The simple title of the display – ‘Mexico 1856-1868’ – presented to the members of the Royal Philatelic Society London on 9 October did not do justice to the wealth of outstanding material to be seen. Joseph Hackmey RDP, FRPSL stunned all present by the quality of the stamps and covers, and the depth of his research that was evident throughout.
Giving the Vote of Thanks, Chris Harman RDP, Hon FRPSL, stressed how the subject compressed much into a short time period, and was especially challenging not least as a result of the many fakes, forgeries and reprints that are known.
Chris particularly noted the work that had been undertaken in determining the rates found on the covers as these were originally calculated using a complicated system based on weight and distance.
Particularly noteworthy were the pages studying the bisects and provisional issues, not least the provisionals that were themselves bisected.
Chris concluded that this had been a ‘superb showing of absolutely fantastic material revealing a great deal of knowledge’. These were views that were echoed by President of the Society, Simon Richards RDP, FRPSL, who thanked Joseph for a ‘splendid display enormously enjoyed by everyone’.
