Authorized by a decree of November 2, 1897
and were on sale by mid-December of 1897.

Due to the low stocks on hand of the 1 centavo stamps and in anticipation 
of the increased demand for its use to frank Christmas and New Year greeting cards, 
the Director of Posts sent 2,00 sheets (200,000 stamps) of the 12 centavos value to the 
Tipografia nacional in November 1897 for surcharing in violet as follows:

UN
CENTAVO
1898

Despite the “1898” year, these stamps were sold as early as mid-December 1897.