HABILITADOS
Habilitados are known from various offices other than Mexico City. Because they are sometimes difficult to identify it is possible that they are in peoples collections and the collectors do not even know that they have one. So it is possible that there are many unreported habilitados.
Most of the habilitados reported, that have a recognizable dates, were used in March, April and May of 1872. But because the numbers of reported habilitados is small (perhaps 5 dozen), dates could be found that are earlier or later. It is just that so far no dates earlier than March have been reported, and the latest recognizable date reported is the first week in May.
The combinations of usage reported are numerous, but the number of offices where the habilitados were actually used is much smaller. By far the largest user was Veracruz. Most of the habilitados have a Veracruz name and were used there. Other offices using habilitados were Puebla and Aguascalientes. Mexico has been reported also, but each time the stamp with the gothic Mexico is presented it has been found to be a fake. So far not a single Mexico City usage can be confirmed. But it is possible that a district Mexico stamp will be used in an office other than Mexico City.
There really was not any need for them to use the habilitado procedure in Mexico City. Since they had the "Anotado" overprint that was provided for the purpose, it seems remote that a clerk would use the habilitado procedure.
1868 Issue of Mexico, The Great Postal
Fraud
Habilitados