these are the most complete Destinations by Tariff

Graduated Rates <20gr - <2000gr Rates,

When you find a cover that interests you, use the "like" link and find out if it was one of the Best Liked Covers.

We finish the tour with the designs that never were... Essays

Keep in Touch!
Join the Exportas Yahoo Group by sending an email to "exportas-subscribe@yahoogroups.com" with the subject "Subscribe". The group is for collectors, dealers, and buyers of the modern Mexico issues, mostly Exportas, but also A&A, Tourista and Conserva. It is a place were anyone can post questions to the group, announcements, items for sale, etc... relating to Exporta or other modern Mexico. Send an email to this address to join the group. It is different from a bulletin board or forum, in that when you email a message to the group, everyone in the group will get the email, and you can start a conversation immediately. Post a Message to Exportas. Subscribe to Exportas. Unsubscribe to Exportas.

Click here to send a email to Tom Droege or call 919-403-9459 and ask for Tom Droege.

The Department of Who is Doing Related Work Let me know if you want to be included in this list.
Other Helpful Exporta Links, References, more...
Useful Publications and Books

Searching the Cover Database

The following links allow you to browse through the online database of Exporta Covers in many different ways. I try to collect correctly rated covers. So in order to do that you need complete information on all the different postal rates and the fees for extra services like Registration and AR. I have most of the infomation compiled here All Rates, North America (US/Canada) Rates with Calculator, Europe Rates with Calculator, with more to come later. (note you have to logged in at StampAuctionNetwork to see these covers.)

If you do not want to sign up with StampAuctionNetwork, you can login with the guest account (user name = Guest, Password = Exporta), but you won't be able to keep track of your own "liked" covers.

See the Covers!

Denominations and Paper Types
Postal History, Tariffs and Usages
Getting Started
Finding correctly rated covers in good condition is a challenge. Here are some ideas on how to get started.
  • Try finding covers that were used in each of the time periods (Tariffs -- The T number, T29, T30 -- so named because the Postal Bulletins are called Tariff and they are numbered)
  • Try finding 1x rates, 2x rates, and some registered or AR covers.
  • Look for covers from different destinations. North America is easy, and Europe not so hard, but after that it gets tough.
  • How about extra services or auxilliary markings, Special Delivery, Insurance, Postal Stationery, Postage Due, etc...
  • Some of the issues are very hard to find. Finding a 5c on a correctly rated cover is very hard. Same with the high values.
  • Covers with just a single stamp paying the rate are also hard, except when it is a very common rate, like 1.6 to the US. But there are a number of combinations that work.
Exporta Cover Identification and Rating
to be developed...

In Order to see the covers in the Exporta Cover Network, you must be logged in at StampAuctionNetwork.
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