Album Weeds – Cape of Good Hope

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1853-58. Blued & White paper. 1d., 4d., 6d. and 1s.

Genuine

Finely engraved, in taille-douce, on rather stout, rough wove paper, bleuté or white, according to the date of issue; watermarked with an anchor, which is, however, not always very easy to see. The stock, or crossbar, of this anchor is 2 mm. wide, and 7 1/2 mm. long. The ornament at the top of the stamp, above the head, is a sort of flower, of 8 petals—four large, pointed oval ones, with four small, pear-shaped ones between them. The center of this flower is a colored dot, surrounded by a circular ring, but the whole is frequently blotched into one large dot. There are no colored lines radiating from this central ring. The ornaments in the other two corners show a dot in the center, surrounded by a somewhat oval ring, and from the ring proceed four colored lines, one into each of the larger petals. In good specimens, these lines extend almost to the very tips of the two horizontal petals, though the vertical ones do not go to the tips of the upper and lower petals. The face has a fairly pleasing expression, but the chin is rather retreating. The profile shows an indentation, where the nose joins the forehead; i.e., the nose is not in the same line with the forehead. There is no projecting tuft, where the hair begins, on the forehead. The chignon is decidedly small and unobtrusive; it is generally shaded nearly all over, and does not touch the scalloped outline, under the value. A line, drawn centrally along the stem of the anchor, would just touch the bottom of the C of CAPE; and a similar line, drawn along the top of the outline of the right knee, would pass almost through the center of the S of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot reaches to the center of the vertical stroke of the P of CAPE; i.e., if a line were drawn vertically upwards, through the center of this stroke, it would just touch the tip of the great toe. The hair and chignon stand out very little from the background. The left hand appears to be closed, except that one finger is slightly extended. In the right hand, the thumb and first finger are very distinct, but the other fingers are almost invisible, and are much shorter than the first finger. The end of the head of the anchor is slightly pointed, and the outline of the thick part of the fluke or barb of the upper arm of the said anchor is cut off obliquely, by a line that, if prolonged downwards, would cut through the center of the first O of GOOD. The point of the fluke of the lower arm of the anchor comes almost to the very edge of the rock on which it lies. T h e background, behind the figure, is composed of engine-turned lines, but set so very close together that, at a little distance, it looks perfectly solid, and there are no scratchy lines on the said background, between the value and the rock. The point of the great toe of the right foot is exactly above the center of the E of CAPE, and the foot itself is nicely shaped—the profile of the toes being of normal thickness. There is no flaw in the upper part of the frame round the flower, in the left lower corner of the stamp. In the scalloped line along I lie top of the name-label, one point of a scallop is above the center of (he C of CAPE, another above the right top corner of the A, and another above the right of the center of the P of that word.

First Forgery

I first saw this in 1891, and it was then the best counterfeit of this issue that had appeared up to that time. Very nicely engraved, in taille-douce, on very stout, rough, yellowish-white wove paper, brownish gum, no watermark. The only value which I possess is the One Shilling, which is printed in bright chestnut-brown, bluish-green, yellow-green, and a very yellowish, olive-green,—a most peculiar colour. The ornament at the top of the stamp, above the head, has a very tiny ring, not quite in the center, and round this is an oval ring, from which proceed four dark rays into the four large petals of the flower; these rays do not exist in the genuine. The ornaments in the lower corners of the stamp are fairly like the genuine; except that the dark rays are much too short, and do not extend to anywhere near the ends of the leaves. The rays in the left-hand ornament are not truly at right angles with each other. The face has a disagreeable expression, and the profile is almost a straight line from the top of the forehead to the tip of the nose, without any indentation. There is a ridiculous tuft or knob, in front of the forehead, just where the hair begins. This is an easy test. In the genuine, there is a tiny white spot in the engine-turning of the background, very near the forehead, and the forgers have mistaken this (very inconspicuous) dot for part of the hair. The chignon is too white, and too large, and consists of three large folds of hair; whereas, in the genuine, there seem to be only two folds, so far as I can make out. A line drawn centrally through the stem of the anchor would pass through the very middle of the C of CAPE, and a similar line, drawn along the top of the outline of the knee (which, however, in this forgery, is much more rounded and curved than in the genuine), would cut through the center of the O of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot reaches about as far as the genuine, but the great toe is too big, and looks swollen. All five toes are quite distinct,—more so than in the genuine. The point of the toe of the right foot is thicker than the genuine, and has not the same slightly upward curve; it seems to lie very close to the little toe of the left foot, owing to the absence of the shading which separates them in the genuine. The hair and chignon stand out too prominently from the background. The left hand is open, and shows four fingers, but no thumb. The right hand is also open, and shows a thumb and three fingers, the second finger being distinctly longer than the first. The end of the head of the anchor is smoothly rounded. The flukes of the anchor are cut in, almost like the barb of a fish-hook, and the outline of the barb of the upper half of the anchor, if prolonged, would cut into the D of GOOD. The point of the lower fluke does not reach the bottom outline of the rock. The engine-turned lines of the background are far too distinct and separate; they are wavy, horizontal lines, crossed by oblique ones, which run down from left to right. In the genuine, no particular pattern can be discerned. A point of the scalloped line, above the name, touches the left top corner of the A of CAPE, and another touches the exact center of the P. All the lettering looks too large and prominent, being 1 3/4 mm. high, instead of 1 1/2 mm.

Second Forgery

This is quite new to me (1902), and decidedly dangerous, though hardly so finely executed as the one just described. Nicely engraved, in taille-douce, on thick, rather rough, very white wove paper, white gum, “watermarked” with an impressed anchor, the stock or cross-bar of which, when visible, is only about f mm. wide, by about 5 mm. long. There is a full set; but the background is not exactly the same in all; the One Penny is in deep carmine, almost lake; the Fourpence is in sky-blue, and in deep blue, inclining to indigo; the Sixpence is a cold purple; the One Shilling is a very deep yellow-green, and also emerald- green. Of the four, the Fourpence is the poorest. The lowest petal of the ornament at the top of the stamp has a tiny piece out of the middle of its left side, like a little, colored dot. The center of this ornament, in the 1d., seems to have two little rings, side by side, inside the central ring; in the 4d., the ring has a dark dot, to left of the center, inside the ring, and three dots outside the ring, at its upper part; in the 6d., it is an oval ring, inside a circular one ; and, in the is., it is something like the 6d., except that the outside ring is broken at the left side. The radiating lines in the ornaments in the lower corners of the stamp are much too short; one of the said lines, in the left-hand corner, is crooked, or bent; and there is a dark flaw, across the top outline of the diamond-shaped frame, round the ornament in the left-hand corner, where the engraver’s tool has slipped over the boundary. This flaw does not exist in the genuine, or in.any of the other forgeries. The face is fairly agreeable, but the nose is somewhat too fat and rounded, while the chin comes well forward. The forehead and nose, like the genuine, are not in one straight line. The chignon is too large and conspicuous in the 4d., though not so much so in the other values. In the 4d., it not only touches the scalloped outline of the frame behind it, but one of the scallops actually cuts into it. In the other values, the chignon does not touch the frame. In all the values, it seems to be one fold, or mass of hair, tied round, close to the head, with another band of hair. A line drawn up through the center of the vertical stroke of the P of CAPE would pass decidedly to the left of the point of the big toe of the left foot. The thumb and two fingers of the right hand are quite distinct; one of the fingers being shapeless and clumsy. There is a distinct point to the head of the anchor, and it is not in the very center of the bow or arch, but too low. One great test for the Fourpence is the background. In front of the seated figure, it is fairly like the genuine, though the lines are too plain; but, at the back of the figure, the lines are extremely scratchy and irregular. The other values are not so scratchy at this place; the is. is the best in this respect. The thick part of the upper fluke or barb of the anchor is cut off obliquely, by a line that, if prolonged downwards, would pass a little to the right of the center of the first O of GOOD. The right foot ends above the center of the E of CAPE, as in the genuine; but it is badly shaped, with the instep very thick, and the toe runs out to a long, slender point, not coming near to the little toe of the left foot. In the scalloped line, along the top of the name-label, there is one point of a scallop over the end of the C of CAPE, none over the A, and one over the end of the P of that word. Notwithstanding all these differences, the general appearance of this forgery is so good, that I must warn my readers to be careful.

Third Forgery

This is a very poor and coarse production, compared with the two just described. Coarsely lithographed, on thin, smooth, greenish, or very white wove paper, no watermark. The greenish paper is intended to represent the bleuté of the earliest Penny and Fourpence. The petals of the floral ornament at the top of the stamp are all very thin and ” scraggy.” The ornament in the left bottom corner shows a very oval ring, round which is another, from which the four dark lines radiate; the one running upwards goes almost to the very top of the leaf; though (his is usually the shortest of the four in the genuine. The face is not unlike the portraits of Mr. Balfour, and the shading on the cheek is exactly like a whisker. The chignon is very small and inconspicuous. The nose is too short, in proportion to the face; the chin comes forward, and is pointed. A line drawn centrally along the stem of the anchor would cut through the middle of the P of CAPE; and a similar line, drawn along the upper outline of the knee, would go through the upper part of the s of POSTAGE. The left foot is very badly shaped, having apparently had some operation performed to the little toe, which is more or less bent away from the rest. The great toe reaches to the middle of the p of CAPE, as though the artist was not quite sure whether it was a little toe, or a heel. A line drawn upwards, through the center of the vertical stroke of the P of CAPE, would just touch the point of the great toe, as in the genuine. The left hand is doubled up into a fist, and the right hand is open, showing two fingers and a thumb, the first finger being absurdly thick and swollen. The head and flukes of the anchor are like the genuine, though the head is slightly more pointed. The white spot in the engine-turning, just opposite to the place where the hair and forehead join, is very much too prominent, and is round. In the genuine, it is a tiny, white dash, higher up than the front of the hair. The lines in the background, to represent the fine engine-turning of the genuine, are clumsy and blotched together, presenting a more or less mottled appearance. This forgery is not dangerous.

Fourth Forgery

Very coarsely lithographed, on rather thick, fairly smooth, white wove paper, no watermark, ungummed. I do not know how the sheets of the genuine were arranged, but I have sheets of all the values of this counterfeit, and they are in three rows, of five pairs of stamps in each row,—30 stamps in all. The floral ornament in the top corner is very poor, as the petals or lobes are hardly separated from each other. The radiating lines in the ornaments in the lower corners are short and very faint; the lowest one in the right-hand ornament, being like a slit in the leaf, and running to the left, instead of vertically downwards. The face is quite that of an imbecile, with a long upper lip, a more or less open mouth, and a very retreating chin. The profile is almost a straight line, from the top of the forehead to the tip of the nose. The chignon is practically invisible; it is merely a small, white dot. A line drawn centrally along the stem of the anchor would cut into the foot of the P of CAPE. The tip of the left foot extends very little further than the space between PE; the said foot is badly shaped, and there are no toes visible; in fact, the foot is in profile, like the other, instead of showing five toes. The heel of the left foot is like a boot-heel. The right hand shows a thumb, and one finger; the left hand shows three fingers. The anchor is thin, and poorly drawn, and the bottom fluke comes to the very edge of the rock. The background is exceedingly coarse, being composed of slightly wavy, crossed lines. The engine-turning, behind the lettering, is represented by almost straight, colored lines, on a white background, and these, also, are very coarse. The letters have a ragged, unfinished look about them, and they are not all alike in height and thickness. In the 1d. and 4d., there is no separation between the words of value, and the O of FOUR is squeezed flat at the bottom. In the 6d., the words of value are smaller than the rest of the lettering; and, in the is., the letters of ONE are considerably larger than those of SHILLING, and the O very nearly touches the frame to left of it. The line along the top of the name-label is not scalloped, but is formed of pairs of short lines (= = =). I do not think this forgery ought to deceive any but a tyro, yet I constantly get specimens from amateurs to know whether they are genuine or not.

Postmarks

Genuine.—The most usual is something like 30 (only it is a triangle, instead of a diamond), with a blank center, and with large outlined letters, C, G, H, near the corners of the triangle. I have also seen the name of a town, in block lettering, arranged in an oval form, without outline. Also name of a town, in a large, outlined oval.

First Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Second Forgery.—A diamond, like 30, but much elongated, with blank center.

Third Forgery.—41, 62, 98.

Fourth Forgery.—98.

Bogus stamp

One Penny, blue.

I have a specimen of the one penny of this issue which, at a distance, resembles the fourpence. Knowing that the issue next to be described contained a 1d., blue, the fakers have dyed the whole stamp, paper and all, to a blue, very like that of the 4d. of this issue. Such a stamp, of course, never existed.

NOTE.—After the interregnum, which was filled up by the “block- printed” provisionals of 1861, described below, the printing of the stamps, from Messrs. Perkins, Bacon, and Co.’s plates of the issue just dissected, was continued by Messrs. De la Rue and Co., in slightly different colors; but it will be understood that the tests which I have given are the same for the stamps of both printings. The 1d., with watermark of Crown and C C, often cataloged, is only a proof.

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_5 Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_61861. 1d., red, blue; 4d., blue, red.

These are what are commonly called the “block-printed” stamps. The 1d., blue, and the 4d., red, are errors, arising from a cliche of each getting into the sheet of the other value; so that there was a 4d. on each sheet of the id. value, and a 1d. on each sheet of the 4d. The stamps were engraved in the colony, pending the arrival of a new supply from England, and are very rough.

One Penny.

Genuine

Block-printed on yellowish-white laid paper, rather thin. In many copies, the laid lines are not at all conspicuous. At the top of the stamp, above the head of the figure, there is a sort of star, formed by five roughly-circular white dots, arranged in the form of a cross, with four thin, long white dots between the spaces of the four outer, large round ones. To put it clearer, there is a large round white dot in the center, surrounded by four large, round white dots, and four long, thin dots, placed alternately. A line drawn centrally along the stem of the anchor would cut through the middle of the E of CAPE, and a line drawn along Hp upper outline of the right knee would pass centrally through the S of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot reaches just as far as the beginning of the P of CAPE. The right foot, which crosses over the left, reaches to the beginning of the E of CAPE. The chignon is round and distinct, though small; and it is placed just under the first stroke of the N of ONE. The projecting piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, is nicely shaped, and shaded. There is no white line round the outside of the stamp. The lettering, in all good and unflattened specimens, stands ti|i well from the paper, being slightly embossed in the press; and one edge of the stamp, generally the one outside the value-label, is quite deeply sunk into the paper. The O of ONE very nearly touches the. white line to the left of it. There are no white lines in any of the frames, and the white lines under POSTAGE and ONE PENNY, and above CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, are single, and straight. The figure of Hope is bald-headed, her eye is more or less round, and she is looking down, apparently contemplating her own right knee. The upper fluke of the anchor, if prolonged, would cut into her left arm, well below the elbow, but not near the hand. The lower fluke of the anchor is deeply buried in the ground, and quite invisible. It will be understood, of course, that the background of the stamp, both in the 1d. and the 4d., is solid, without any indication of engine-turned lines. The name and value-labels are also solid.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on very stout, yellowish-white wove paper. The ornament in the top corner of the stamp is a sort of asterisk, showing a very small, white dot in the center, surrounded by eight small dots, more or less round, and all of about equal size. A line drawn centrally along the stem of the anchor would cut centrally through the A of CAPE. A line drawn along the upper outline of the knee would just touch the foot of the P of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot reaches to the middle of the P of CAPE, and the tip of the right foot reaches to the middle of the E of that word. The chignon is almost invisible, and it is too high up, so that the first stroke of the N of ONE, if prolonged, would almost pass below it without touching it. The projecting piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, is shaped almost like a heart, and is altogether unshaded, except for the thick line which outlines the curve of the anchor. There is a white line all round the outside of the stamp, inside the red edge. The lettering is not embossed, and no edge of the stamp is sunk into the paper. The O of ONE is more than half a millimeter distant from the white line to the left of it. The figure of Hope has a very skeleton-looking head; her eye is roughly triangular, with the point downwards, and she appears to be looking slightly downwards, towards the T of POSTAGE. The upper fluke of the anchor is not visible in my specimen, but if it were, it would, if prolonged, almost cut into the elbow. The lower part of the head or bow of anchor is visible, but it has no proper fluke.

Second Forgery

This is not in my possession, and I only took one or two hasty notes at a time when I had no genuine specimens to compare with it. The left foot of the figure is absurdly long and thin, and reaches to a little before the beginning of the P of CAPE. The words CAPE OF GOOD HOPE are very close together, so as almost to look like one single word. The stamp is lithographed, on white wove paper.

Third Forgery

I saw this some little time ago, and fear that it is dangerous. The impression is apparently in wood-block, like that of the genuine, and on both laid and wove paper. I have no tests, but trust that the description of the genuine given above may suffice for the detection of this counterfeit.

Fourth Forgery

Lithographed, in brick-red, ultramarine, and Prussian-blue, on stout, hard, very white wove paper. The star at the top of the stamp shows a small, white dot, surrounded by eight long, white dots, all about the same size; and the whole is much more distinct than in the genuine. The tip of the left foot hardly reaches to the middle of the P of CAPE. The other foot is not visible. By the way, in this forgery, the foot looks more as though it belonged to the right leg, which is crossed over the other. There is no chignon, but Hope wears a white wreath or tiara. All the lettering is very distinct, but it does not stand up from the paper. The C of CAPE is very badly shaped. None of the edges of the stamp are sunk into the paper. The O of ONE is even further from the end of the label than it is in the first forgery. The face of Hope is much better-looking than in the genuine, or any of the other counterfeits. There is dark hair under the wreath, and the eye is a transverse oblong, going nearly across the face. She holds her head straight up, and appears to be looking forwards at the G of POSTAGE. The upper fluke of the anchor, in this forgery, is an easy test, as it is an arrow-head, and points to the hand. The lower fluke is visible, and shows even slightly below the edge of the piece of ground.

Fifth Forgery

Lithographed, in a sort of rose-pink, on thick, yellowish-white wove paper. The ornament at the top of the stamp has a round, dark center, and shows eight rays, joined together at their bases, so as to make a sort of wheel, without a tyre. A line drawn along the center of the stem of the anchor would cut centrally through the O of OF. There seem to be only a few oblique lines of drapery, in place of the left foot, and the front of this drapery is just above the end of the P of CAPE. The right foot reaches nearly to the middle of the E of that word. The head is rather covered by the postmark, but it appears to be decidedly larger than the genuine, with hair and chignon heavily shaded. The face has a very sulky expression, and eye, nostril, and mouth are all visible. The ground, to right of the anchor, is shaded with horizontal, and, at the end, with vertical lines, though these are not shown in the genuine. The lettering does not stand up at all from the paper. The o of ONE is as far from the end of the label, as the E of that word is from the P of PENNY. There are horizontal white lines of shading at the ends of all three outer labels, before and after POSTAGE, ONE PENNY, and CAPE OF GOOD HOPE; and the inner lines of the frame, which form the central triangle, are double, and wavy, instead of single and straight. The head of the anchor shows a decided point, much more so than in the genuine, and the lower fluke is plainly visible. I do not think this forgery is very likely to deceive.

Sixth Forgery

Coarsely lithographed, on rather thin, yellowish-white wove paper. I only have this in pale blue (soi-disant error) but no doubt it also exists in red. The ornament in the top corner is a fairly large, round white dot, with four similar dots round it, making a cross, and very faint indications of four thin, longish dots between the arms. A line drawn along the center of the stem of the anchor would cut through the middle of the G of GOOD; and a line drawn along the outline of the knee would cut into the lower part of the S of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot reaches to the center of the P of CAPE, and the right foot, which crosses over, reaches to the center of the E of that word. Hope seems to have a white cap, resting on dark hair; and the first stroke of the N of ONE, if prolonged downwards, would pass to the right of the cap. The projecting piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, ends in a sharp point. There is a white line round the outside edge of the stamp, and no edge is sunk into the paper. The lettering does not stand up. The O of ONE is a long way from the end of the label. Hope is very round-shouldered, her mouth is plainly visible, and she is looking straight forward, at the G of POSTAGE. The anchor has no flukes.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As in the first issue.

First Forgery.—80, 101 (with an extra ring).
Second Forgery.—I do not remember the cancellations.

Third Forgery.—I do not remember the cancellations.

Fourth Forgery.—Uncancelled. Also an imitation of the triangle of parallel lines, with outline letters, C, G, H, in the angles, but the lines are too thin, and the cancellation is lithographed.

Fifth Forgery.—54, larger, with blank center.

Sixth Forgery.—98, lines thicker and closer.

1861. Fourpence, blue, red.

Genuine

Engraving, paper, etc., as in the genuine one penny; ornament at the top of the stamp ditto. A line, drawn along the outline of the knee, would just graze the left lower corner of the s of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot extends to the center of the P of CAPE, and the tip of the right foot to rather further than the center of the E of that word. The heel of the right foot is over the commencement of the O of OF. The chignon is decidedly larger than in the one penny, and is under the center of the O of FOUR. The projecting piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, is the same as in the one penny in shape, but has more shading on it. The left-hand vertical edge of the F of FOUR is rather more than 1/2 mm. from the end of the label. There is no white line round the outside of the stamp, and the slight embossing of the letters, and the one sunk edge of the stamp, are the same as in the one penny. The inscription, FOUR PENCE, is 19 1/2 mm. long, and the word POSTAGE is 19 mm. long, while the name is 29 1/2 mm. long. The dark mark, representing the eye, usually seems to run to the hair, and down to the nostril, thus forming two sides of a triangle. The head is bent down, as in the one penny. Both flukes of the anchor are visible, and the upper fluke, if prolonged, would cut into the arm, somewhat below the elbow, as in the one penny.

First Forgery

This is very like the first forgery of the one penny. It is lithographed, in dull ultramarine, on stout, very yellowish-white wove paper. The ornament at the top of the stamp is a very small white dot, surrounded by eight small dots, of about equal size. A line drawn along the outline of the knee would just graze the left side of the bottom of the O of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot is above the center of the P of CAPE; that is to say, a line drawn up, along the right-hand edge of the vertical stroke of the P, would just about touch the tip of the foot. The other foot does not seem to be defined, but my specimens have a postmark just there, so I am unable to speak positively. However, what is intended for the heel of the right foot is decidedly to the left of the o of OF. The chignon is a very small white knob, and it is under the beginning of the 0 of FOUR. The projecting piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, is shaped something like a heart, without any shading, except the colored line that divides it from the anchor. The left-hand vertical edge of the F of FOUR is less than 1/2 mm. from the end of the label. There is a white line round the stamp, and no edge is sunk into the paper, neither is there any embossing of the lettering. The inscription, FOUR PENCE, is 19 mm. long; POSTAGE is 17 1/2 mm. long, and the name is 28 1/4 mm. long. The head is quite bald, and the blotch, representing the eye, runs down, so as almost to obliterate the nose. The head is very nearly upright, and the face seems to be looking almost in the direction of the A of POSTAGE. The anchor has no flukes, and the upper part, if prolonged, would very nearly touch the elbow.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in deep blue, or in red, on stout, yellowish-white wove paper. The ornament in the top corner is rather like that in the first forgery of the one penny, but the central white dot is very large. A line drawn along the outline of the knee would pass just clear to the left of the S of POSTAGE. The tip of the left foot extends further than in the genuine, so that a line, drawn up through the center of the vertical stroke of the P of CAPE, would actually cut into it. The tip of the left foot ends just above the left-hand edge of the E of that word. The heel of this foot is almost centrally above the space between the two words, CAPE OF. The chignon is a small spike, which, if prolonged, would pass along the outer edge of the o of FOUR. The projecting piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, is covered by the postmark in my specimen, but it seems to have far less shading upon it than the genuine. The F of FOUR is even closer to the end of the label than the genuine is. The lettering is not embossed, and there is no sunk edge to the stamp. The inscription, FOUR PENCE, is 18 1/2 mm. long, measuring from the upright edge of the F to the end of the E. POSTAGE, measured the same way, is only 17 1/2 mm. long, and the name is 28 mm. long. The dark mark, representing the eye, is similar to that of the first forgery of the one penny. The anchor is covered by the postmark, in my specimen, so I am not sure whether it has flukes or not. There is no white line round the stamp in this counterfeit. The lettering is decidedly better than in the first forgery, and the head is slightly bent down, as though looking towards the T of POSTAGE. At a first glance, the figure seems almost the same as in the first forgery; but, in this counterfeit, the dark line, coming down from the ear, joins the oblique line that runs across the breast, whereas they are quite separate in the first forgery.

Third Forgery

This is new to me (1902), and is, in some respects, dangerous. Block-printed, in red (I have not got this in blue), on thick, hard, yellowish-white laid paper. The ornament at the top of the stamp is very like the genuine. The outline of the knee is covered by the postmark, but I fancy it slopes much more than the genuine. The tip of the left foot extends to above the center of the P of CAPE; the other foot is hidden by the postmark. The chignon and face are very like the genuine. The piece of ground, to the right of the anchor, appears to be in two steps at 1he end. The left-hand, vertical edge of the F of FOUR is less than 1/2 mm. from the end of the label. In my specimen, the POSTAGE edge of the stamp is sunk into the paper, and all the lettering is slightly embossed. The inscription, FOUR PENCE, is 19 mm. long; POSTAGE is 18 1/2 mm. long, and the name is 29 1/2 mm. long, this last measurement being the same as the genuine. The upper fluke of the anchor is too large and clumsy, while the lower fluke, as far as I can make out, is buried in the ground. In this forgery, the right limb of the T of POSTAGE hangs down very much more than the left; and, if this is always the case, it will be an easy test; as, in the genuine, the left limb hangs down very slightly more than the right,—just the opposite of the forgery.

Fourth Forgery

This is very much the same as the fourth forgery of the one penny, but is not nearly so nicely printed. It is lithographed, in rather deep blue, on yellowish-white wove paper. The ornament at the top of the stamp shows a very small, white dot, surrounded by eight longish, white dots, the alternate ones being small. The outline of the top of the knee is broken, so that the leg is entirely separate from the body, and the hand seems to be unsupported in the air, in the dark shading. The tip of the left foot does not nearly reach to the middle of the P of CAPE, and the other foot is absent. In this forgery, as in the fourth forgery of the one penny, the foot seems to belong to the right leg. There is no ehignon, but Hope wears a white tiara or wreath. There is a large, triangular patch of shading in the piece of ground, to right of the anchor. An easy test is, that the flukes of the anchor are arrow- shaped. The left-hand, vertical edge of the F of FOUR is F mm. from the end of the label. The lettering is not embossed, and none of the edges are sunk into the paper. FOUR PENCE is only 17 1/4 mm. long; POSTAGE is 16 mm. long, and the name is only 25 mm. long. The eye is long and horizontal, reaching to the front of the face. The head is held quite upright, looking towards the G of POSTAGE. The upper fluke of the anchor, if prolonged, would touch the hand. The c of CAPE is of the same shape as the malformed letter of the fourth forgery of the one penny.

Postmarks

Genuine.—The same as the genuine one penny.

First Forgery.—40, 41, 98, 101 (larger, with four circles).

Second. Forgery.—98. Also some red blotches Also some large black letters.

Third Forgery.—Like 41, but the lines are arranged as a triangle, instead of a diamond.

Fourth Forgery.—The triangle of bars, with outlined letters, C, G, H, in the angles, but thinner than the genuine.

 

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_7 Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_81864-90. 1/2d., 1d., 2d., 3d., 4d., 6d., 1s. & 5s

The stamps with the outer line do not seem to have been imitated; at any rate, I have seen no forgeries of them. My younger readers will please remember that the stamps of 1864-77, marked in the catalogs as “with narrow outer frame,” show a thin, colored line, outside the top and bottom, while there are three colored lines down the sides—a thick line between two thin ones. In the later issues, there is no line at the top or bottom, and only two lines down the sides. The forgeries now to be described are not at all dangerous.

Genuine

Engraved, in épargne, on white wove paper, perf. 14, watermark varying, as above, according to the date of issue. A line drawn down through the center of the G of GOOD, would cut into the hair of the figure of Hope, but would not touch the face; and a line drawn down, through the first o of the said word, would pass through the middle of the face. The eye, mouth, and horn of the ram are very plain and distinct. Hope wears a tiara. Her dress is fastened with a distinct brooch on each shoulder. The lower fluke of the anchor is diamond- shaped. The hand on the stock of the anchor shows four fingers and a thumb, the thumb being separate from the fingers. The stock of the anchor is bound round, in four places, by what seem to be three coils of rope, and the three coils are easy to see, in each case. The letters of the name are 1 mm. high. The C of CAPE’ is not at all like a G.

Forged

There seems to be only one set, but the stamps are very common; and this is rather surprising, for the average collector ought to be able to detect them at a glance. Lithographed, on very white wove paper, no watermark, pin-perforated 13. All the stamps are of the 1871 type, i.e., without the colored, outer line. I have only seen the 1d., 4d., 6d., 1s., and 5s. A line drawn down, through the center of the G of GOOD, would cut almost through the center of the face; and a similar line, drawn down through the first o of this word, would cut into the hair on the left side of the face (right side of the stamp), and hardly touch the face itself. The mouth of the ram is not visible in the heavy shading, the eye is a large, dim blotch, and the horn is too white, and only curls down and up, with a slight turn to the right at the tip; whereas, in the genuine, it curls down, up, and down again, i.e., the spiral has an extra turn. There does not seem to be any tiara on the head of Hope, and there are no brooches on her shoulders. The lower fluke of the anchor is shaped like an arrow-head. The hand on the stock of the anchor shows four fingers and no thumb. The said stock is bound round in lour places, as in the genuine, but some of the coils appear to be only double, instead of triple. The lettering of the value is really almost as 1 all as the genuine, but looks much smaller, in consequence of the label being more than 2 mm. broad, instead of about 1 1/2 mm. The C of CAPE is usually a distinct G.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 55, 56, 59. Also one similar to 35.

Forged.—98.

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_91868. Provisional Issue. Fourpence, surcharged on 6d., lilac.

In this stamp, the value is obliterated, by a broad bar of dull carmine, and the surcharge “Four Pence”, is printed near the top of the stamp, in the same colour as the bar, with a stop after the words. The stamp is, of course, the 6d. of 1864-77, with CC watermark.

Genuine

The surcharge is printed on the stamp, and the letters are sunk into the paper, more or less. From the left-hand edge of the upright stroke of the F, to the right-hand edge of the upright stroke of the R, the distance is exactly 6 mm. From the left-hand edge of the upright stroke of the P, to the right-hand edge of the final E, the distance is 8 mm. The lettering of the lower label can be seen through the colored bar.

Forged

The whole stamp is forged, and not merely the surcharge, so this counterfeit is not at all dangerous. The forgers, not being able to imitate properly the cancelling of the old value, have taken the forged 6d., already described, and removed the bottom part of the design altogether. In the blank space so left, they have lithographed a broad band of vermilion, with the words POSTAGE six PENCE, in white letters, the band, instead of being covered by it. The surcharged words, “Four Pence,” are in the same vermilion hue, being, of course, lithographed at the same time; they are not at all sunk into the paper. The distances, measured as before, are: F—r, 6 1/2 mm., instead of 6 mm.; P—e, 8 mm., the same as the genuine; but there is no stop after the surcharge. For the rest of the design, the tests are the same as in the forgeries of the issue just described.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

Forged.—98.

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_101880. Threepence, surcharged in black, on 4d., lilac-rose.

Genuine

The stamp is the type of the 4d. of 1871 (no outer line), but is printed in lilac-rose, instead of blue, watermark CC. The letters of the surcharge are very nearly 2 1/2 mm. high. From the left-hand end of the top of the T, to the right-hand end of the top of the last E, the surcharge is 15 1/2 mm. long; and from the bottom of the T to the bottom of the last E, it is 15 mm. long.

Forged

This is printed on the one penny, rose, of 1882, watermark CA, and is, therefore, bogus. The surcharge is about 2 3/4 mm. high, 17 mm. along the top, and about 16 1/2 mm. along the bottom, measured as before. It is in ragged, uneven letters, very badly printed. The CA watermark, and the original value of “one penny”, instead of “four pence”, are, of course, enough to condemn this stamp instantly.

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_111879. Threepence, in red, on 4d., blue.

Genuine

The stamp is the blue 4d. of 1871, without outer line, watermark CC, and the surcharge is in red. The letters are nearly 1 1/2 mm. high; THREE is 7 mm. in length, measured along the top; PENCE is mm. long, and the whole surcharge is nearly 15 mm. along the top. The red bar through the old value is 1 1/2 mm. broad.

Forged

This is printed in black, on the one penny, rose, of 1882, watermark CA, and is, therefore, altogether bogus. The letters are a shade over 1 1/2 mm. high; THREE is nearly 10 mm. long, measured as before; PENCE is 7 mm. long, and the whole surcharge is 16 mm. along the top. The black bar through the old value is 2 mm. broad, with rather ragged edges.

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_121888-89. Threepence, lilac-rose, surcharged “3”, in black.

Genuine

The balls to the ends of the 3 are of good size, the lower one Q measuring 1 1/4 mm. across, horizontally. The central tongue of the O numeral is cut off square. The numeral is sometimes found inverted, and the value of the stamp is then 16s., instead of 1s.

Forged

This has the numeral inverted. I suppose the forgers did not trouble to print the common variety. The numeral is capitally done, and exceedingly like the genuine. It is rather too thin, both balls are too small, and the lower one is only about 3/4 mm. across, while the central tongue is rather rounded, instead of being cut off square.

Postmarks

The forged surcharges, being on genuine stamps of the 1882 issue, show the proper postmarks of that issue, most frequently 67, also 1.

Album_Weeds_CapeOfGoodHope_131882. One Half-penny, in black, surcharged on 3d., claret.

Genuine

The O of ONE is very oval, and the outline is extremely thin at the top and bottom. A line drawn down along the left-hand edge of the N of this word would very nearly cut into the vertical stroke of the P below it, and a line drawn down along the right-hand edge of the right-hand limb of the said N would pass between the P and E below it, almost grazing the E. The bar at the bottom is very nearly 2 mm. wide.

Forged

This is exceedingly good. It is, as I have said, printed on the 3d., C C, like the genuine. The inside of the 0 looks too round, and the top and bottom of the letter are somewhat thicker than the genuine. A line drawn down along the left-hand edge of the N would pass well to the right of the vertical stroke of the P below it; and a line drawn down along the right-hand edge of the N would decidedly cut into the E below it. The bar at the bottom of the stamp is 1 1/2 mm. wide.

Postmarks

The stamps with forged surcharges bear genuine postmarks.

 

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

 

LupSee also –> Spud Papers – Cape of Good Hope

 

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