Spain
Spanish stamps emerged from a lull in a seemingly endless civil conflict. The first Carlist War (1833-39) was between the liberal supporters of Queen Isabella and the traditionalists who supported Don Carlos, a claimant to the throne. It ended in victory for the liberals, who then split up into half a dozen warring factions. The unrest continued until 1844 – 54, when Ramon Narvaez and other generals allied with the Moderados in government to introduce a programme of administrative, educational and financial reforms.
Reform of the postal system had been on the agenda since 1843 – a cause championed by the Count of San Luis, one of Queen Isabella’s ministers. However, it was not until 1847 that Perkins Bacon were asked to quote a price for producing stamps. When it was found to be too high, Spain set up its own government printing house in Madrid, which has produced virtually all Spanish stamps since.
In October 1849, a Royal Decree stated that pre-payment of letters would commence on 1 Jan 1850 – but the work of preparation must have been far advanced by then.
The profile of the Queen was adapted from a medallion of 1847, when the Queen was 17 years old and the stamps were engraved by Don Bartolome Coromina.
