12 stamps were issued during 1944, the 3rd year of Japanese occupation of the Philippines, along with a single souvenir sheet. 6 of these stamps were prior releases that were simply overprinted with thick black bars to remove any reference to the Unites States of America. All but one stamp was surcharged as part of the overprinting process. Scott # PH NO2, NO5, NO6 and NO7 were overprinted with “(K. P.)” indicating it was intended for official business. The souvenir sheet and stamps (PH N32, 32a, 33, 33a, 34, 34a) depicted Filipino patriots (Rizal, Mabini and Burgos) – perhaps in an attempt by the Japanese to garner more support from the local Filipino people.
Note: Below you will see souvenir sheets with Jose Laurel stamps. The stamps were released in 1944 on first day covers only. They were not officially released and sold for postal use until 12th January 1945.
Covers/Cachets and More
Note: The information below shows items from my personal collection - it is not intended to be a catalog of all other philatelic products that were released during this year.