DKL Home

Philippine Cattle Certificates
1906 to 1935


W-792
W-793

PAGE CONTENTS
Table of Types Table of Serial Numbers
Watermark Examples Serial Numbers
Article Narrative Full Document Examples
Search This Site

TABLE 1—Inscribed "Government of the Philippine Islands"
Type Water-
mark		 Serial
Number (UR)		 Form #
UL		 Code
#'s (LL)		 Date Order # (LL)
W-792 W-793 W-792 W-793
I Rolleston 5.2/4.5mm* None 1100s 190 41516-4 41515-4
II None Rolleston 5.2/4.5mm None 1100s 190 73129-3None
III Birchwood 4.5mm None 1100s 19 73129-3 41515-4
IV & IVA** Rolleston 4.5mm None 1100s 191 7-107 7-85***
V Eagle 4.5mm None 1100s 191 7-107 7-85***
VI None 4.5mm None 1100s 191 7-107 7-85***
VII Keith 4.5mm None 500s 191 7-107 7-85
VIII — None 4.5mm None 500s 191 7-107 —
— VIII 19 — 7-85***
IX None None 4.5mm None 500s 192__ 10-107 None
X — None 4.5mm w/No. None 500s 192__ 10-107—
— X 19 —7-85***
XI — None/Luna 4.5mm w/No. 29 500s 192__ 10-107 —
— XI 28 19 — 7-85***
XII — None 4.5mm w/No. 29 500s 19___ 10-107 —
— XII 28 19 — 10-106
* = Serial numbers are RED on ownership as well as transfer certificates
** = Type IVA, W-792 only, has a green fiscal stamp and serial number instead of blue
*** = Reverse, transfer certificates may have print ordering numbers on the reverse side as indicated

TABLE 1A—Certificate of Ownership (Blue) Serial Numbers
Type Date Quantity (Est) Range (Estimated)
I 1906 500,000 1—500,000
II 1908 200,000 500,001—700,000
III 1909 100,000 700,001—800,000
IV 1912 600,000 800,001—1,400,000
IVA 1914 600,000 1,400,001—2,000,000
V 1915 500,000 2,000,001—2,500,000
VI 1917 750,000 2,500,001—3,250,000
VII 1919 750,000 3,250,001—4,000,000
VIII 1920 750,000 4,000,001—4,750,000
IX 1922 1,500,000 4,750,001—6,250,000
X 1925 500,000 6,250,001—6,750,000
XI 1929 1,500,000 6,750,001—8,250,000
XII 1934 1,750,000 8,250,001—9,999,999
TABLE 1B—Certificate of Transfer (Red) Serial Numbers
Type Date Quantity (Est) Range (Estimated)
I 1906 490,000 1—490,000
III 1909 110,000 490,001—600,000
IV 1912 900,000 600,001—1,500,000
V 1915 500,000 1,500,001—2,000,000
VI 1917 1,000,000 2,000,001—3,000,000
VII 1919 500,000 3,000,001—3,500,000
VIII 1920 1,750,000 3,500,001—5,250,000
X 1925 500,000 5,250,001—5,750,000
XI 1929 1,000,000 5,750,001—6,750,000
XII 1934 1,000,000 6,750,001—7,750,000

Watermarks (Figures 1 to 5)

Types I, II, & IV          
Actual Size = 190x56mm          
          Type III
          Actual Size = 89x32mm

Type VII          
Actual Size = 73x37mm          
          Type X
          Actual Size = 95x11mm

Type V          
Actual Size = 108mm Diameter          

Serial Numbers (Figure 6)

5mm (Type II)
4.5mm (Type IX)
4.5mm with No. (Type XI)
Cattle Registration Stamped Papers - 1906-35

Act 1465 made Cattle certificates with a stamped fiscal mandatory effective July 1, 1906.  The Director of Printing, Manila, imprinted a fiscal stamp and serial number on each certificate.  The design and value of this fiscal was the same but differed in color.  Certificates of ownership used a blue stamp while transfer certificates were red.  With about 30 years of printings, there are many shades of the two stamps.  There is strong evidence that the form minus the stamp and number could have been printed by the Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.  For sure, the watermarked papers were manufactured in the United States.

The existence of watermarked certificates was first reported in the Philippine Philatelic Journal, second Quarter, 1992.  This report was based on the examination of hundreds of examples by Nemi L. Rivera.  However, it took additional research in 2001 by John Hunt to produce the classifications in this article.  Every example adds to our knowledge and even the author's few examples made this listing possible.  All collectors are urged to compare their holdings to this listing and contribute new findings.  The range of serial numbers is especially in need of revision and corrections to it will better fix the quantities issued of each type.

By the examination of both Table I and Table II, you can see we know more about the ownership certificates than transfer ones.  The serial numbers indicate that about 2 million more ownership certificates were made than transfers.  However, actual examples of transfer certificates are even harder to find than these quantities indicate.  The lower printing levels of transfer certificates resulted in no printings of Type I and IX certificates.

The watermarks (Figures 1-5) varieties are easy to identify.  The watermarks may deteriate but enough is always visible to identify.  It is believed that most of the Type XI ownership certificates are unwatermarked.  However, John Hunt owns serial number 7233036 with a LUNA BOND watermark.  It is believed that this watermark only appears on a very small portion of the drying screen probably at the end of one side of the paper rolls.  It is very rare and more information is needed.

Figure 6 illustrates the serial numbers.  The two sizes of serial numbers are easy to measure.  The serial number is the same color as the stamp except for Type I.  All Type I certificates use red ink.  Also note that for Types X, XI and XII the abbreviation for number is printed as part of the serial number with a period under the "o" of "No."  In Figure 6, The "No." (period after the "No") you see on the first two serial numbers followed by a row of dots(under the number) are printed as part of the form in black.  There is a strange progression in the size of the serial number in Type I and II.  On the ownership certificates, The large serial number used on Type I continues into Type II but then changes to a smaller size.  The latter variety is Type IIA.  This progression is expected.  However, for the transfer certificates, the first serial number observed is a small number that changes later to a large number.  The small transfer number is Type IA.  This is not expected as there is no Type II and Type III reverts back to a small number again.  The only theory I have that could explain this is that at least two printing machines were used to affix serial numbers.  For the first 3-4 years, two type fonts were available and used.  About 1910, only the large 5.2mm font seems to have been available. The following chart shows these differences:

TYPE I AND II VARIETIES
Serial# Height W-792 (blue) W-793 (red)
4.5mm IIA I
5.2mm II IA

The form number only appears on Type XI and XII.  Transfer certificates read "Municipal Form No. 28 (A)" in both English and Spanish with the English on top in a larger font size.  Form 29 is used for ownership certificates.

There is a notice in the lower left that identifies the applicable Act or Section of the Administrative Code.   For Types I through VII, the reference is to Acts 1147 and 1465 and is the same for both ownership and transfer certificates.  For Types VII to XII, the notice is different for ownership versus transfer certificates but in the five hundreds.  Ownership certificates cite Sections 517 and 519 while transfer certificates cite 511-536.  All notices (Types I to XII) are in English and Spanish, again the English on top in a larger font size.

The date and print order number are needed to separate certain types.  This includes Type I from II, Type VIII from IX, and Type XI from XII.  The date year is printed in the second line under the title.  The year is printed with a 19, 190, 191, or a 192 with or without a line following.  The print order number is printed in the lower left under the Notice.  However, starting with Type IV of transfer certificates only, it is located on the reverse side.  Also notice that the print order number does not change from 7-85 on the reverse of transfer certificates from Type IV to XI.  However, for transfer Type XII certificates, it returns to the front as 10-106.

Only 4 examples of a Type I Certificate of Ownership (blue) are known.  Figure 7 shows an example with serial number 417229 (in red).  This certificate is dated March 2, 1909.  Only three examples of a Type I certificate of transfer (red) are known.  The earliest reported number is 328,346.  Figure 8 shows a Type IV Certificate of Transfer (red) with serial number 1121818 (red).  Figure 9, shows a portion of a high number Type XII dated July 10, 1935 with a 9,253,663 serial number.  Type XII Ownership documents can not exceed number 9,999,999 since the number sequence stamping machine was limited to seven digits.

There is one more major variety based on a color shade.  Normally, one has to be careful with shades as many early inks used in Manila took on new shades if exposed to sunlight.  However, we have a genuine color variety for the blue W-792, Type IV.  The first half of this printing was blue. The second half of the printing is a definite green although some may call it blue-green.  Table II shows the division of color by serial number based on about 25 examined certificates.  The color differences apply to both the fiscal stamp and the serial number.  Type IVA is the greenish variety.

A follow up article will discuss the remaining Commonwealth, JapOcc, and Victory certificates to 1946.  There are three more watermarks in these issues but only a total of approximately eight more Types.




Figure 7—Type I (collection of John Hunt)


Figure 8—Type IV


Figure 9—Type XII

Search for a specific Warren Number or my entire website for information.
(Once on the web page, use the browser FIND option)


Search Options

You are visitor to this website since January 2000.

Page Top