Mexico 1856 Hidalgo Issue, First Stamps of Mexico

Mexico · 1856 · 1/2 real

This stamp features a portrait of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a key figure in the Mexican War of Independence. As the first postage stamp issued by Mexico, it is a classic of 19th-century philately, known for its crude engraving and the use of district overprints to prevent theft.

Issued in 1856, this stamp marks Mexico's entry into the postal union system, reflecting a period of modernization and national identity formation following decades of internal conflict.