Album Weeds – Belgium

Issue of 1861. 1 Centime, green. Unperforated.

Issue of 1863. Perforated 12 1/2 x 13 1/2, and 14 x 14 1/2.

Genuine

Engraved in taille-douce, on thin, white, wove paper; varieties as above. The background of the central medallion is formed of fine, crossed, vertical and horizontal lines. The letters of POSTES have distinct, dark outlines round them, and are very nicely formed. The ornamental leaf to the left of the P passes distinctly behind that letter. The face of the King is shaded all over, except the center of the fore- head and under each eye. His head is turned towards the right of the stamp, but his eyes are looking very decidedly to the left of it. Three of the horizontal lines of the background can be seen, between the top of his head and the top of the oval under ST of POSTES. The letters of UN CENTIME stand out well from the leafage behind them, being so very much darker. The ink of all the thick lines stands up above the surface of the paper, as is usual in a taille-douce engraving.

Forged

Coarsely lithographed, in mauve, on thin, yellowish-white wove paper; unperforated. The color, of course, instantly condemns the present counterfeit; but I dare say it exists in green also, though I have not seen it. The background of the central medallion is composed of a sort of grained pattern, apparently produced by thick, horizontal lines, crossed by oblique lines, running down from left to right. The letters of POSTES do not show any outlines round them, being simply white, on an almost solid, dark background; they are very poorly shaped, especially the E. The ornamental leaf to the left of the P does not go behind that letter at all, or even touch it. The forehead has no shading at all on it, and there is a very large, unshaded space under the right eye. The eyes seem to be looking almost straight towards the spectator, and the expression of the face is heavy and stupid. There are no lines of the background to be seen, between the top of the head and the top of the oval. The letters of UN CENTIME are almost invisible, as they are too faint, and the background is too dark. The ink, as is usual in a lithograph, is all perfectly flat on the paper. Even if printed in the proper color, I do not think this forgery would be at all likely to deceive any but a mere tyro.

Postmarks

Genuine.—38, 76 (with numerals in the center). Forged. —29.

Bogus Stamp

The 10c. of 1869 is occasionally to be met with in a pale sky-blue, a rather pretty shade. This is simply the ordinary green stamp, changed from green to blue by means of chemicals.

From: ‘Album Weeds’, 3rd edition by R. B. Eareé. 1906