Spain postage stamps year 1938 1.5pts Montserrat Monastery Foundation

Spain postage stamps year 1938 1.5pts Montserrat Monastery Foundation MNH (**) In 1938, during the height of the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Republican Government (Second Republic) released a highly notable postal issue related to Montserrat. The issue commemorates the 9th Centenary of the Foundation of the Montserrat Monastery (IX Centenario de la Fundación del Monasterio de Montserrat), which was historically founded in 1025. Below are the primary philatelic and historical details for this specific series: Context of the Overprint Issue The history of this issue can be slightly confusing because the base stamps were printed earlier, but the official overprinted surcharges were mobilized in 1938 for wartime postal requirements. The Base Stamp (1931): To raise funds for the restoration of the monastery, a massive and highly detailed series of stamps was originally produced in 1931 featuring various historical and religious vignettes of Montserrat. The 1938 Emergency Overprint: By 1938, rampant inflation and changing postal tariffs during the Civil War meant the Republic desperately needed specific denominations. They took the leftover unissued stocks of the 1931 Montserrat series and applied typographical overprints (surcharges) to adjust their face values for active postage. Main Catalog Specifications Date of Overprint Issue: 1938 Issuing Authority: Spanish Republic (República Española) Primary Edifil Catalog Number: Base set starts around Edifil 791 (with variants extending through subsequent letters like 791d for specific overprint types). Printing Method: The base stamps were beautifully produced via line engraving (recess printing). The 1938 additions are dark typographical overprints showing the new monetary value or a charity surcharge. Common Denominations found with Overprint: You will frequently find values like the 1 Peseta (1 pts) or lower centime values heavily overprinted to meet the 1938 standard mailing rates. Known Philatelic Varieties & Errors Because these overprints were stamped onto older stock during severe wartime conditions, the 1938 Montserrat overprints are famous among specialists for spectacular printing anomalies: Inverted Overprints: The overprinted text or value is stamped completely upside down relative to the monastery image. Double Overprints: The text is stamped twice, often with a slight shift, creating a shadow or blurred lettering effect. Overprints on the Reverse (Back): Highly prized varieties (such as the uncataloged Edifil 791d varieties) feature the overprint mistakenly struck onto the gummed back of the stamp rather than the front face.