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

 

Album Weeds – Canada

Album_Weeds_Canada11857. 3d., rose, perf. 12.

I have seen no forgery of the stamp itself; but, as the perforated issue is worth 12s., while the unperforated only fetches 1s. 6d., the forgers have supplied the genuine with various gauges of perforations.

Genuine Perforation

The perforation gauges 12, and is nicely done. From outside to outside of the perforations, the stamp measures 25 x 20 1/2 mm.

Forged Perforations

I have the stamps perf. 10, 12, 12 1/4, and 13. From outside to outside of the perforations, the following are the measurements of the stamps in my possession:

Gauge of Perforation / Size of Stamp:.

  • Perf. 10 / 24 x 19 1/2 mm.
  • Perf. 12 / 24 x 19 1/2 mm.
  • Perf. 12 / 24 x 19 mm.
  • Perf. 12 1/4 / 24 1/2 x 19 1/2 mm.
  • Perf. 13 / 24 x 19 3/4 mm.

As might be expected from these measurements, the perforations generally eat into the design, on one side, if not more. The stamps perf. 12 are, of course, dangerous.

My publishers’ Catalogue states that this value is known perf. 14, and also percé en scie 13, but that it is very doubtful whether these latter are genuine.

1857. 6d., grey-lilac, purple-brown, perf. 12.

Genuine Perforation

This is a clean-cut perf. 12, as before.

Forged Perforation

My only specimen is perf. 12, like the genuine, but it has a very poor and ragged appearance, and is extremely close to the design on three sides.

Postmarks

Genuine.—One of the most usual postmarks on the early Canadians is very like 68, but with the outside circle no thicker than the rest. I have also 6, with very large numerals in the center. There are, however, many others.

Forged.—These, of course, have genuine cancellations.

Bogus Official

I have lately (1902) come across the large cent of 1868 with the word OFFICIAL (measuring 20 x 2b mm., printed obliquely upwards, from left lower to right upper corner. No such stamp was ever issued.

 

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

Album Weeds – Bulgaria

Provisional Stamps

Album_Weeds_Bulgaria11884-1885. 3, surcharged, in black, on the 10 Stotinki, rose.

Genuine

All the outlines of the 3, except where they are thickened, as shading, are extremely thin. In the hollow of the upper half there is a small projection,—a sort of upright oblong,—and this projection is only outlined; i.e., not solid black. To the right of the shadow, inside the lower limb, there is also an outlined space. The thick, shaded part of the front of the upper limb does not touch the outline of the central projection. Where the shading from the back comes into this central projection or tongue, it does so almost horizontally, so that, if prolonged to the left, it would pass out, almost at the very center of the tongue.

Forged

It will be understood, of course, that, in the forgeries here described, the stamps are genuine, but the surcharges are counterfeited. All the outlines of the 3 are a good deal too thick; the very thinnest parts being quite 1/4 mm. thick; while the genuine surcharge is very much thinner. The little projection inside the hollow of the top half of the numeral is solid black. The inside shading to the lower limb (which is, in the genuine, composed of two similar pieces, the left-hand one solid and the right-hand one outlined) is so coarsely done that it appears almost all solid. The thick, shaded part of the front of the upper limb touches the top, left corner of the central tongue. The shading from the back, where it comes into this central tongue, slopes down to the left; so that, if prolonged to the left, it would pass out, almost at the bottom corner of the tongue. The extra outline, to right of the lower limb, is blotched and ragged, just at the center of the back of the said lower limb. This is not the case with the genuine.

Album_Weeds_Bulgaria21884-1885, 5 surcharged, in black or red, on the 30 Stotinki, blue and brown.

Genuine

In the hollow inside of the body of the 5, the thickened part of the shading of the inside of the tail just touches the similar, thickened shading of the bottom of the neck, so that the central oval is really closed, although the front part of the division between the neck and the tail is open. There is an outline (inside the oval) to the thickened part of the shading of the upper part of the oval. The width of the neck of the 5, measured inside the colored lines, is 3/4 mm. The tail of the 5 does not project to the left of the outline of the front of the neck: that is to say, the front outline of the neck, if prolonged downwards, would coincide with the outline of the tail.

First Forgery

I have only seen this in black, but it may possibly exist in red also. No part of the tail of the numeral touches the shading below the neck, so that the oval inside the body is open. There is an outline, not filled up with colour, to the bottom of the tail, inside the oval. In the genuine, this outline is filled up with colour, and makes what I have called the “thickened shading” of the inside of the tail. If I have made myself understood, this should be an easy test. The width of the neck of the 5, measured inside the outlines, is 3/4 mm., like the genuine. The tail of the 5 does not point directly upwards, but rather obliquely upwards, towards the left; thus a line drawn down along the front of the neck would cut deeply into the end of the tail. This is another easy test.

Second Forgery

I have only seen this in black. In the genuine stamp, the thickened shading, inside the upper part of the oval, has an outline, following the curve of the shading, and about 1/2 mm. distant from it. In this forgery, the space between the shading and this outline is filled up with solid color, thus making that part of the shading twice as thick as it ought to be. My specimen is heavily postmarked, but as far as I can see, the oval is perfectly open, as no part of the tail touches the neck. The numeral is too narrow; the width across the neck, between the outlines, being less than 1/2 mm., instead of 3/4 mm. The curved head is also far too narrow; it measures about 1/4 mm. across, between the outlines, instead of about 3/4 mm.

Postmarks

Forged.—All my forgeries are cancelled with part of a large circle, containing an outlined star.

Album_Weeds_Bulgaria31884-1885. 15, surcharged, in red, on the 25 Stotinki., blue and pale blue.

Genuine

The serif to the head of the 1 is the same width all the way, from where it leaves the body of the numeral to its end; i.e., nearly 3/4 mm. wide. The head of the 5 is slightly concave, but it slopes down decidedly to the right, so that the right-hand end is considerably lower than where it leaves the upright stroke. The vertical outline of the front of the neck, to the top of the numeral, measures 7 mm.

Forged

The serif to the head of the 1 decreases gradually in thickness towards its point, so that, at the said point, it is almost a hair-line. The projecting head of the 5 is very concave, and it rises, instead of sloping downwards to the right, so that the right-hand end is considerably higher, instead of lower, than where it leaves the upright part. This is a very easy test. The vertical outline of the front of the neck, to the top of the numeral, measures less than 6b mm. The oval body of the 5 is decidedly smaller than in the genuine, but I cannot give the measurements, oh account of the difficulty of fixing the points from which to measure. However, I fancy the other tests will be found sufficient.

Bogus Provisional

10, in blue, on 15 Stotinki., lilac-mauve.

There never was, of course, a genuine stamp like this. My specimen has the bogus surcharge printed in ordinary (i.e., not fancy) numerals, 5 1/2 mm. high, in pale blue.

 

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

 

 

Album Weeds – Hamburg

Most of the forgeries of this country are fairly well done; but this, perhaps, is not so very much to be wondered at, considering that the town was, for years, the manufactory of forgeries for all the world. One thing which makes one set of the perforated forgeries so deceptive is, that the said perforation is most carefully executed; very unlike the careless, badly-done pin-perforation usually to be met with in forged stamps.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg0To avoid unnecessary repetition, I had better state here that most of the Hamburg stamps are watermarked; including the 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 schilling, and the first type of the Schilling. The watermark, which I here illustrate, is formed by a sort of very enlarged representation of the serpentine perforation of the Finland stamps; that is to say, there is an exceedingly wavy line drawn from one end to the other of each horizontal row of stamps in the sheet. When the stamps are separated, this leaves each one with a sort of magnified horseshoe, or large u upon it, almost as large as the stamp itself, and which may be either with the bend of the U upwards, or inverted. Occasionally, but very rarely, genuine stamps may be found, of the values mentioned above, without watermark; but I think this is only because they have been accidentally impressed upon a part of the paper not containing any portion of the watermark.

On January 1st, 1868, these stamps were superseded by those of the North German Confederation, and the whole of the stock in hand was afterwards sold to a dealer. These remainders may be seen in almost every album, either unused and ungummed, or ornamented with a forged postmark, like No. 1, but with an asterisk before and after the name. The stamps, as issued to the public, had brown gum.

Perforation

Most of the stamps, are found both unperforated, and perforated 13 1/2, according to the date of issue.

Engraving

All the stamps, unless otherwise specified, are engraved in épargne; and, in unused specimens, the large, central figure usually seems to be slightly embossed, as the pressure of the die or cliche has forced the paper up into the hollow of the figure.

Owing to the fact of each value of the genuine being separately engraved, and of there being two or more forgeries of each value, this expose of the Hamburg forgeries has cost me an enormous amount of labor; but I fancy that it will enable any collector to decide for himself, concerning the genuineness, or otherwise, of any of his own specimens.

Paper

The paper of the first issue is fairly thick, hand-made, and white; but the brown gum often gives it a yellowish appearance. The perforated stamps seem to be on a rather thinner paper.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg11/2 Schilling, black.

Genuine

Engraved in épargne, unperforated, and perforated 13 1/2, thick or thin wove paper, both watermarked, as mentioned above. There are three long lines of shading (not reckoning the outline) at the end of the scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG; and three similar lines at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G. In the bend or loop of the same scroll above the H, there are eight very short lines; and there are eight lines also in the corresponding bend or loop above the G. The cross-bar of the H is placed centrally between the top and bottom of the letter. The thick part of the tail of the G of this word, just below its cross-stroke, points straight downwards, or only very slightly forwards. The middle of the top outline of the upper scroll, just above the B of HAMBURG, comes very close to the thin, inner outline of the top frame; so that there would be only room to draw one very thin line, between the frame and the nearest part of the scroll. There is one straight line of shading in the lower scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE; and there is a faint, broken indication of a similar line at the other end of the bottom scroll, after the E of POSTMARKE. None of the letters of POSTMARKE touch each other anywhere. In the left-hand bend or loop of the lower scroll, below the P of POSTMARKE, there are eight short lines of shading; and seven similar lines in the bend of the scroll, at the other end, below the E of POSTMARKE. This lower scroll comes very near to the thin, inner outline of the bottom frame, under the M of POSTMARKE; but it does not actually touch it. The E of EIN, in the inscription on the left-hand side of the stamp, does not touch the little trident-shaped ornament below it. In the word HALBER, the A has a very distinct tail, or final upstroke, which is quite half as tall as the letter itself. The L of this word has ridiculously long cross-strokes, both at the top and the bottom ; and the B has a similarly large cross-stroke at the top. The final R is at some distance from the little trident-shaped ornament below it. In the inscription down the right-hand side of the stamp, the S of SCHILLING does not touch the trident-shaped ornament above it.

The cross at the top of the central tower does not touch the lower outline of the name-scroll above it, and its top outline is broken. The ends of the lower scroll, containing the word POSTMARKE, are both at equal distances from their respective sides of the frame.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on medium, very white wove paper; no watermark; nicely perforated 13 1/2. There are two long lines of shading and one short line, at the end of the upper scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, and one long line and two short ones at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G. In the bend or loop of this scroll, above the H of HAMBURG, there are seven short lines of shading ; and there are seven similar lines in the corresponding bend or loop, at the other end of the scroll, above the G. The cross-bar of the His placed too high up. The thick part of the tail of the G, below the cross-stroke, curls forwards to the right. The middle of the top outline of this upper scroll is at a good distance from the thin, inner outline of the upper frame, above the B; so that two thin lines could be drawn between the frame and the nearest part of the scroll. There is one curved line of shading in the lower scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE; but not the slightest indication of any similar line at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the E of POSTMARKE. In this latter word, the T and M touch at the top, and the letters MARKE all touch each other at the bottom. In the left-hand bend or loop of the lower scroll, below the P of POSTMARKE, there are seven short lines of shading, the outer and inner ones being mere dots; and in the similar loop or bend, at the right-hand end of this scroll, below the E of POSTMARKE, there are six short lines of shading. The middle of this lower scroll almost touches the line below it. The E of EIN, in the inscription down the left-hand side of the stamp, distinctly touches the little trident-shaped ornament below it. The A of HALBER has no tail stroke, being merely like the ordinary, small Roman “a”. The L of this word has a cross-stroke at the top, a little longer than usual, but not notably so, and a very short cross-stroke at the bottom. The top of the B in this same word has hardly any cross-stroke. The bottom of the R of this word almost touches the trident-shaped ornament below it. In the inscription down the right-hand side of the stamp, the S of SCHILLING just touches the trident-shaped ornament above it. The cross at the top of the central tower distinctly touches the outline of the scroll above it, just under the beginning of the B of HAMBURG. The ends of the lower scroll, containing the word POSTMARKS, are not equidistant from their respective ends of the frame, the left-hand end being very much nearer to the side than the right-hand end is.

Second Forgery

This, I think, is an older counterfeit than the one just described, but I have only seen it lately. Lithographed, on thin, soft, laid paper, of a very decidedly yellow tint, unperforated, and badly perforated 12. There are only seven short lines of shading in the bend or loop of the scroll, above the H of HAMBURG; and there are six similar, short lines of shading in the bend or loop, at the other end of the scroll, above the G of HAMBURG. The single line at each end of the POSTMARKE scroll is blotched, so that it touches the end of the scroll. The letters MAR of POSTMARKE all touch each other at the bottom. In the left-hand bend or loop of the lower scroll, below the P of POSTMARKE, there are four long lines of shading and one short one; and in the bend or loop at the opposite end of the scroll, below the E of POSTMARKE, there are six lines of shading, but so very much blotched, that it is possible there may be seven lines. The A of HALBER is an ordinary small “a”, without any tail curling up, and the top-strokes of the H, L, and B are quite small, instead of being abnormally large. The top of the s of SCHILLING just touches the little trident-shaped ornament above it. The cross on the top of the central tower plainly touches the lower outline of the name-scroll, under the B of HAMBURG. The lower scroll is placed too much to the left, so that the end near the P of POSTMARKE touches the side of the stamp, but the other end of the scroll is at some distance from it.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg21 Schilling, brown.

Genuine

Paper and watermark the same as in the 1/2 Schilling. There are three long lines of shading, not reckoning the outline, at the end of the upper scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, and three long lines and one faint, short one, at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G of HAMBURG. In the left-hand bend or loop of the same scroll, above the H of HAMBURG, there are five lines, and the commencement of a sixth; there are also five lines, and part of a sixth, in the corresponding bend or loop, at the other end of the scroll, above the G of HAMBURG. The tail of this G points slightly forward, but it is a long distance from the bottom outline of the scroll. There is a small horizontal line or stroke just above the space between the letters UR of HAMBURG. (This is a good test.) There is one straight line, and a dot as well, at the left-hand end of the lower scroll, before the P of POSTMARKS; and the said line touches the top outline of the scroll. The top of the P does not touch this line. There are six lines and a dot in the bend or loop, below the P of POSTMARKE, and six lines and a dot in the corresponding bend or loop, below the E of POSTMARKE, at the other end of the scroll. None of the letters of this word touch each other anywhere. The o leans over very much to the right; this is so marked as to be noticed instantly. The lower tail of the K lies very close to the perpendicular stroke; hardly slanting out from it at all. This lower tail joins the perpendicular stroke at or near the center of that stroke. The curly ornaments, each side of the word EIN, on the left-hand side of the stamp, do not touch the left border of the frame. The cross on the top of the central tower does not touch the lower outline of the scroll above it. The right-hand star does not touch the top of the tower below it. The upper scroll, containing the word HAMBURG, is nearer to the right side of the frame than to the left; and the lower scroll, containing POSTMARKE, is equidistant from both sides of the frame. The lower outline of this bottom scroll almost touches the bottom of the frame, just under the M of POSTMARKE.

First Forgery

Lithographed; no watermark; paper the same as in the forged 1/2 Schilling; nicely perforated 13 1/2. There are two long lines, and one short one, not reckoning the outline, at the end of the upper scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG; and three long lines, and a faint, short one, at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G of HAMBURG, these latter being almost the same as the genuine. In the left-hand bend or loop of this scroll, above the H, there are only four lines of shading; and, in the corresponding bend or loop, above the G at the other end of the scroll, there are four lines and two dots. The tail of the G curls forward and downward so far that it very nearly touches the lower outline of the scroll, to the right of the G. The letters UR touch each other at the top, and there is no indication of any line or stroke above them. The letters AMB all touch each other at the bottom, though they are all separate in the genuine. There is one straight line at the end of the lower scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE, and this line does not touch the top outline of the scroll. The top of the P goes across the top of this line, and touches the left-hand end of the scroll. There are three lines and two dots in the bend or loop, below the P of POSTMARKE; and four lines and three dots in the corresponding bend or loop, at the other end of the scroll, below the E of POSTMARKE. In this word, the T and M touch each other at the top, and the letters MARKE all touch each other at the bottom. The o does not lean over to the right at all; the lower tail of the K spreads out a good way from the perpendicular stroke, and joins it a good deal above the centre. The curly ornaments, each side of the word EIN, on the left-hand side of the stamp, touch the thin, inner line of the left border very distinctly. The cross on the top of the central tower touches the lower outline of the top scroll, just below the middle of the B of HAMBURG. The right-hand star just touches the top of the tower below it. The upper scroll, containing the word HAMBURG, touches the frame on the left-hand side, and is a long way from it on the right-hand side. The lower scroll also touches the left-hand side of the frame, and is a long way from the right-hand side of it. The middle of this lower scroll is rather more distant from the bottom of the frame than the middle of the upper scroll is from the top of the frame; so that the said lower scroll is a good deal further from the bottom than in the genuine.

Second Forgery

This is a very good lithograph. It is printed on very yellowish-white laid, and also on wove paper; no watermark; unperforated, and badly perforated 12. All the lines of shading are very thin and fine; indeed, they are finer than in the genuine. The three long lines of shading at the left-hand end of the upper scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, are not all parallel with each other, and two out of the three run together at their bases. There are three long lines, and one short one, at the other end of this scroll, to the right of the G, as in the genuine, but they are broken, and rather wavy and indistinct. In the loop above the H of HAMBURG, there are five short lines ; and there are five lines and a dot in the corresponding loop, over the G of HAMBURG, but the latter are very faint. The base of the said G is very ugly, and sticks out to the right, far beyond the rest of the letter. There is no line above the space between the letters UR of HAMBURG. There is one straight line, but no dot, at the left-hand end of the lower scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE; but this line does not even come level with the top of the P, and therefore is a long way from the top outline of the scroll. There are six rather coarse lines (coarse compared with the others before described) in the loop, below the P of POSTMARKE, and six also in the loop, below the E of POSTMARKE. The T of this word has its right-hand cross-bar hanging down lower than the left-hand one; and the letters AR touch each other at the bottom. The O leans over a little to the right, but not markedly so. The lower tail of the K of this word lies close to the perpendicular stroke, as in the genuine, but it joins too high up. The cross on the top of the central tower touches the lower outline of the upper scroll, below the B of HAMBURG. This upper scroll is equidistant from both sides of the frame, but the lower scroll is very much too near to the left side: in the genuine, it is the upper one which is too much to the left, and the lower one which is at equal distances from both sides of the frame. The upper scroll touches the top frame of the stamp, above the B of HAMBURG; and the corresponding part of the lower scroll, below the M of POSTMARKE, is at some little distance from the bottom frame of the stamp.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg32 Schilling, vermilion.

Genuine

Engraving, paper, watermark, etc., exactly the same as in the genuine 1/2 schilling. The three long lines of shading in the left-hand end of the upper scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, reach quite to the upper, and two of them to the lower outline of the said scroll; and the three similar lines at the other end of the scroll, to the left of the G, are almost as long as the first-named three. In the left-hand bend or loop, at the end of the scroll, above the H of HAMBURG, there are seven lines of shading and a dot; and in the corresponding bend or loop of the scroll, at the other end, above the G of HAMBURG, there are six lines of shading, and part of a seventh. The cross-stroke of the said G is very long, so as to go rather close to the perpendicular line of shading immediately after it. In the left-hand end of the lower scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE, there is one line of shading, quite distinct from the outline of the end of the scroll. At the right-hand end of this lower scroll, after the E of POSTMARKE, there is a similar line, quite distinct from the outline of the end of the scroll. The left-hand loop or bend of the lower scroll, below the P of POSTMARKE, contains nine lines and a dot; and the right-hand loop or bend, at the other end of the scroll, below the E of POSTMARKE, contains seven lines and a dot. The letters RKE of POSTMARKE are very close together at the bottom, but do not actually touch each other. The letters WE of the word ZWEI, on the left-hand side of the stamp, do not touch each other; and the curly ornament after ZWEI does not touch the upper scroll, containing the word HAMBURG. The left-hand side of the curly ornament above the A of HAMBURG almost touches the thin, inner line of the top frame; and both sides of the curly ornament above the R of HAMBURG quite touch it.

First Forgery

Lithographed; paper the same as that of the forged 1/2 schilling; no watermark; nicely perforated 13 1/2. The three lines of shading in the left-hand end of the upper scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, are all too short; none of them touch the top outline of the scroll, and only the outside one of the three touches the bottom outline. The three lines at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G of HAMBURG, are very much too short, so that their tops are not near the top outline of the scroll. In the left-hand bend or loop, at the end of the scroll, above the H of HAMBURG, there are six lines of shading; and in the corresponding loop, at the other end of the scroll, above the G of HAMBURG, there are ten lines of shading. The cross-stroke of the said G is a long way from the nearest perpendicular line of shading. In the left-hand end of the lower scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE, there appears to be a line of shading, but it is blotched into the outline of the end of the scroll almost its whole length. The line at the other end of the scroll, after the E of POSTMARKE, is a little more distinct; but it, also, is blotched into the outline of the end of the scroll, for a good part of its length. The left-hand loop or bend of the lower scroll, below the P of POSTMARKE, contains nine lines; and the corresponding loop or bend at the other end of the scroll, below the E of POSTMARKE, contains eight lines. The letters KE of POSTMARKE distinctly join each other at the bottom, but the R is not particularly close to the K. The letters WE of the word ZWEI, on the left-hand side of the stamp, are joined together at the top; and the curly ornament after ZWEI runs into the lower outline of the upper scroll, containing the word HAMBURG. The left-hand side of the curly ornament, above the A of HAMBURG, does not touch the thin, inner line of the top frame; and the curly ornament above the R of HAMBURG does not touch it either. There is a distinct, horizontal line, above the T of POSTMARKE, which does not appear in the genuine. This forgery is hardly so good as the 1/2 schilling and I schilling previously described; the design being more blotchy.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in better style than the first forgery, on soft, laid paper; no watermark; unperforated, or badly perforated 13. It very probably exists on wove also; but I have not seen the latter. There is, of course, no watermark. The inner line of the three in the scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, is a good deal shorter than the other two, and does not touch either top or bottom outline of the scroll. At the other end of this upper scroll, to the right of the G of HAMBURG, there are three long lines, and one short one, the latter being extra. In the bend or loop above the H, there are seven short lines, but no dot, and the same in the loop above the G. Part of the single line of shading, at the left-hand end of the lower scroll, before the P of POSTMARKE, is blotched into the outline of the scroll. The similar line, after the E of POSTMARKE, has a curve or wave in it, near the bottom. There are twelve thick, short lines, and a dot in the loop, below the P of this latter word, and nine rather thinner lines in the loop at the other end of the scroll, below the E. The letters RKE of POSTMARKE all touch each other very distinctly at the bottom. The Z of ZWEI has a little stroke projecting from the right side of the top of the up-stroke, and a similar piece projecting from the left side of the bottom of it. There is no trace of these projections in the genuine, which is merely an ordinary Z, like the one here given. The right-hand side of the little curly ornament, over the R of HAMBURG, touches the thin line of the frame above it; and both sides of the similar ornament, above the A of HAMBURG, are at some little distance from the thin line of the top frame. In the genuine, both scrolls are equidistant from both sides of the frame of the stamp; but in this second forgery, the lower scroll is too much to the left; i.e., the left-hand end of it almost touches the side of the frame, and the right-hand end is a good distance from the other side of the frame.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg42 1/2 Schilling, green.

Genuine

Engraved in épargne, either on thin, watermarked, wove paper, or on thick, unwatermarked, wove paper, perf. 13 1/2. The two scrolls are both set equidistant from the sides of the frame; the top scroll does not touch the top of the frame, and the bottom scroll does not touch the bottom of the frame. There are three lines and a dot in the end of the top scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, and three lines at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G of HAMBURG. There are eight short lines of shading in the bend or loop above the H, and six lines and three dots in the corresponding bend or loop above the G. The single line before the P of POSTMARKE goes right to the top and bottom of the outline of the scroll; and the corresponding line, at the other end of the scroll, does not touch either the E of POSTMARKE, or the top or bottom of the scroll. There are nine or ten short lines in the loop or bend below the P, and eight in the loop below the E; but they are rather blotched in my copies, so that I am not absolutely certain. None of the letters of POSTMARKE touch each other anywhere, and the O is oval, and leans over to the right. The little ornamental curls, above the A and R of HAMBURG, almost touch the thin line of the frame above them; the curls below OS of POSTMARKE almost touch the line below them; the one below K does touch, and the one below R of POSTMARKE nearly touches the bottom of the scroll below the R. The cross on the top of the central tower does not touch the scroll above it. The tail of the G of HAMBURG is short, and does not go near the boundary of the scroll below it. The trident-shaped ornament, below the H of HAMBURG, does not touch the outline of the scroll, under the H.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on wove paper, like that of the first forgery of the 1/2 Schilling; no watermark; nicely perforated 13 1/2. The bottom scroll is equidistant from both sides of the frame, as in the genuine; but the top scroll is too much to the right, and the end of it actually touches the right-hand side of the frame. The top of the top scroll is a long way from the thin outline of the frame above it, and the bottom of the bottom scroll touches the thin outline of the frame below if. There appear to be four long lines and a short one in the top scroll, to the left of the H of HAMBURG, and there are three lines at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the G of HAMBURG; but, in both cases, the lines are much blotched, and are inclined to run together. There are only five short lines in the bend or loop above the H, and six lines and a dot in the corresponding loop above the G; but, in this latter case, the dot is at the outer end, instead of at the inner one. The single line in the bottom scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE, does not go right to the top of the scroll, but bends over, so as to join the head of the P. The corresponding line at the other end of the scroll runs, in like manner, into the top of the E of POSTMARKE. There are nine very distinct, short lines in the bend or loop, below the P of POSTMARKE; and eight blotchy and irregular ones in the loop, below the E of POSTMARKE. The letters KE of this word are joined at the bottom, and the o is too round, and very nearly upright. The little, ornamental curls above the HA and RG of HAMBURG are a long way from the thin outline of the frame above them; those below the OS of POSTMARKE are also at a good distance from the thin line of the frame below them, and so is the one below the R of this word; but the one below the K touches the thin line below it very distinctly. The cross on the top of the central tower touches the outline of the scroll above it. The tail of the G of HAMBURG is long, points obliquely down to the right, and runs into the outline of the scroll below it. The trident-shaped ornament, below the H of HAMBURG, touches the outline of the scroll below the H.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on thin laid paper, of a very yellowish tint; no watermark; badly perforated 13. The background is drawn better than that of the preceding forgery, but the large 2 is too long, and touches the outline of the bottom scroll, between OS of POSTMARKE. It is the dark portion of the figure which touches. The top scroll is set too much to the right, but the end of it does not actually touch the right-hand side of the frame. The bottom scroll is set properly. The top of the top scroll touches the thin outline of the frame above it, and the bottom of the bottom scroll almost touches the thin outline of the frame below it. There are ten fine, short lines in the loop or bend, above the H of HAMBURG; and nine in the corresponding loop, above the G of HAMBURG. There are three long lines at each end of this upper scroll. The single line in the bottom scroll, to the left of the P of POSTMARKE, does not go either to the top or bottom of the scroll, and is very much curved ; and the similar line, at the other end of the scroll, to the right of the E of POSTMARKE, goes right to the top and bottom of the scroll. There are nine short lines in the loop below the P, and ten in the loop below the E of POSTMARKE; they are very distinct, and can be easily counted. The letters MARKE are all connected together at the bottom; the O is more like the genuine than the O of the last forgery. The little, ornamental curls above the HA and RG of HAMBURG are a long way from the thin outline of the frame above them; the curls below the OS of POSTMARKE are a long way also from the thin outline of the frame below them; the one below the R of POSTMARKE almost touches the bottom of the scroll below the R, and the one below the K just touches the thin outline of the frame below it. The cross on the top of the central tower touches the outline of the scroll above it. The trident-shaped ornament, below the H of HAMBURG, almost touches the outline of the scroll below the H. The thick outline of the frame is extremely broad in this forgery; quite double the width of either the genuine or the first forgery.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg53 Schilling, blue.

Genuine

Paper and watermark as in the other values. There are four lines, and a distinct dot, before the H of HAMBURG, and four equal, long lines, and one short one, after the G of that word. There are five little lines and a blotch in the loop or bend above the H, and five lines in the loop or bend above the G. There are two lines to the left of the P of POSTMARKE; five or six little dots above the P, and two short lines, and three dots, under the P. There are three short lines under the end of the E of POSTMARKE. In the loop or bend below the P, there are nine short lines, and there are eleven similar lines in the loop or bend under the E, which lines, by the way, are very rarely blotched. The H of HAMBURG has its cross-bar exactly in the middle, the U is slanted a good deal to the right ; the tongue, or central projection of the large 3 is cut off quite square; the E of DREI is the same height as the R and I; the S of SCHILLING does not touch the trident-shaped ornament near it; the O of POSTMARKE is tall and oval, and the T is slanted, so that it is almost parallel with the first stroke of the M which follows it. The blue colour of this stamp has generally a more or less greenish tinge about it; but it is also found in ultramarine.

First Forgery

This is a most remarkably nice-looking stamp; but it is printed on transversely-laid paper, instead of wove; badly perforated 13; no watermark. There are only three lines, and no dot, before the H of HAMBURG, and four varying long ones and a short one after the G. There are six little lines in the loop or bend above the H, and seven in the loop or bend above the G; and all the said lines are very faint and thin. There are three lines to the left of the P of POSTMARKE, six little, upright dashes above the P, and three below it. There are two indistinct lines under the end of the E of POSTMARKE, and two very faint, scratchy lines after the E, instead of the one thick blotchy line of the genuine. In the loop or bend under the P there are twelve short lines, and eleven in the similar loop or bend, under the E of POSTMARKE. The cross-bar of the H of HAMBURG is rather too high up; the O of POSTMARKE is too round, and the bottom of it is considerably above the level of the bottoms of the P and S on each side of it. All the rest of the stamp is an extremely close and successful copy of the genuine. I have only seen this forgery printed in shades of ultramarine-blue.

Second Forgery

This is not nearly so good as the other; it is on stout, very white, unwatermarked wove paper; nicely perforated 13. There are five lines before the H of HAMBURG, and four long lines of different lengths, and one very short one, after the G. There are four very faint lines in the loop or bend above the H, and six thick lines in the bend or loop above the G. There are three lines before the P of POSTMARKE, the inner one being very short; and three indistinct blotches immediately above the P, and none at all below it. There are no dots under the E of POSTMARKE, as the end of that letter runs into the outline of the scroll beneath it. In the loop or bend below the P, there are ten lines, and there are about ten in the similar loop below the E, though these latter are generally so much blotched as to be almost undecipherable. The tongue, or central projection of the large 3 ends in a point; the E of DREI is taller than the letters each side of it. The cross-bar of the H of HAMBURG is very much too high up; the U is slanted over to the right, in a most absurdly exaggerated manner ; and there is a dot above the R, which is not found in the genuine. The S of SCHILLING touches the trident-shaped ornament near it; the O of POSTMARKE is too round, and the T is ridiculously slanted to the right, so that it is not anything like parallel with the first stroke of the M. I have only seen this forgery in very pale and chalky ultramarine.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg64 Schilling, green.

Genuine

Engraving, paper, and watermark as before. There are three almost perpendicular lines before the H of HAMBURG, the outer two reaching from the top to the bottom of the scroll; there are four graduated lines after the G of HAMBURG, the outermost being the longest. There are five lines, and a blotch, in the loop or bend above the H, and six lines in the loop or bend above the G. There are two nearly straight lines before the P of POSTMARKE, and these lines reach almost to the top and bottom of the scroll. There is one long line, with portions of a second, after the E of this latter word, and the long line reaches to the very top and bottom of the scroll. There are either nine or ten short lines in the loop or bend under the P, and ten in the loop under the E of POSTMARKE. The H of HAMBURG is crossed in the centre; the B is nicely drawn, and slopes a good deal over to the left; the U slopes as much the other way; the tail of the G is stumpy, and points directly downwards, and the whole scroll is placed equidistant from both sides of the frame. The cross on the top of the central tower is of a somewhat pattee shape, i.e., the head and arms are slightly wedge-shaped, with the thinnest parts at the center; the two stars have very sharp points, and the lowest point of the right- hand star almost touches the tower below it. The shading below the large 4 does not trespass across the outline of the scroll beneath it; and the shadow of the cross-bar, projecting from the back of the figure, does not reach to the perpendicular outline of the right-hand tower. The T of POSTMARKE leans over very much towards the M; the top of the A is square; the head of the K is much larger than the lower portion of it. The scroll itself is equidistant from both sides of the frame, and the central portion of the scroll, below the M of POSTMARKE, touches the frame below it. The four trident-shaped ornaments all touch the scrolls, below the H and G of HAMBURG, and above the O and K of POSTMARKE respectively. The I of VIER has a very large, round dot, and this dot is not level with the top of the V, but considerably below it. The S of SCHILLING is a long way from the trident-shaped ornament above it, and the dot to each I of this word is lower than the tops of the letters LL.

First Forgery

This is tolerably well done. It is lithographed, on thin, very white wove paper, nicely perforated 13 1/2. There are two very sloping lines before the H of HAMBURG, neither of them touching the upper outline of the scroll; there are five lines after the G of this word, all of different lengths, the outer one being the longest, and the others getting gradually shorter. There are six lines in the bend or loop above the H, and the same number in the bend or loop above the G. There are two very curved lines before the P of POSTMARKE, the outer one being much thicker than the other, and neither of them going near to either the top or bottom of the scroll. There is a short, thick line after the E of POSTMARKS, not reaching to either top or bottom of the scroll. There are ten distinct lines in the loop or bend under the P, and nine in the loop under the E of POSTMARKE. The H of HAMBURG is crossed a little too high up, but not so conspicuously so as in some of the forgeries described before; the B is very clumsy and badly drawn, and it is almost upright; the U does not slope much to the right; and the tail of the G curls forwards, whilst the left-hand side of the scroll almost touches the frame to left of it. The cross on the central tower has perfectly plain and parallel lines, to form the head and arms. Most of the points of the stars are particularly blunt, and neither star touches the tower. The shading below the large 4 joins the outline of the scroll, above the MAR of POSTMARKE, and the shadow of the cross-bar, projecting from the back of the said 4, joins the perpendicular outline of the right-hand tower. The T of POSTMARKE is almost upright, compared with the genuine; the top of the A of this word is very broad, and is cut off quite square; the head of the K is much smaller than the lower portion of it; the middle of the scroll, below the M of POSTMARKS, does not touch the outline of the frame beneath it. One of the four trident-shaped ornaments touches the outline of the scroll, below the G of HAMBURG; the other three ornaments do not touch either of the scrolls. The I of VIER has an oval dot, quite small, and level with the very top of the V. The S of SCHILLING runs into the trident-shaped ornament above it; the dot to each I of this word is level with the tops of the letters LL.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on very yellowish, perpendicularly-laid paper, rather hard and thin; no watermark, unperforated, or perforated 12 1/2. An instant test for this stamp is that the cross on the top of the central tower touches the outline of the scroll, below the B of HAMBURG, which is not the case with either the genuine or the forgery just described. The said cross is of the proper shape. There are three very sloping lines before the H of HAMBURG, none of the three touching either top or bottom of the scroll. There are only three lines after the G of this word. There are four indistinct lines in the loop above the H, and five only in the similar loop above the G. The lines before the P of POSTMARKE are like the genuine; there is only one line after the E of this word. There are only eight lines in the loop or bend under the P, and nine in the loop under the E. There is a flaw or scratch, right through the B of HAMBURG, which is not seen in the genuine; the B is rather clumsy and almost upright; the U slopes a good deal to the right, the G is like the genuine. The points of the stars are almost as sharp as in the genuine, and the lowest point of the right-hand star actually does touch the outline of the tower below it. The shading below the large 4 runs into the outline of the lower scroll, above the letters MAR of POSTMARKE; the shadow of the cross-bar of the 4 is like the genuine. The T of POSTMARKE is very nearly upright; the top of the A is square and broad, as in the first forgery; the scroll is a very little too near to the right-hand side of the frame. The central portion of this lower scroll just touches the frame, under the M of POSTMARKE. The trident-shaped ornaments touch the scrolls, as in the genuine. The dot to the I of VIER is very nearly level with the top of the V. The S of SCHILLING almost touches the trident-shaped ornament above it, and the dot to each I of this word is level with the tops of the letters LL.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg77 Schilling, orange.

Genuine

Engraving, paper, and watermark as before. The upper scroll is too near to the right-hand side of the frame, and the lower scroll is too near to the left-hand side. The left-hand corner of the upper scroll almost touches the thin, inner line of the top of the frame; but the right-hand corner is farther off. There are two distinct, long lines, and the top and bottom portions of a third line, before the H of HAMBURG, and four lines, of varying length and thickness, after the G. The tail of the said G points downwards, or only very slightly forwards. The cross on the central tower is badly drawn, with a squeezed-up look; and the top arm is wedge-shaped, and a long way from the outline of the scroll above it. Neither of the stars touches the battlements. There is a distinct space between the dark bottom of the 7, and the outline of the scroll below it. In the portion of the castle-door, at the side of and below the 7, there are six thick lines of vertical shading, all of different lengths. There is one straight line of shading, before the P of POSTMARKE, which touches the bottom outline of the scroll, but does not reach quite to the top of it. There is also one line after the E of POSTMARKE, which touches the bottom outline of the scroll, and almost touches the top of it. None of the letters touch each other, in either of the scrolls. In the loop or bend, above the H of HAMBURG, there are seven lines of shading, and in the loop above the G there are seven also. In the loop below the P of POSTMARKE there are nine lines, and in the loop below the E there are nine also. There is a sort of tendril of three curls issuing from the outline of the lower left-hand corner of the top scroll, below, and to the left of the H; and there is a tendril of two curls issuing from the outline of the top left-hand corner of the lower scroll, just above the P. This latter tendril is similar in shape and direction to the one above the R of HAMBURG, except that it is smaller, and that both curls are alike. The S and N of SIEBEN and the S of SCHILLING do not touch the trident-shaped ornaments near them; the curled head of the G of SCHILLING does not touch the outline of the upper scroll; and the stop after the G is large, and equidistant between the G and the scroll above it.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in very yellowish-orange, on stout wove paper; no watermark, nicely perforated 13 1/2. The upper scroll is equidistant from both sides of the frame; the lower one is placed like the genuine. The corners of the upper scroll are a long way from the thin, inner line of the frame above them. There is one long line, and one short one, before the H of HAMBURG, and there are four lines, of almost equal length, after the G. The tail of the G points forwards to the right. The cross on the central tower is large, its top and side-arms are perfectly straight, and the top (which is too tall) just touches the scroll under the B of HAMBURG. The lowest point of the left-hand star touches the battlements of the tower below it. The dark bottom of the 7 is blended with the outline of the lower scroll, above the MA of POSTMARKE. There are only three vertical lines of shading to be seen in the portion of the castle-door, visible below and to the left of the 7. There is a thick and very curved line before the P of POSTMARKE, which does not come up level with the top of the P. There is a very short line after the E, which is bent, so that its ends touch the end of the scroll, but not the top or bottom. The letters HAMB of HAMBURG are all joined at the bottom, and so are the letters MARKE of POSTMARKE. There are five blotchy lines in the loop above the H, and six lines and a dot in the loop above the G. In the loop below the P of POSTMARKE, there are five lines, and either ten or eleven in the loop below the E. A very easy test for this forgery is the fact of there being no tendrils issuing from the scrolls, either below the H of HAMBURG or above the P of POSTMARKE, the forger having apparently failed to notice them. The S and N of SIEBEN touch the trident-shaped ornaments near them; the curl proceeding from the head of the G of SCHILLING issues from the top of the head, instead of the right-hand side of it; the said curl almost touches the trident-shaped ornament near it; and the stop after the G touches the tail of the letter, and almost touches the outline of the upper scroll. The lower scroll touches the frame, below the M of POSTMARKE, but it is at some distance from it in the genuine.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on thinnish wove paper, of the same texture as our first 1/2d. newsbands; no watermark, unperforated. The colour is a good imitation of the genuine. The upper scroll is equidistant from both sides of the frame, and the lower scroll touches the left-hand side of the frame. The upper corners of the top scroll are a long way from the inner line of the top of the frame. There are two lines, and the upper portions of two others, before the H of HAMBURG. The tail of the G of this word points forwards to the right. The dark bottom of the 7 just joins the upper outline of the bottom scroll, but not so very much so as in the first forgery. The castle-door shows about five vertical lines of shading, but they are very indistinct. There is one curved line before the P of POSTMARKE, reaching from the top to the bottom of the scroll.

There are eight lines of shading in the loop or bend, above the G of HAMBURG. In the loop below the P of POSTMARKE, there are either six or seven lines of shading; and there are about eleven in the loop below the E. I have only one specimen of this forgery, and the postmark falls upon the two loops just mentioned, so that I have not been able to count the lines with absolute certainty. The tendril-ornament, below the left-hand end of the upper scroll, is like that of the genuine; but the one above the p of POSTMARKE has its stem inclining from right to left, instead of from left to right. The top of the S of SCHILLING touches the trident-shaped ornament near it.

Third Forgery

Nicely lithographed, in the correct shade of orange, on thinnish laid paper; no watermark; unperforated, or perforated 12 1/2. The corners of the upper scroll are a long way from the top frame. There are three lines, of varying lengths, before the H of HAMBURG, and two thick lines after the G. The top of the cross almost touches the scroll under the B. The right-hand star touches the battlements below it. The dark bottom of the 7 blends with the outline of the lower scroll, between the letters MA of POSTMARKE. There is a curved line of shading before the P, and a short, and very faint line after the E; the latter does not reach to either the top or bottom of the scroll. The letters ARKE of POSTMARKE are all joined together at the bottom. There are eight lines in the loop above the H of HAMBURG, and six in the loop above the G. The two ends of the tendril-ornament, above the P of POSTMARKE, are not the least like those of the ornament above the G of HAMBURG; for they turn upwards instead of downwards. The stop after SCHILLING is extremely faint and small.

7 Schilling, mauve.

Genuine

This is exactly like the 7 schilling, orange, in all things but colour.

Forged

This is exactly like the first forgery of the 7 schilling, orange, in all things but colour.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg89 Schilling, orange-yellow.

Genuine

Engraving, paper, watermark, etc., as before. The middle of the upper scroll almost touches the top of the frame, and usually does touch it in heavily-printed copies. The two ends of the said scroll are equidistant from both sides of the frame. The bottom of the lower scroll touches the bottom of the frame; its left-hand end is not parallel with the side of the frame, but slopes considerably, so that the bottom corner of the said left-hand end touches the side-frame, and the upper corner of it is some distance from the side-frame. There are five lines before the H of HAMBURG, the outer four reaching from top to bottom of the scroll, and the lower end of the inner one touching the bottom of the H. There are also five lines after the G; but the center one is broken in the middle, so that only the top and bottom of it can be seen. There are six, and sometimes seven, lines in the loop above the H, and seven in the loop above the G. There are two lines, and parts of two others, before the P of POSTMARKE, and one line, and parts of another, after the E. There are about ten lines in the loop below the P, but some of the inner ones are very indistinct; and there are about fourteen in the loop below the E. The letters of the word POSTMARKE do not touch each other at the bottom. The courses of brickwork can be very distinctly traced, in the hollow of the head of the 9; and there are two very thick, vertical lines between the head and tail of the said 9, where the door of the castle is supposed to be. The shading below the tail of the 9 does not run into the outline of the scroll below it. The cross on the central tower does not touch the scroll above it, and the stem of the cross is absurdly thin—far thinner than the rest of it. The stars are a long way from the towers below them. The first N of NEUN is a good distance from the curly ornament before it, and the final letters, UN, almost touch at the bottom, but not at the top. The lines on the dome of the central tower are set at equal distances from each other, so that all the white spaces are of equal size. The rounded part of the shading at the back of the 9 comes almost to the perpendicular outline of the right-hand tower, and the tail of the said 9 has an inward curl. The central portion of the M of POSTMARKE is cut off square at the bottom.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in yellow, on rather stout, very white wove paper; no watermark; very well perforated 13 1/2; also on very hard wove paper, un- perforated. The middle of the upper scroll is a long way from the inner line of the frame above it; and the scroll is set too much to the left, so that the left-hand end touches the left side of the frame, and the right-hand end is a long way from the right side of the frame. The left-hand end of the lower scroll is almost perfectly parallel with the line of the frame, and does not touch it anywhere. There is a dim, curved blotch before the H of HAMBURG, the bottom of which touches the bottom of the H; there are five lines after the G, the inner one being the shortest, and the central one not broken. The loop above the H contains five very faint lines; and there are seven or eight in the loop above the G. There are two lines before the P of POSTMARKE, one long, and the other very short; and a single line, generally broken, after the E. There are seven lines in the loop below the P, and seven to nine in the loop below the E. I do not attach very much importance to the number of lines in the loops just described, in the case of this 9 schilling value, because I have one or two forgeries in which the lines seem to vary, though all other parts of the design are absolutely alike in the said forgeries; so I expect that heavy or light printing will cause a variation in the number of these little lines. The letters ARKE of the word POSTMARKE all touch each other at the bottom. The courses of brickwork, in the hollow of the head of the 9, are not at all distinct; the vertical lines are tolerably clear, but the horizontal ones are almost invisible. There are four very thick, vertical lines between the head and tail of the 9, where the castle-door is supposed to be. The shading below the tail of the 9 joins the top outline of the bottom scroll, above the letters MA of POSTMARKE. The stem of the cross is as wide as the other parts of it. The left-hand star touches the tower below it. In most copies, the first N of NEUN touches the bottom of the curly ornament before it, and the final letters, UN, usually touch at the top. The lines on the dome of the central tower afford a very good test for this forgery, for the two central ones are too far apart, making a very distinct, triangular white place in the center of the dome. The rounded part of the shading at the back of the 9 is a good distance from the outline of the right-hand tower. The tail of the 9 does not curl inwards, but seems to point upwards, towards the H of HAMBURG. The central portion of the bottom of the M of POSTMARKS ends in a sharp point.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in orange-yellow, on moderately soft and thin, white laid paper, with the laid lines running transversely; no watermark, unperforated. The middle of the upper scroll is at some distance from the top of the frame. The bottom of the lower scroll does not touch the frame below it, and its ends are parallel with the sides of the frame, and do not touch it anywhere. There are three coarse lines before the H of HAMBURG, none of them touching the H. There are also five coarse lines after the G, none of them broken. There are four lines, with a heavy blotch outside them, in the loop above the H; and five lines in the loop above the G. There are six lines, with two blotches outside them, in the loop below the P of POSTMARKE; and eight in the loop below the E. There are two long and thin, vertical lines in the hollow of the head of the 9, to represent the courses of brickwork, and there is only a dark blotch between the head and tail of the 9, where the two thick, vertical lines of the genuine ought to be. The shading below the tail of the 9 joins the top outline of the lower scroll, above letters TMA of POSTMARKE. The cross on the top of the central tower touches the outline of the scroll above it. The central portion of the M of POSTMARKE is rounded at the bottom. All the rest of the stamp is a pretty close copy of the genuine. I think that the easiest test for both these forgeries is in the left-hand end of the lower scroll, which is almost exactly parallel with the side of the frame instead of sloping.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg91864. 1 1/4 Schilling, lilac.

This stamp was lithographed, as was also the 2 1/2 Schilling, similar type, hereafter described. Westoby says that the probable reason for resorting to lithography was because the stamps were wanted immediately. The values were required, owing to an alteration in the postal rates to Schleswig-Holstein.

Genuine

Lithographed, in various shades of lilac, grey-lilac, greenish-grey, yellowish-grey, dull blue, violet, and red-lilac, on white wove paper, watermarked as before, unperforated, and perforated 13 1/2. As the stamps are only lithographs, they are, of course, very inferior to the engraved ones; but some of the earlier specimens are tolerably clear. The perforated ones usually look as though the stone from which they were printed was quite worn out. There is a stop after POSTMARKE, and the A of this word has a stroke across its top, as well as the usual cross-bar in the center. The outline of the label, between POSTMARKE and the base of the castle, is formed of one single line. The two stars are very nearly the same size, though the left-hand one has a point more than the right-hand one. The battlements at the top of the right-hand tower have eight points; those of the central tower have eight points also; whilst those of the left-hand tower, when they can be seen above the large figure 1—which is only in very clear specimens—have seven. The right-hand half of the door of the castle is shaded with ten oblique lines, not very nicely drawn. The line between the two halves of the door is white, but the similar line on the right-hand side, which represents the archway, is shaded with transverse strokes at intervals, by way of imitating the brickwork. The white space under the words EIN U. EIN VIERTEL is about half as wide as the breadth of the fraction-line of the J. The groundwork, behind the castle, is composed of perpendicular lines, crossed by oblique lines, running down from left to right.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in dull mauve, on very thin, soft, transversely-laid paper; no watermark, unperforated. There is no stop after POSTMARKE, and the A of that word has no stroke across its top, and hardly any central cross-bar. The line separating the POSTMARKE label from the base of the castle is double, for the part on which the castle stands, and single for the rest of its length, on each side. The right-hand star is very much smaller than the left-hand one, being hardly half as large. The battlements on the top of the right-hand tower have only six points; the other towers, in my single specimen of this forgery, are obliterated by the postmark, so that I cannot say how many points their battlements show. The battlements of the said right-hand tower are very nicely drawn—much better than in the genuine stamp. There are only eight oblique lines of shading on the right-hand half of the door of the castle. The outline of the archway, to the right of the door, is white, without any transverse strokes. The white space, under the words EIN u. EIN VIERTEL, is very narrow, only about one-fourth as wide as the breadth of the white fraction-line of the 1/4. The groundwork, behind the castle, is composed of vertical lines of shading, crossed by horizontal, instead of oblique lines; and the said horizontal lines only show here and there. The paper alone is quite enough to condemn this stamp instantly, for, of course, no genuine Hamburg stamp was ever printed on laid paper.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in dull, neutral-tinted violet, on yellowish-white laid paper, thicker than in the first forgery, unperforated, no watermark. There is no stop after POSTMARKE; and the A of that word, though it has some indication of a stroke across its top, has no cross-bar in its center. The outline of the label, between POSTMARKS and the base of the castle, is double, in the part on which the castle stands, and single on each side of it. The right-hand star is hardly half the size of the left- hand one. The battlements at the top of the right-hand tower have only six points ; those at the top of the central tower have nine ; and the large figure I hides most of those at the top of the left-hand tower. The right- hand half of the door of the castle is shaded with eight oblique lines. The outline of the archway, to the right of the door, is white, without any cross-strokes upon it. The white space, under the words EIN U. EIN VIERTEL, is very narrow, but a trifle wider than in the first forgery. The groundwork, behind the castle, is shaded with vertical lines only.

These two forgeries, as will be seen by the above description, are very much alike; but this one has the lettering larger and more distinct, in the words EIN U. EIN VIERTEL.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, in very bright red-mauve, on stout, white wove paper; no watermark; nicely perforated 13 1/2. I consider this stamp decidedly deceptive; it is much the best of the trio. There is no stop after POSTMARKE; the A of that word has no stroke across its top, and that part of the line on which the castle stands is double, as in the other forgeries. The right-hand star is nearly as large as the left-hand one. There are eight points on the battlements, at the top of the left-hand tower, eight at the top of the central tower, and seven at the top of the left-hand one.

The right-hand half of the door of the castle is shaded with eight thick, oblique lines, very distinct. The archway to the right of the door is quite white; the wide space, below the words EIN U. EIN VIERTEL, is very white and prominent; it is very nearly as broad as the white fraction- line of the J, and strikes the eye at once. The groundwork, behind the castle, is shaded with vertical lines, crossed by oblique ones, just like the genuine.

I think our young friends will have to be careful lest they be taken in by this counterfeit. I do not know how the perforation is managed; but it is quite1 as regular as the genuine, though not the proper gauge.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg101864. 2 1/2 Schilling, green.

Genuine

Lithographed, on white wove, watermarked paper, unperforated, or perforated 13 1/2. The three complete courses of brickwork at the base of the castle are all of exactly the same height or thickness. The thin lines below POSTMARKE, to the left of ZWEI u. EIN HALB., to the right of SCHILLING, and above HAMBURG, are all very close to the thick lines of the frame outside them, so that in almost all the genuine, they are blotched together for more or less of their length. The groundwork, behind the castle, is composed of vertical lines, crossed by oblique ones, running down from left to right, as in the genuine 1 1/4 schilling; but in the great majority of specimens, these lines are set so very close together that the background appears to be solid. The battlements at the top of the right-hand tower have six points, and those at the top of the central tower have eight. The right-hand half of the door of the castle is shaded with twelve oblique lines, running down from right to left; and some very clear copies show also six very thin lines, running down the other way, crossing from left to right. The stop after SCHILLING is equally distant from the G and from the end of the containing-label.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on very thin, soft, yellowish-white wove paper; no watermark; unperforated. The uppermost of the three complete courses of brickwork at the base of the castle is slightly lower or thinner than the other two below it. The thin line below POSTMARKE is very close to the thick line of the frame below it, and they touch in several places, as in most of the genuine stamps; but the other, similar lines, to the left of ZWEI U. EIN HALB., to the right of SCHILLING, and above HAMBURG, are a good deal further from the thick lines of the frame outside them. The groundwork behind the castle is composed of vertical lines of shading; but the greater part of it is run together, into a solid blotch of colour. The battlements, in my single specimen, are hidden by the postmark, so that I have not been able to count them. The right-hand half of the door of the castle is shaded with ten oblique lines, running down from right to left, and crossed by seven thick lines, running down from left to right. The stop after SCHILLING is a good deal nearer to the end of the label than to the G.

Second Forgery

This is not nearly so close a copy of the genuine as the forgery just described, and yet at the first glance it looks much better than the other. It is lithographed, on very white, medium wove paper; no watermark, very nicely perforated 13 1/2. The lowest of the three complete courses of brickwork at the base of the castle is quite twice as high or thick as the other two above it. This is very clear, and will serve as an easy test for this forgery. The thin lines below POSTMARKE, to the left of ZWEI U. EIN HALB., to the right of SCHILLING, and above HAMBURG, are at a con- siderable distance from the thick lines of the frame outside them, so that they do not touch in any part; indeed, there would be plenty of room to draw another thin line between each of them and the frame. The groundwork behind the castle is composed of vertical lines, shaded with oblique lines, running down from left to right; these lines are all rather coarse, and some little distance apart. The battlements at the top of the right-hand tower have seven points ; those at the top of the central tower have eight. The right-hand half of the door of the castle is shaded with eight oblique lines, running down from right to left, crossed.by eight similar lines running down from left to right; these are so far apart as to give the appearance of lattice-work, rather than shading. The stop after SCHILLING almost touches the end of the label, and is a long way from the G.

Album_Weeds_Hamburg111866. 1 1/4 Schilling, embossed, lilac, rose.

Genuine

Engraved in épargne, on thin, unwatermarked wove paper, rouletted 10. The central figures of value are embossed; and unused specimens show, very distinctly, a sort of shading of white embossed lines, running obliquely down the centre of each numeral, from right to left. In used specimens, the lines only show on the large figure 1. There are sixteen courses of masonry, from the base of the left-hand tower, above the O of POSTMARKE, to the central battlements of the said tower; and fifteen frrom the base of the right-hand tower, above the E of POSTMARKE, to the central battlements of this right-hand tower. The courses of masonry in this latter tower are not nearly so distinct or so easily counted as in the left-hand one. The lettering of the inscriptions is all evidently sunken, as though impressed by types. The H of HAMBURG has its cross-bar exactly in the centre, and the two halves of the B are the same size. The A of POSTMARKE has its cross-bar very nearly in the centre. The stars over the towers have long points, especially the left-hand one. There are some star-like ornaments, dividing the various inscriptions from each other; each of them is composed of six wedge-shaped pieces, arranged point to point, with a coloured centre, which shows a white dot in the middle of it. There are four complete rows of masonry to be seen,

between the base of the castle and the bottom of the large figure 1, which does not encroach upon the stones of the upper row. There is a thin, perpendicular line drawn down, through the centre of the head of the G of SCHILLING.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in pale red-lilac, on very yellowish-white transversely-laid paper, thicker than the genuine; unperforated. The whole stamp is, of course, quite flat, showing no sign of any embossing, or of the sunken lettering. There are fifteen courses of masonry, from the base of the left-hand tower to its central battlements; and thirteen similar courses, from the base of the right-hand tower to its central battlements. Both are very easy to count; the right-hand ones quite as much so as the left-hand ones. The cross-bar of the H of HAMBURG is too high up, being distinctly above the center of the letter; and the B is clumsy, having its upper half larger than the lower one. The cross-bar of the A of POSTMARKE is very much too low down—almost at the bottom of the letter. The stars above the towers have most of their points rather blunt, especially the lower ones. The star-like ornaments, between the various inscriptions, are composed of little balls on thin stems, the stems joining a little ring of colour, which has a white center. The upper one of the four rows of masonry, to be seen below the base of the large figure i, is partly hidden by the base of the said figure, as as to make those stones narrower than the others.

This is not at all a bad-looking forgery, and might deceive a good many. I possess a copy of the genuine which has been doctored in some mysterious way, so as to change the colour of the stamp to brown, and that of the paper to a very brilliant sulphur-yellow.

Second Forgery

This is a retouched reprint, so I prefer to reckon it with the forgeries. Embossed, as before, rouletted 10, also There is no line through the head of the G of SCHILLING ; and the centre of each star is of solid colour, instead of showing a white dot. There are other differences, but these will be sufficient for the detection of this touched-up reprint.

1866, 1 1/2 Schilling, bright rose.

Genuine

Nicely engraved in épargne, on thinnish, white wove paper, unwatermarked, rouletted 10. The central figures are embossed, and shaded with oblique, white embossed lines, as in the genuine 1 1/4 Schilling, and the lettering is slightly sunken. There are, as before, sixteen courses of masonry, from the base of the left-hand tower up to the central battlements of it. The battlements at the top of the right-hand tower show seven points; those at the top of the central tower show nine; and those at the top of the left-hand tower have seven. The bottom of the left-hand half of the door of the castle can just be seen, below the base of the large figure 1; it is shaded with oblique lines, running the opposite way from those which shade the right-hand half. The tail of the G of SCHILLING hardly touches the inner frame-line; and there is a very short line in the head of the said G.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in dull pink, on pale buff-coloured, transversely-laid paper, unperforated. The whole stamp is quite flat, showing no signs either of the embossed figures or of the sunken letterings. There are only thirteen courses of masonry to be seen, from the base of the left-hand tower up to its central battlements. The battlements at the top of the right-hand tower have six indistinct points; those at the top of the central tower have eight distinct ones; and those at the top of the left- hand tower have five. The bottom of the left-hand half of the door of the castle, which shows below the base of the large figure i, merely looks like one of the bricks, as it is not shaded at all.

Second Forgery

This is another touched-up reprint. Embossed, like the genuine, rouletted 10, also 8 1/2. The tail of the G of SCHILLING plainly touches the inner frame-line, and the line through the head of the said G is a good deal longer than in the original. The paper of this touched-up reprint is thicker than the genuine, so that the colour of the impression does not show through, though it does show through very distinctly in the genuine.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 80 (with the bars about 5 mm. apart); also 98, with four bars; also the same, but with the bars wavy. This last is only seen on the early issues. Also 29, in blue or black.

Forged.—98, with four bars; also 1, but with an asterisk each side of the name. (This cancellation is commonly to be met with on the remainders, as it was supposed to enhance their value) I have seen it dated 6/1/66; 3/9/67; 15/8/67 & 27/8/67.

Reprints

I think I ought to say a few words about these. So far as I know, the stamps of the 1859 type have not been reprinted; the unused ones so common being, as I said, remainders, sold to a dealer when the Hamburg stamps became obsolete. The 1 1/4 and 2 1/2 Sch. of 1864 were reprinted in 1872, and later, on stout, white, wove paper, no watermark, unperforated, roughly perforated 13 1/2, and clean-cut 11 1/2, with white or yellowish-white gum. Of the embossed stamps of 1866, the earliest reprints date from 1872, but these (which were retouched) I have already described as forgeries.

 

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

Album Weeds – Buenos Aires

The early Buenos Aires stamps are a marvel of ugliness, and most shamefully printed. The fault of the latter peculiarity lies, I fancy, a good deal in the paper, which is much too thick and rough for the lithographic process. In consequence of the badness of the execution, the stamps vary considerably; points of the design, easily seen in one stamp, are totally invisible in another; etc. The 3, 4, and 5 Pesos are very scarce. The denomination of value on some of the stamps is rather puzzling to beginners. The 1 peso is found as IN, and also as TO; and the 4 pesos is labelled CUATO, in mistake for CUATRO. None of them are labelled in figures. Pemberton’s Handbook says that the 4 and 5 pesos had only a six months’ existence, after which they were suppressed, and the CUATO was printed in brown, instead of red; the CINCO, with the value partially erased, and printed in brown and in blue, passed for 1 Peso.

1856. 1 (IN, TO) Peso; blue, brown.

Genuine

Very badly lithographed, on very thick, yellowish-white wove paper. The lettering of CORREOS is very much larger than any of the other lettering on the stamp; and the second O of that word
is much larger than any of the other letters. In each corner of the stamp there is a large white dot, more or less round; and each of these dots is usually larger than the last O of CORREOS. The name, BUENOS-AIRES, has a hyphen between the two words. Three of the large white dots, and sometimes all four, touch the line outside them. The sun appears to be about half risen; and there are, normally, about eight long rays proceeding from his upper limb; but it is very seldom that more than four of them are visible. The thick oval line, surrounding the ship, etc., does not go all the way round; it is broken on the left side, and the shape of the oval is continued by the horizontal shading, which represents the sea. The IN is very distinct, and just before it there are the remains of the C. The whole of the C has been erased, except just the very ends or tongues of the letter. In the one labelled TO, only a part of the o can be seen, and sometimes it is reduced to a mere dot. The upper spokes of the paddle-wheel of the steamer are never visible, and the lower ones very rarely. There are seven oblique lines (to represent sail and tackle) between the bowsprit and the mast, several of them being broken and irregular; but usually all of them can be counted. The flag on the mast is composed of two converging lines, with a white space between them; thus looking like two small, dark streamers, with the upper one nearly horizontal, and the lower one sloping upwards towards it. The level of the surface of the sea is higher than the top of the bowsprit, so that two, at least, of the horizontal lines, representing the water, are above the top of it. Quite at the stern of the vessel, opposite to the A of FRANCO, there is a distinct flag, touching, with its outer end, the outline of the central oval.

First Forgery. (IR PS)

Rather nicely lithographed, in very dark blue, on very hard, white wove paper. The value appears as IR Ps ; and the partly-erased C has only had just the back taken out of it, leaving the rounded top and bottom, as well as the tongues. The lettering of CORREOS and of BUENOS AIRES is all small, and there is no hyphen between the latter two words. All the letters of CORREOS are of exactly the same size, and as small as the letters of the name. The white dots in the corners are quite small, and about the same size as the O of CORREOS. None of these dots touch the border. The sun does not show any lower rays, but still, by his height above the steamer, he ought to be quite risen. There are seven short rays proceeding from his upper limb. The tip of the bowsprit crosses his face, instead of being far below him. The thick oval line, surrounding the steamer, etc., goes all the way round, unbroken. The easiest test for this forgery is in the value being IR PS instead of IN Ps. The R is quite distinct, and cannot be mistaken for an N. There are three distinct, white upper spokes to the paddle-wheel. There are nine oblique lines, two of them very faint, between the bowsprit and the mast; and the two outer lines to the left are connected together by a series of short, horizontal lines, so that the whole looks like a ladder, leading from the tip of the bowsprit to the very top of the mast. The flag on the mast is something like the genuine, except that the two streamers are parallel, instead of converging, and the end of each is forked. The end of the bowsprit is far above the level of the surface of the sea. The flag at the stern slopes downwards, towards the N of FRANCO; and its end, which is not outlined, does not touch the outline of the oval.

Second Forgery. (IR PS)

This forgery is found in brown, light green, dark green, rose, yellow, and orange ; but all the colours are labelled alike, IR PS, like the forgery just described, so that no one need be taken in by them. Very badly lithographed, on hard, yellowish-white wove paper. The lettering at the top and bottom is very large and tall, almost reaching to the top and bottom of the containing-labels. The word CORREOS gets gradually larger from the beginning to the middle, and then gradually smaller again from the middle to the end. The white dots in the corners are a good deal smaller than either O of CORREOS, and they do not touch the border anywhere. The rays of the sun are very short, and have been placed so close together, that they have all run into one semicircular blotch. The oval is unbroken all the way round. I think this forgery is more deceptive than the last; but the great size of the lettering of BUENOS AIRES will instantly condemn it. The paddle-wheel shows four large, white upper spokes. There are six oblique lines, not broken, joining the bowsprit and the mast. The outer two form a ladder, as in the first forgery, but the rungs of the ladder are blotched together, so that they form an almost solid mass. The flag on the mast consists of two parallel, dark bars, with a white space between them. The surface of the sea is level with the deck of the vessel; and so the whole of the bowsprit is above the level of the sea, and the tip of it touches the outline of the containing-oval. There are merely some very faint indications of the flag at the stern of the vessel; and the flag does not go near the outline of the containing-oval.

Third Forgery. (IN ps)

Lithographed, in dark, reddish-brown, and also in very pale sky-blue, on medium, smooth, very white wove paper. This is exactly the same as the second forgery, except that the white balls in the corners are very small; and it is labelled IN Ps, with no vestige of the C.

Fourth Forgery. (T. PS)

Lithographed, in sky-blue, on medium, smooth, very white wove paper. This is exactly the same as the second forgery, except that the balls are very small; and it is labelled T. PS, with no vestige of the C.

Fifth Forgery. (IN ps)

Lithographed, in pale, dead blue, on very white wove paper, rather thin, smooth, and hard. The value is correctly written IN PS; but there is hardly any indication of the erased C before it,—just the merest trace. The lettering of CORREOS and of BUENOS AIRES is all of the same size, and all in thin letters. There is no hyphen between the words of name. The white dots in the corners are large, but not so large as in the originals, and none of them touch the boundary. The sun shows four thick, short rays, of equal length. The thick, oval line surrounding the steamer, etc., is unbroken. The easiest test for this forgery is in the fact that the line which runs round the whole stamp, outside everything, is a very thin, straight line; whereas this line, in the genuine, is thick and waved, almost as if it had been intended to imitate a perforation. The final O of FRANCO is very small, and a good deal smaller than the rest of the letters of that word. The spokes on the paddle-wheel are visible, very nearly all round the wheel. There are five oblique lines or ropes, joining the mast and the bowsprit together, and none of them are broken. There is no flag on the mast. The top of the bowsprit is level with the surface of the sea. There is no flag at the stern of the vessel.

This forgery is gummed at the back, and has a very new look; but, at the same time, I think that many collectors might be deceived by it.

Sixth Forgery. (UN PS)

Lithographed, in reddish-brown, on thin, rough, greyish-white wove paper. The value is written UN PS., with no indication of the C. The lettering of CORREOS and BUENOS AIRES is very thin, and there is no hyphen. The white dots are small — smaller than the O of CORREOS— and none of them touch any of the outlines of the frame. As far as I can see, from my very poor specimen, the sun is exceedingly faint, so as to be hardly noticeable. The outline of the central oval is solid all the way round. The dark line, surrounding the whole stamp, is not scalloped inside, though it is a little wavy here and there. The rest of the details are undecipherable in my copy; but of course the UN PS is a fatal error, which will serve as an easy test. I have only seen this forgery lately (1892), but it looks old.

Seventh Forgery. (I PS)

Nicely lithographed, in clear red-brown, on very thick, hard, very white wove paper. This is identical with the first forgery of the Dos pesos, hereafter to be described, but is labelled I PS. The numeral will, of course, condemn it at once.

Eighth Forgery. (IK- PS)

Lithographed, in pale vermilion, on stout, hard, rough, very yellowish white wove paper, showing a curious mottled grain, when held up to the light. The lettering of BUENOS-AIRES is very nearly as large as CORREOS, which latter is as large as the genuine, though the second o of CORREOS is not any larger than the other letters. There is a very distinct, short hyphen between the words. Three of the corner-dots touch the frame, as in the genuine. The sun is closely copied, but the bowsprit reaches to the center of his face. The outline of the central oval is solid all the way round. FRANCO is in thin, tall letters, very unlike the short, somewhat thick letters of the genuine. The value shows the head and tail of the C, a perfect 1, and the N has only the first upright stroke, and the oblique stroke; the second upright stroke being altogether absent. After this mutilated N there is a blurred dot, level with the center of the N. The foot of the P of PS is too long, so that it goes very near the bottom of the containing-label; though, in the genuine, there is a wide white space below the bottom of the (very short) P. The white line, marking the upper half of the paddle-wheel, is perfectly semicircular, whereas it is the half of a transverse oval in the genuine. There are no traces of any spokes. The ropes are as in the genuine; but there is a dark flag, crossing three of the ropes, to the left of the mast, about one-third of the way from the top, which does not exist in the genuine. The tip of the bowsprit is above the level of the sea. The outlined flag, touching the outline of the oval, opposite to the A of FRANCO, leans slightly down to the right, instead of being perfectly horizontal. This forgery looks very new.

Ninth Forgery (UN – Ps)

Lithographed, in pale sky-blue, on very thick, very hard, bluish-white wove paper. The stamp is labelled UN – ps, with a very distinct hyphen between the two words. The S of CORREOS is larger than any other letter in the whole inscription. BUENOS AIRES is too large; and there is a distinct white dot, between the words, level with the top of the S of BUENOS. The corner-dots are as large as in the genuine, but none of them touch the outline of the frame anywhere. The sun is too large, with three long rays, and two short ones. The outline of the central oval is solid all the way round. The paddle-wheel shows seven somewhat wedge-shaped, white lower spokes. (There are only four in the genuine, and they are not wedge-shaped.) There are four ropes, and a very distinct ladder (more distinct than in the second forgery), joining the mast and the bowsprit, but the bowsprit itself is quite invisible. The sea is perfectly calm. The outlined flag, opposite the A of FRANCO, slopes down very much to the right, instead of being perfectly horizontal. The S of AIRES is high above the level of the other letters.

Postmarks

Genuine.—A diamond, of small, diamond-shaped, or round dots, with a curious fringe of lines, along each side of the diamond.

First Forgery.—A portion of I, very large, also some unreadable letters.

Second Forgery.—A portion of an oval cancellation, something like 27, generally struck in blue. Also 76.

Third Forgery.—Same as last.

Fourth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Fifth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Sixth Forgery.—An imitation of the fringed diamond of the genuine.

Seventh Forgery.—1. Also uncancelled.

Eighth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Ninth Forgery.—1.

Besides these, I have seen 6, without numerals; 29, 42, without numerals; one somewhat like 85; 100 and 101; but did not note the particular forgeries on which they were found.

Album_Weeds_Buenos-Aires21856. 2 (DOS) Pesos, blue.

Genuine

Lithographed, in a lighter blue than that of the blue 1 peso. The paper, design, etc., are the same as in the 1 peso, except that the value appears as DOS PS., in small block letters, not nearly filling up (either in width or height) the label containing them.

First Forgery. (2 PS)

Lithographed, in sky-blue, on thick, hard, smooth, very white wove paper. The lettering of CORREOS is much smaller than that of BUENOS AIRES. The white dots in the corners are small, but larger than the O of CORREOS. There is no hyphen in the name. (By the way, I ought to have stated that the hyphen, in the genuine, generally looks more like a small white dot than anything else.) None of the corner-dots go any- where near either inner or outer outlines of the frame. The half sun is high above the water, and the bowsprit and one of the ropes pass right across its face, which shows ten short rays. The outline of the oval is solid all the way round, and the left side of the sea does not touch it. There are five or six white, upper spokes visible in the paddle-wheel; 11ill six ropes pass obliquely from the bowsprit to the mast, touching both. The value is written 2 Ps which will, of course, instantly condemn this forgery, without need of further description.

Second Forgery. (DOS PS)

Lithographed, in brilliant, dark blue, on rather thick, smooth, bluish- white wove paper. This is the same as the second forgery of the 1 peso, except that it is labelled DOS PS., in large block letters, almost entirely filling up the height and width of the containing label.

Third Forgery. (DOS – ps)

Lithographed, in pale sky-blue, on thick, hard, bluish-white wove paper. This is the same as the ninth forgery of the I peso, with the exception of THE points now to be described. The stamp is labelled DOS-PS., with a large hyphen between the words. There is no dot or hyphen between the words BUENOS AIRES, and the S of the latter word is not out of place.

Album_Weeds_Buenos-Aires31856. 3 (TRES) Pesos, green.

Genuine

Lithographed, in yellow-green, on thick, very yellowish-white wove paper, sometimes rather shiny and greasy-looking on the face. The tests are the same as for the genuine 1 peso, except that it is labelled TRES PS.

First Forgery. (3 PS)

Lithographed, in bluish-green, on rather thick, hard, greyish-white wove paper. This is identical with the first forgery of the 2 pesos, but is labelled 3 PS.

Second Forgery. (TRES ps)

Lithographed, in dark yellow-green, on medium, white wove paper. The lettering of CORREOS is hardly any larger than that of BUENOS AIRES. The top-stroke of the E of CORREOS is absurdly prolonged, to double its proper length. The letters of all the three words are very thin and ragged; BUENOS AIRES being almost unreadable. There is no hyphen. The corner-dots are small, and none of them touch any portion of the frame. I can make out six rays to the sun, very short and faint; but my copy does not show the sun itself. The outline of the central oval is solid all the way round. The value is correctly labelled TRES PS., but the block letters are too thin. The paddle-wheel is obscured by the postmark, in my specimen, but I can see indications of some white, upper spokes. There seem to be six ropes, joining the bowsprit and the mast, two only of them touching both. One very small streamer can be seen on the mast. There are two yards, crossing the mast obliquely, which are not seen in the genuine. In a perfect copy, the sea would come about level with the tip of the bowsprit. The flag at the stern not only touches the outline of the central oval, but trespasses very slightly beyond it to the right. The thin letters of CORREOS and BUENOS AIRES will serve, I think, as easy tests. The description given here does not sound so very different from that of the genuine, but the appearance of the stamp, as a whole, is bad.

1856. 4 (CUATO) Pesos, red, brown.

Genuine

Lithographed; paper, etc., as before. The tests are the same as for the genuine 1 peso, except that the stamp is labelled CUATO PS.

First Forgery. (4 PS)

Lithographed, in pinkish-vermilion, and also in cold brown, on stout, very white wove paper. This is identical with the first forgery of the 2 pesos, except that it is labelled 4 P-J, with a stop under the little S.

Second Forgery. (CUATRO PS.)

Lithographed, in carmine-vermilion, on stout, greyish-white wove paper. This is the same as the first forgery of the 3 pesos, but is labelled CUATRO PS.

Third Forgery. (CUATR PS.)

Lithographed, in pale pink, on medium, hard, white wove paper. This is the same as the second forgery of the 1 peso, but is labelled CUATR ps.

Fourth Forgery. (FOUR PS)!

Lithographed, in warm brown, and also in vermilion, on stout, moderately hard, very yellowish-white wove paper. In general appearance, this stamp is very like the first forgery of the 2 pesos. The lettering of CORREOS is about the same size as that of BUENOS AIRES; there is no hyphen, and the N of BUENOS is reversed, i.e., the oblique stroke runs down from right to left, instead of from left to right. The corner-dots are small, and do not touch the outlines of the frame anywhere. The sun shows six short rays. The bowsprit crosses his face, and touches the outline of the oval, which is solid all the way round. There are three very distinct, white upper spokes to the paddle-wheel, but the whole of the lower half of it is buried in the water. The flag on the mast is formed by two parallel, dark streamers, with fringed ends. The bowsprit comes above the level of the sea. At the stern of the vessel there is a larch-tree, leaning over to the right. The stamp is labelled FOUR PS-

Album_Weeds_Buenos-Aires51856. 5 (CINCO) Pesos, orange.

Genuine

Lithographed; paper, etc., as in the genuine 1 peso, but labelled CINCO PS.

First Forgery. (5 PS)

Lithographed, in dull, dark, chocolate-brown, and also in bright blue, on medium, greyish-white wove paper. This is identical with the first forgery of the 2 pesos, but is labelled 5 ps.

Second Forgery. (CINCO PS.)

Lithographed, in dark, ochre-yellow, on rather thin, hard, bluish-white or greyish-white wove paper. This is the same as the first forgery of the 3 pesos, but is labelled CINCO PS.

Third Forgery. (CINCO PS.)

Lithographed, in greenish-yellow, on rough, yellowish-white wove paper, very thick and hard. The lettering of CORREOS is hardly any larger than that of BUENOS AIRES. There is no hyphen. The corner dots are rather small, and none of them touch any of the outlines of the frame. The sun shows about ten rays; and they are vertical, instead radiating; which is an easy test. The tip of the bowsprit reaches to the very center of the sun’s face, and is high above the level of the water. The outline of the central oval is solid all the way round. The stamp is correctly labelled, CINCO PS. There are three lower white spokes to the paddle-wheel, and they are placed almost vertically, instead of radiating. I here are six ropes between the bowsprit and the mast, and one of them only goes half-way across. The top of the mast is covered by the postmark, in my specimen. The sea is very calm, with no sign of any white waves, though it boils furiously, in the genuine, about the front part of the vessel, and near the paddle-wheel.

Fourth Forgery. (CINCO PS.)

Lithographed, in yellow-brown or cold bistre, on medium, greyish-white wove paper. The lettering is very like that of the genuine, except that BUENOS AIRES is too small. There is a small hyphen. The dots in the left upper and right lower corners are very small, and do not touch the frame; the other two dots are much larger, and both touch the frame.

The sun shows seven long rays, and there are three horizontal, dark bars across his face. The outline of the oval is broken on the left side; its shape being continued, as in the genuine, by the horizontal shading, which represents the sea. The stamp is correctly labelled, CINCO PS. There do not seem to be any spokes to the paddle-wheel. There are, as in the genuine, seven lines between the bowsprit and the mast; one of them does not go all the way across. The lower part of the said mast is composed of two thick, parallel dark lines, with a white space between them. (In the genuine, the two dark lines diverge at the bottom, and get nearer together at the top.) The flag at the stern of the vessel, near the A of FRANCO, is widest where it touches the outline of the oval, though, in the genuine, the top and bottom sides are perfectly parallel, so that it is the same width throughout its length. The S of AIRES is at a good distance from the white dot to right of it: in the genuine, they very nearly touch each other.

Concerning the genuine stamps, I may add that, besides the varieties mentioned by Mr. Pemberton, I have seen the 1 peso labelled 1 PESO. It is from the matrix of the CUATO PS.; and the T of CUATO has had the lop cut off, and the O altogether erased, leaving the upright stroke of the mutilated “T” to do duty as a “1.” I do not remember seeing more than one specimen of this, so it is probably not common. Of the altered stamps, however, there are 48 varieties to be found, in consequence of the careless way in which the alterations were made.

Album_Weeds_Buenos-Aires6
1860. Paris Print. 4 Reales, 1 & 2 Pesos.

The first issue of the set with head of Liberty was printed in Paris. The stamps are not marvels
of execution, but they are infinitely clearer and better in every way than the later ones, printed in
the Republic itself. Indeed, I fancy that some of the latter would be rejected by our younger
brethren, as counterfeits, though they must yield the palm of ugliness to the first issue.

Genuine

Clearly lithographed, on white wove paper. The head of Liberty is nicely done, and there are five lines of shading at the crease, formed where the cap doubles over, at the top of the head. There are three distinct, dark waves of hair in front of the cap. The necklace upon the neck shows four pearls. All the rest of the necklace, except these four pearls, is hidden by the tail of the cap, which exactly covers over the line, or direction, in which the remainder of the necklace would lie. The eye is distinct and open; the chin is curved considerably forwards. The narrowest part of the shaded background, outside the central circle, on each side, contains four vertical lines of shading. The tail or ear-flap of the cap comes forward to cover the ear, then it goes straight downwards, getting narrower as it goes, until it gives a twist over, and joins the necklace, as before described. There is usually a hyphen between the words BUENOS-AIRES, but I have seen many undoubtedly genuine copies without it, so it is not safe to trust too much to this test. The lettering at the sides is very thin, and the value is at equal distances from both ends of the containing-label.

First Forgery

Moderately well lithographed, on white wove paper. The head is not well done. There are three lines of shading, where the cap bends over, at the top of the head. There is a white blotch at the top of the forehead, being, apparently, part of the cap; and beneath it there are two waves of hair. The side of the face is shaded with blotches. There is no necklace visible at all; its place being occupied by what looks like disheveled hair, which has, apparently, escaped from the cap. The eye is a dark blotch; the chin points downward, instead of forward. The narrowest part of the shaded background, outside the central circle, has seven vertical lines of shading on the right, and about six on the left, though the latter are so blotched that it is very difficult to be certain as to the real number. The tail or ear-flap of the cap looks like a rough representation of a leg and foot, the knee coming over the ear, and the rest of the leg pointing forward, so that the toe, if prolonged, would cut into the U of BUENOS. There is no indication of any hyphen, between the words of name. The lettering at the sides is stumpy and fat; and, in the 2 pesos, the value has been altered by simply changing the 1 into a 2, and adding an s to the end of PESO; thus the last S of PESOS is much nearer to the one side of the label than the 2 is to the other side.

Second Forgery

This forgery may possibly be found in all the values, but I have only seen the 2 Pesos. It is very badly clone. Lithographed, on white wove paper. Poor Liberty resembles a very shrewish old woman, and her cap is a real nightcap. The front corner of the base of the neck is cut off altogether. There are four vertical lines of shading on each side, just outside the central circle; but they are very crookedly drawn, so that they look very different from the genuine. The S of BUENOS looks like a Z, reversed and inverted. There is no stop between the words BUENOS AIRES. The final S of PESOS is much too near its own end of the label. The tail of the cap points to the o of BUENOS, and the B is decidedly nearer to the left-hand end of the label than the s of AIRES is to the right-hand end.

Third Forgery

Of this I have only seen the 1 peso, in red. Lithographed, on hard wove paper, of a yellowish white. The upper part of the head is tolerably well done, but the lower jaw is swollen, as if the poor lady were suffering from tooth-ache. The shading in the crease, formed where the cap doubles over, at the top of the head, consists of five lines, radiating from a thick line, like twigs from a branch. There are four very distinct twists of hair, in front of the cap. There is no necklace; but the tail of the cap comes right forward, to the very front of the neck, and entirely covers that part where the necklace ought to be found. The eye is moderately distinct, but not quite so clear as in the genuine. There is no chin to speak of; for the usual curve, between the lower lip and the chin proper, is filled up by the swelling of which I spoke. The narrowest part of the shaded background, outside the central circle, has six lines on 1 lie right side, and four on the left. There is a very faint hyphen between the words BUENOS-AIRES. The lettering at the right side is too large and thick. The first 0 of CORREOS is a distinct Q.

Fourth Forgery

The stamps of this set are very bad. Lithographed, on stout, rather greasy-looking, tinted wove paper; i.e., tinted, on the face, pink for the red, greenish for the green, etc.; also on medium, very white wove paper. The crease in the cap is a mere blotch, but there are two very short lines projecting from it, and one drawn below it. The hair shows a large upper twist, and two rather smaller ones below it. A dark line (not touching the tail of the cap) runs right across the lower part of the neck, where the pearl necklace ought to be. The tail of the cap comes suddenly to a point, and ends just above the said dark line. Below this line is a second one, not found in the genuine, or in the other forgeries, which runs across the neck, close to the base. The chin is very sharply pointed. The narrowest part of the background, between the central medallion and the frame, contains three thick dark lines on the right side, and two on the left; in each case including the inner line of the frame. (In the genuine I have not included the inner line of the frame, as the other lines are much thinner; but, in this forgery, the inner line of the frame, and the other lines, are all of equal thickness.) There is no hyphen between the words BUENOS AIRES; but, on the other hand, there is a distinct white dot, above the right top corner of the S of AIRES, which exists only in this forgery. The side-lettering is coarse, and the C of FRANCO is an ordinary capital C, instead of having both head and tail alike.

NOTE.—There is still another set of forgeries of this issue, very much better than any of those described, and decidedly dangerous; but I have not been able to take notes of the differences.

Postmarks

Genuine.

The usual cancellation is a smallish oval, filled with crossed, oblique lines. But many of the genuine stamps of this issue passed the post without being cancelled, owing to a habit, on the part of the Buenos Aireans, of applying the stamps by way of seal to their letters, so that they escaped the notice of the officials.

First Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Second Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Third Forgery.—29.

Fourth Forgery.-—Something like 42, without numerals.

1860. Local Print. 4 Reales, 1 Peso.

This issue can easily be distinguished from the last, by the extreme badness of the impression. The type is, I believe, really the same; but it looks very different, owing to the faulty execution of the printing.

Genuine

Very badly lithographed, on soft wove paper, as before. The pearls of the necklace are merged into one dark line, which is joined to the tail of the cap. In all my copies, there is a dot between the words BUENOS AIRES. There is no stop after the S, in the 4 Reales value. It will be understood that this issue is exactly like the last, in all points, except that the whole design is blotchy, and very badly printed.

Forged

Lithographed, on hard, white wove paper. The whole front and base of the neck seem to be merged into the background, and are almost invisible. There is no necklace to be seen, nor the part of the tail of the cap, which ought to join it. The waves of hair of the originals are here made part of the cap instead, and, in some copies, this part is perfectly white. The tail of the cap points in the same direction as that in the first set of forgeries of the Paris-printed issue. There is no clot between the words BUENOS AIRES. There is a stop after REALES in the 4 Reales value.

Postmarks

Genuine.—An oval of diamond-shaped dots. Also 29.

Forged.—Uncancelled, or part of an oval, with very thick outline.

 

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

Album Weeds – Braunschweig (Brunswick)

Spud_Braunschweig11852. 1 Silbergroschen, rose.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, on thick, white wove paper, unwatermarked, backed with rose-colourecl gum. The outer frame of the stamp is composed of two lines, not at all blotched together, the outer one very much thicker than the inner one. The impression is frequently poor; that is to say, the vertical lines in the central oval are often not complete, some of them being only drawn part of the way, or else broken. None of the letters touch each other anywhere. The central oval has its outline formed by two thin lines, part of the way; i.e., from about the end of the tail, over the back, round to about level with the eyes of the horse; all the rest of the outline of the oval is quite solid, formed by the two thin lines being merged into one thick one. The little dark cross on the top of the crown is moderately distinct, and it just touches the inner outline of the oval above it. This cross rests on an oval white orb, which has an oval ring of colour in its center. On the crown, below the orb, are two ovals, very similar to the orb in all respects. At the base of the crown are four very small white pearls, but these are very difficult to see, as the band forming the base of the crown is generally more or less blotched. The crown touches the mane of the horse. There are 19 vertical lines of shading in the left side of the oval, counting along the top outline as far as the cross and 17 lines in the right side of the oval, counting from the other side of the cross; or, reckoning 3 lines as hidden by the cross, there would be 37 in all. (There is, at the left-hand end of the oval, in most copies, a portion of another vertical line, joined to the end of the oval, but I do not reckon this.) The piece of ground on which the horse stands does not touch the outline of the oval on either side. Below this piece of ground, between it and the lower outline of the oval, are a number of short, vertical lines of shading, of varying lengths, intended for the lower ends of the long vertical lines spoken of above. There are about 18 of them, but some are mere dots. The seventh, eighth, and ninth of these, counting from the left, break into the outline of the piece of ground above them. The eye, nostril, and mouth of the horse are tolerably distinct; the line forming the front curve of the shoulder is well marked, and there is a long, curved line running up the neck, not parallel with •either outline of the neck. The point of the horse’s nose comes between the sixth and seventh of the vertical lines, counting from the left; and the front hoof touches the first vertical line. The tail ends between the first and second vertical lines from the right.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on thick, hard, very white wove paper; white gum. In the word BRAUNSCHWEIG, the letters RA touch each other at the bottom, and WE, and sometimes HWE, touch each other at the top. The letters GR. in the lower label also touch each other at the bottom. There is a thick vertical line at the top of the crown, to represent the cross, but its cross-bar seems to form a part of the orb. The orb on which it rests is circular, with a crescent-shaped line of shading in the center of it. The middle of the crown does not show the two oval openings. There are five pearls at the base of the crown, four of them being very distinct. There are 20 vertical lines of shading in the left side of the oval, as far as the cross, and 18 similar lines in the right side of the oval. The piece of ground on which the horse stands is joined to the outline of the oval on the right. There are 20 short, vertical lines below the piece of ground, but none of them break through the outline of the said piece of ground. The nostril and mouth of the horse are generally one blotch. The point of its nose touches the seventh vertical line from the left, and the front hoof comes between the first and second vertical lines. The end of the tail touches the first vertical line on the right. The front outline of the neck looks rather ragged, and the line of shading, running up the neck, is very nearly parallel to the front outline of the neck. The tail of the R of GR. runs into the stop after it, though it does not do so in the genuine.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on thin, rather hard, white wove paper; white gum. On the left side of the stamp, the two lines of the outer frame are both of the same thickness, and on the other three sides also there is very little difference in the thickness of the two lines. Instead of a cross on the crown, there is a little ball, and the orb is round, with a white center, and no ring in it. Below the orb there is a white, upright oblong, which is not seen in the genuine. The oval openings in the crown are absent, and the pearls at the base of the crown are undecipherable. The crown only just touches the mane of the horse. There are 18 vertical lines on the left side of the oval, as far as the ball, and 15 on the right side of it. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the oval on the left side, but not on the right. There are no short vertical lines below this piece of ground, but the lower outline of it is interrupted in the center, and shows there four tiny, vertical lines, which have no business there. There is no dark line to mark the rounded curve of the shoulder, and no line up the neck. The point of the horse’s nose breaks the sixth vertical line from the left, and the front hoof comes between the first and second lines, the first line not coming down to touch the hoof. The tail does not quite touch the first line on the right. This forgery is better executed than the first, though the details are not so correct.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, in rose, and also in vermilion, on medium, white or yellowish-white wove paper; white gum. The two lines of the frame are rather blotched together at the top, and, all round, there is not sufficient difference between them in thickness. The two outlines of the oval are separate most of the way round, being only merged into one solid line, from below the hind feet of the horse to about level with the knees of the fore-legs. In the word BRAUNSCHWEIG, the letters RA are joined at the bottom, and HVVE at the top. The orb on the crown has an oblong, white patch in its center, and there is no cross on the top of the orb, but merely a very small, dark lump. In the center of the crown there are two large, distinct white pearls, to represent the oval openings of the genuine. There are four small white pearls at the base of the crown. The crown itself does not touch the horse’s mane. As the lump or blotch, intended for the cross, does not touch the outline of the oval above it, the vertical lines of shading in the oval can be counted all the way round, and there are 42 of them. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the oval on the right, but not on the left. There are 21 short vertical lines below this piece of ground, but none of them break through the lower outline of the piece of ground. The horse has a distinct, round eye, but there is no mouth or nostril. The bottom of the mane, where it lies on the back of the horse, is a blotchy lump of colour. The point of the nose touches the ninth line from the left. The front hoof touches the third vertical line, and is curved too much inwards. The end of the tail touches the fourth line from the right. It will be seen that this forgery is very different from the genuine.

Fourth Forgery

This, except that it is too pale, is very like the genuine in general appearance. Lithographed, on medium, white wove paper; white gum The two outlines of the frame are somewhat blotched together at the top. The outline of the central oval is solid, nearly all the way round. The orb is circular, with a white center, and no oval ring in it. The crown is very light in colour, and its details are not to be deciphered; indeed, it is invisible at a first glance, whereas, in the genuine, it is the darkest object in the oval. It does not touch the horse’s mane. There are 18 vertical lines of shading to the left of the cross, and 16 to the right of it. The ground on which the horse stands appears to touch the oval both sides, and the short lines below it are so broken and imperfect that they cannot be counted. I ought to add that this arises from imperfect inking of the stone, so the lines may be all right, as far as I know. The front of the shoulder is formed by a short, oblique line, not curved as the genuine is, and there is no line up the neck. The point of the horse’s nose touches the eighth line from the left; the front of the leg (the hoof is curled inwards) touches the third line from the left, and the tail touches the third line from the right.

Fifth Forgery

Engraved in epargné (probably an electrotype), on thick, white wove paper; yellowish-brown gum. The two lines forming the frame are blotched together the whole way round, and, as far as I can make out, the inner line is thicker than the outer one. All the colored parts of this forgery are deeply sunk into the paper, far more so than the genuine. In my specimen, the upper outline of the lower scroll, which contains EIN SLLB. GR., is broken nearly all the way along; but this is only from absence of ink, as the sunken impression of the die can plainly be seen, though the ink has failed. The outline of the oval is solid all the way round, and, at the bottom, it is evidently composed of one thin line, though in the genuine, and in all the other forgeries, it is, at this part, a thick line, formed by the two thin lines being merged together. As far as I can make out, there are 18 lines to the left of the cross, and 15 to the right of it. There is no line up the neck of the horse. The piece of ground on which he stands touches the oval both sides, and there are no vertical lines below the said piece of ground. I cannot give any further details, as my specimen is so extremely faint.

Spud_Braunschweig21852. 2 Sgr., blue.

Genuine

Paper, engraving, gum, etc., as in the genuine 1 Sgr. The outer frame is also the same as in the genuine 1 Sgr. The bottoms of the R and A of BRAUNSCHWEIG generally touch each other, but not always. The two nullities of the central oval are merged into one solid line, from about level with the back of the horse, round underneath, to about the tenth line from (he left; that is to say, perpendicularly above the eye of the horse. The rest of the outline, as before, is composed of two separate lines. The cross on the crown is the same as before, but the oval ring in 1 lie center of the orb appears to be here only a curved or crescent-shaped line, instead of a complete ring. The base of the crown contains an upright diamond, with a transverse diamond on each side of it. These are fairly distinct. The crown touches the mane of the horse. There are 22 vertical lines of shading on the left side of the oval, as far as the cross, and 18 similar lines from the cross to the right side of the oval; or 43 in all, if we suppose that 3 lines are hidden by the cross. The piece of ground on which the horse stands does not really touch the outline of the oval either side, though it goes very close to it on the right side. Below the piece of ground, between it and the lower outline of the oval, there are 22 very short, vertical lines, some being mere dots, as before. The eye, nostril, and mouth of the horse are moderately distinct; the line forming the curve of the shoulder is thick and heavy, and there is usually a line, running up the neck, which is very nearly parallel with the curve of the back of the neck. The point of the horse’s nose comes between the seventh and eighth of the vertical lines, counting from the left. The front hoof comes between the first and second lines, and sometimes it also touches the outline of the oval. The tail ends at the third vertical line from the right. The G of BRAUNSCHWEIG, and the G of GR. are both exactly alike, and the tail of each points downwards, and not forwards.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on thick, hard, very white wove paper; white gum. This is the same as the first forgery of the 1 sgr., and the tests for that counterfeit apply to this one. The tail of the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG curls forwards, and the tail of the G of GR. is bent forwards at a right angle, so as nearly to touch the R.

Second Forgery

Poorly lithographed, on thick, hard, yellowish-white wove paper, white gum. The inner line of the frame of the stamp is so very thin that, in some places, it is almost invisible. The R and A of BRAUNSCHWEIG are very distinctly joined together at the bottom. The oval, as far as I can make out, is composed of one single, thin line at the top, two thin lines at the right side, and one thick line at the bottom and left side, being very thick indeed at the bottom. The top of the crown is postmarked in my copy, so that I am unable to tell the shape of the cross; but it does not touch the upper outline of the oval, and the orb appears to be merely a shapeless, white blotch. The crown itself, as far as it is visible beneath the postmark on my specimen, is very dark and shapeless, with a white center. The cross, as I have said, does not touch the top of the oval, therefore the vertical lines can be counted all the way across from left to right, and there are 35 of them. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the oval, very distinctly, both sides. Of the short lines beneath the piece of ground, only about three or four can be seen in my specimen, and they are so exceedingly faint that I could only make them out with the microscope. The eye and nostril of the horse are tolerably distinct, but the mouth is hardly visible. The line forming the inner curve of the shoulder is very short and thick, and there is no line running up the neck; but, per contra, there is a short, thick vertical line, with a dot to the left of it, in the neck, just opposite to the point where the outline of the neck joins that of the back. The nose of the horse touches the sixth vertical line from the left. The front hoof touches the first line on the left. I ought to add that there is a blue line, apparently a scratch on the stone, which runs right across the stamp, from above the U of BRAUNSCHWEIG, through the left-hand end of the oval and the Z of ZWEI, to the bottom, and this line covers the place where the first vertical line of the oval ought to be. This long line is, of course, not to be seen in the genuine, or, indeed, in any other counterfeit. The tail ends at the third vertical line from the right.

Third Forgery

Engraved in epargné, on very yellowish-white wove paper, thick and hard, with yellowish gum. The outer line of the frame is irregular in thickness, and, on the right side, there are portions of it that are as thin as the inner line. The inner line is broken at the left lower corner, i.e., the left side and the bottom do not join. The R and A of BRAUNSCHWEIG appear to touch at the bottom. The lettering is all slightly sunk into the paper. The crown is not nearly so dark as in the genuine; it is too indistinct to show details, but the base is evidently a plain white band. It does not touch the mane of the horse. There are 18 vertical lines to the left of the cross, and 16 to right of it. The piece of ground on which the horse stands appears to touch the outline of the containing-oval at both ends, and the horse’s left heel touches the outline of the oval, though it does not do so in the genuine. The central oval is one solid line all the way round. There are about 17 short vertical lines under the piece of ground, between it and the bottom outline of the oval. The mouth and nostril of the horse are one indistinct blotch. The line forming the curve of the shoulder is a shapeless blotch, and there is no line up the neck. The point of the horse’s nose touches the eighth line from the left; the front hoof (very much curled in) touches the third line from the left, and the tail ends at the third line from the right. There is one very easy test for this forgery. In the genuine, the “2” in each side-oval has a perfectly straight foot, with a little oblique line sticking up from the end of it. In this counterfeit, the foot of each “2” is curved, i.e., it has a wave in it.

Fourth Forgery

This stamp appears to be a lithographic transfer of the counterfeit just described. Lithographed, on thick, very hard wove paper. The gum is rose-tinted, and the tint has very slightly colored the stamp all through, so that it is pinkish-white. The tests are the same as in the third forgery; and, in addition, the cross-bar to the A of BRAUNSCHWEIG is not horizontal, but slopes down very much to the left. The cross-bar to the tail of the G of this word is so long, that it touches the inside of the body of the letter.

Fifth Forgery

Lithographed, on thick, very hard, yellowish-white or bluish-white wove paper. There is a scratch in the U and a stop after the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG, which are not found in the genuine. The thin, inner line of the frame is absent, part of the way along the top and the left side. The crown is a fair imitation of the genuine ; but the base of the crown bears a very tiny, white dot, with a pearl to the left of it, and a rather shapeless, white oblong to the right of it. In some copies, the said base appears to show a blotch at each end, and two colored dots in the center, the rest being white. It is quite impossible to count the vertical lines in the oval, as more than half of them are defective, or all together missing. The left-hand end of the piece of ground on which the horse stands just touches the outline of the oval, and the horse’s hind hoof touches the outline on the right side. Below the piece of ground, and between it and the bottom outline of the oval, there are only a few remnants of the short, vertical lines, which cannot be counted. The eye and nostril of the horse are fairly distinct, but the mouth is very faint. The line forming the curve of the shoulder is very thin, and there is no line running up the neck. The end of the tail goes beyond the last visible vertical line in the oval in my specimen, but there is room to the right of this for at least two other lines, so there may be more in a perfect copy, for anything that I know. This forgery, despite all the tests given, is fairly deceptive. The B of BRAUNSCHWEIG, which is a good deal too large in all the other counterfeits, is very like the genuine in this forgery. Perhaps the easiest test is the position of the cross on the crown. In the genuine, it is under the space between SC of BRAUNSCHWEIG, but in this forgery, it is under the beginning of the C.

Spud_Braunschweig31852. 3 Sgr., vermilion.

Genuine

Paper, engraving, gum, etc., the same as in the genuine 1 and 2 Sgr. None of the letters touch each other. The outline of the central oval is almost exactly the same as in the genuine 1 Sgr. The crown, orb, and cross are similar to those of the genuine 1 Sgr., but the ornaments on the base of the crown are seldom distinct enough to be made out. The crown does not seem to touch the mane of the horse. There are 19 vertical lines of shading in the oval, to the left of the cross, and 17 to the right of it, just as in the genuine 1 Sgr. This does not include the short portion of a line to the very left of the oval, which is visible in some copies, but not in others. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches, by means of a dark prolongation of the lower line, the outline of the oval to the left, but it does not touch to the right. There are 17 short, vertical lines below the piece of ground. The eye, nostril, and mouth of the horse are tolerably distinct. The line forming the curve of the shoulder is strongly bent, somewhat like a sickle. There is a rather short line up the neck, which does not follow either outline of the neck. The point of the horse’s nose comes between the sixth and seventh line from the left, as in the 1 Sgr. The front hoof also touches the first vertical line, and the tail touches the second line from the right. There are five sloping lines of shading before the B, and two after the G, of BRAUNSCHWEIG, three long lines and a short one before the D of DREI, and one long one after GR. The stop after SILB. and the stop after GR. are both at the same distance from their respective words.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in carmine, on medium, white wove paper, white gum This is very like the first forgery of the 1 Sgr., with altered value. The tail of the G of GR. is like the genuine in this forgery. There are two long lines and one short one after the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG, two long ones and a couple of dots like a colon, before the D of DREI, and two long ones and a broken one after GR.

Second Forgery

This is much the same as the third forgery of the 1 Silbergroschen. Lithographed, in pale rose, on thick, hard, yellowish-white wove paper, rose gum. The letters RA of BRAUNSCHWEIG are joined at the bottom, and HWE at the top. The two outlines of the central oval are separate for most of the way round, as in the forgery named. The crown is also the same as in the said forgery. There are 43 vertical lines in the oval, and most of them have been drawn too long, so that they trespass, more or less, across the two outlines of the containing-oval, especially under the H and E of BRAUNSCHWEIG. The piece of ground on which the horse stands does not touch the oval either side. There are 21 short, vertical lines below the piece of ground. There is a slight indication of an eye, but the mouth and nose of the horse are not visible. There are three converging lines where the left front leg joins the body, and the line up the neck is very long and very thin. The point of the nose touches the ninth line from the left, the front hoof touches the third line from the left, and the tail ends at the third line from the right. By the way, I ought to mention that the last vertical line to the right is almost merged into the outline of the oval. There are four long, sloping lines, with another line crossing one of them obliquely, before the B of BRAUNSCHWEIG, and five short ones, of varying length, after the G. In all my specimens, the lines before the D of DREI are ail blotched into a solid mass of colour; and there are two long lines, and two short ones, after GR. The stop after SILB. is much smaller than the one after GR., and the latter is farther away from its word than the former is. Each “3” is tall and narrow, unlike the sturdy numerals of the genuine.

1853. Black impression, on colored paper.

The stamps are the same as the first issue, except that they are printed in black, on unwatermarked, colored paper, instead of in colour on white; thus the tests given for the first issue (save as regards the paper) will serve for these.

Spud_Braunschweig41853. 1 Silbergroschen.

Genuine

Engraved, as before, in epargné, on yellow or orange-yellow wove paper, watermarked with a framed post-horn. The watermark is an easy test for all the stamps of this issue, as it is always plainly visible, and the forgers have not yet imitated it.

First Forgery

Nicely lithographed, in black, on yellow, orange, buff, or yellow-brown wove paper; no watermark. The paper is a little thinner than the genuine, and the colour of the yellow is a very exact imitation of the genuine; but that of the orange lacks the sort of brownish shade which the genuine has. This counterfeit is exactly the same type as the first forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1853. I have a specimen in which the tail of the R of GR does not touch the stop after it. There are five lines, instead of six, before the B of BRAUNSCHWEIG; three, instead of four, after the G; and five, instead of four, before the E of EIN.

Second Forgery

This is a new type. Lithographed, in black, on primrose-yellow paper, thin and moderately soft; no watermark. The tail of the R of BRAUNSCHWEIG turns up, as it does in very good copies of the genuine. The outline of the central oval is one thick line, all the way round. The cross on the crown is represented by a black, wedge-shaped lump, which runs down so as to obscure the right half of the orb. There seem to be three ovals in the body of the crown, but they are very blotchy. Near the base of the crown is a transverse, yellow line, and, above it, two very faint yellow dots, close together. The cross does not touch the top of the oval, so the vertical lines in the oval can be counted all the way round; there are 38 of them. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the oval on the right, but not on the left. Below this piece of ground, and between it and the bottom of the oval, there are 20 short, vertical lines, some of them being mere dots. The lower outline of the piece of ground is very uneven and wavy. The horse has an open eye, the mouth is very small, and the nostril is invisible; the animal has a Roman nose, which gives it a ridiculous appearance. The line forming the curve of the shoulder is very thick, and the line up the neck follows the curve of the back of the neck, and touches the outline of the front of the neck, by the corner of the lower jaw. The point of the horse’s nose touches the seventh vertical line from the left, the front hoof touches the second line from the left, and the tail touches the third line from the right. There are only three lines, instead of six, before the B of BRAUNSCHWEIG; two lines, instead of four, after the G; and no lines at all before EIN. The words EIN SILB. GR. are in very small letters, and nearer to the bottom than to the top outline of the containing-scroll.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, in black, on rather thin, yellow wove paper; no watermark. This is very much the same as the third forgery of the I Silber- groschen of the first issue, except, of course, as regards the colored paper.

Spud_Braunschweig51853. 2 Sgr., black on blue.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, usually rather heavily printed, in black, on thick, blue wove paper, watermarked with a posthorn. The design is the same as that of the 2 Sgr. of the first issue.

Forged

I have only one type of forgery, and only two specimens of it in my possession, so it would appear that this value has not been so often forged as the others. It is nicely lithographed, in black, on blue paper, a little lighter in tint than that of the genuine; no watermark. The type is just the same as that of the first forgery of the 2 Sgr. of 1852, except that I can only make out 17 instead of 18 vertical lines in the oval, to the right of the cross.

1853. 3 Sgr., black on rose.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, in black, on moderately thick, pale rose wove paper; watermarked with a post-horn. The type is similar to that of the genuine 3 Sgr. of 1852.

First Forgery

Poorly lithographed, in black, on medium wove paper, of a peculiar magenta-pink shade; i.e., pink with a shade of blue in it. There is no watermark. This is the same type as the first forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in black, on thick rose paper, very like that of the genuine, no watermark. It is the same type as the third forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852.

1856. Same design. 1 Sgr., black on brown.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, on rather soft, brown wove paper; watermarked with a post-horn. I have only one specimen by me at this moment, and it appears to be on rather thinner paper than those hitherto described. None of the letters touch each other anywhere. The tail of the R of BRAUNSCHWEIG curls up. There are only two lines of shading on the scroll, immediately to the left of the G of that word, and neither of them touches the top outline of the scroll. The tail of the G of PFENNIG is very different from that of the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG. In the side-ovals, the 1 does not touch the fraction-line, and the 4 does not touch the outline of the oval in either case. The outline of the central oval is solid, from level with the nose of the horse, round below, to level with the lowest point of the tail. The base of the crown bears three jewels; a sort of pearl in the center, with a half-diamond to the left, and a long horizontal line to the right. There are six pearls on each of the side-arches of the crown. There are 20 vertical lines in the oval to the left of the cross, and 16 to the right of it, the sixteenth or outer one being extremely short, and very close to the outer edge of the oval. The piece of ground on which the horse stands does not touch the outline of the oval on either side. There must be about 22 vertical lines between the piece of ground and the lower outline of the oval; but my copy is imperfect here, so I cannot say exactly. The head of the horse is rather thick and clumsy, but with a nice, small eye. The line up the neck is extremely short, being not much more than an oblong dot. The point of the horse’s nose touches the eighth line from the left. The point of the tail, which is not outlined, breaks into the third line from the right.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in black, on thick, brown wove paper; no watermark. This is exactly the same type as the first forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in black, on medium, pale brown wove paper, of a slightly redder tint than that of the genuine. This is exactly the same type as the third forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, in black, on stout, hard, brown wove paper, very like the genuine in colour; no watermark. The letters RAU of BRAUNSCHWEIG all touch at their bases. There are three lines of shading to the right of the G; all three of them touch the upper outline of the scroll, and the inner one is short, close to the G, and curved, like a comma without a head. The tail of the G of PFENNIG and that of the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG are both alike. In each of the little side-ovals, the foot- stroke of the 1 touches the fraction-line, and the 4 touches the outline of the oval. The outline of the central oval is solid, from about level with the horse’s ears, round below, to level with the middle of the tail. The base of the crown bears four nearly square pearls. The right side-arch has its outline formed by thick black shading; the left arch has three pearls, apparently arranged as a trefoil. There are 20 vertical lines to the left of the cross, as in the genuine, and 17 to the right of it, the last short line to the right being undecipherable. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the outline of the oval to the right. Only about 17 short lines can be seen, between the lower outline of the oval and the bottom of the piece of ground, and the stamp is very blotch) all about the hind feet of the horse. The head of the horse is slim, but the eye is a large black patch. The line up the neck is long, occupying more than half of the distance. The point of the horse’s nose just touches the seventh line from the left. The end of the tail, which is outlined, touches the first line from the right.

1856 & 1864. Same design. 1/2 Sgr., black on white.

Engraved in epargné, on thick, yellowish-white wove paper, watermarked with a post-horn. None of the letters touch each other any- where; but the left side of the footstroke of the R of BRAUNSCHWEIG is particularly long, and very nearly touches the base of the B. The tail of the R curls upwards, and the foot of the A is a good distance from the base of the U. There are only two short, vertical lines of shading in the scroll, after the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG; and these two lines do not touch either the top or bottom outline of the scroll. In the lower scroll, there are two curved lines of shading before the v of VIER; the outer one is very much longer than the other, and it is joined to the head of the V. At the other end of this scroll there are two lines of shading after the PF. The points of this lower scroll are a long way from the bottom of the stamp. In heavily-printed copies, the outline of the central oval is blotched into one thick, solid line, nearly all the way round; but lighter specimens show the lines double for very nearly the whole of the upper half of the oval. There are six pearls at the base of the crown, and six on each of the side-arches. There are 18 vertical lines in the oval, to the left of the cross, and 15 on the right side. The piece of ground on which the horse stands does not touch the oval on either side. There are 18 short, vertical lines between the piece of ground and the outline of the oval below it. The head of the horse is thick and clumsy; the mouth can be seen, but not the nostril, and the eye is distinct. The short, curved line, forming the curve of the shoulder, is well marked, and the line running up the neck is broken in the middle, making it two short pieces, which follow, more or less, the curve of the outline of the back of the neck. The point of the horse’s nose touches the seventh line from the left, and the point of the front hoof comes between the first and second lines from the left. The tail ends with the last line but one on the right, its tip not being outlined.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on medium, rather soft, very white wove paper, no water-mark. The left side of the foot-stroke of the R of BRAUNSCHWEIG is very short, and does not go near to the base of the B; the tail of the said R touches the base of the A, and the A and U are extremely close together at their bases, so as to almost touch. There are three lines of shading after the G—two long ones and one short one—and the long ones reach very nearly from the top to the bottom outline of the scroll. In the lower scroll there are three lines before VIER, and three after PF. None of the lines touch the V. The points of this lower scroll almost touch the outline of the frame below them. The outline of the central oval is very distinctly solid, from level with the point of the horse’s tail, round the bottom of the oval, to rather above the level of his nose. The base of the crown shows five pearls, which are easier to see than in the genuine. There seem to be four pearls on the left arch of the said crown, and none at all on the right arch. There are 20 lines in the oval, to the left of the cross, and 18 to the right of it. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the outline of the oval on the right side. There are 19 or 20 short, vertical lines below this piece of ground, between it and the bottom of the oval. The whole front of the horse’s nose is one large black blotch, so that the details of nose and mouth are obliterated. There is a line joining the corner of the eye with the base of the ear. The line forming the curve of the shoulder is weak and too short; and the line running up the neck is not broken in the middle, and is not parallel with either the front or back curve of the neck. The point of the horse’s nose just touches the seventh line from the left, and the tail seems to reach to the very edge of the oval, the tip being outlined.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on thick, very yellowish-white wove paper, no watermark. The first stroke of the R of BRAUNSCHWEIG is slightly crooked, and the left side of its foot-stroke does not go near the B; indeed, there is hardly any sign of a foot-stroke on that side. There are indications of four broken lines of shading after the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG, and five, instead of three, before the B. In the lower scroll, there are indications of three lines after the PF., they are hardly more than dots. The outline of the central oval is plainly double in the top half, almost from fraction to fraction. The crown is covered by the postmark in my single specimen, so that I can give no details. The vertical lines in the oval are very thin, faint and broken, but there seem to be 20 to left of the cross, and there are 17 to right of it. The piece of ground on which the horse stands is formed by two parallel, straight lines, stretching from one outline of the oval to the other, with three rocks piled on them. The short, vertical lines below the piece of ground are almost invisible; I can only trace portions of three lines. The head of the horse is rather like that of a greyhound with open mouth, and it seems to have a sort of ghastly grin. The upper jaw ends in a sharp point, without any nostril. The thin line up the neck reaches down to the left fore-leg. The point of the front hoof comes between the second and third lines from the left. The tip of the tail is outlined, and it touches the fourth line from the right. The cross on the top of the crown is very conspicuous in this forgery.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, on rather thick, hard, very white wove paper with a regular grain, no watermark. The foot-stroke of the R of BRAUNSCHWEIG is short, and does not go near the B. The top of the G does not come forward enough, and the tail of that letter curls forwards, so as to touch the line of shading to right of it. In the lower scroll, there are no lines at all before VIER, and the stop after PF. is a long way from the first line of shading after it, instead of almost touching it. The outline of the central oval is quite solid all the way round. I can only see five pearls at the base of the crown, but there is a black blotch in my specimen, large enough to cover two more pearls. There are 20 strong lines in the oval, to left of the cross (which is only a black lump) and 17 to right of it. The head of the horse is a little like that of a sheep; the mouth is a small, wedge-shaped gap, and there is a very prominent eyebrow. There are 19 short, vertical lines between the piece of ground and the bottom of the oval. The point of the front hoof touches the second line from the left. The tip of the tail is scarcely outlined, and it comes between the third and fourth lines from the right.

Fourth Forgery

This is altogether bogus. It is nicely lithographed, in black, on deep rose paper, thick, soft, and without gum, no watermark. Of course, in this form, the colored paper instantly condemns it; but, in case it has been, or should be, printed on white paper, I give the following tests of the design. The first two letters of the name are RB instead of BR, and the bases of the B and A are joined together. There is only one line of shading after the G, and the tail of the said G hangs down, so as to touch the bottom outline of the scroll. In the lower scroll, there are three vertical lines before the v of VIER, and the innermost line touches the middle of the V. There are two lines at the other end of the scroll, after the PF, as in the genuine; but the inner one touches the bottom outline of the scroll, and the outer one touches the top outline, which is not the case in the genuine. The outline of the central oval is perfectly solid all the way round. The crown is very different from the genuine, having a knob on the top of the orb instead of a cross. There is a white blotch, instead of pearls, along the base, and the pearls on the side-arches are black, and not to be counted. The knob does not quite touch the outline of the oval above it. There are 18 vertical lines in the oval, to the left of the knob, and 15 to the right of it, as in the genuine; but the right-hand end-line is very short, and does not touch either the top or bottom of the oval. The piece of ground on which the horse stands touches the oval on the right. There arc 19 short lines between it and the outline of the oval below it. The nose of the horse comes between the sixth and seventh lines from the left; it looks very like the head of a Shetland pony ; the mouth is long, but the nostril is invisible. There are some dots running obliquely across the center of the neck, down from right to left, but there is no line running up the neck, as the genuine has. The line forming the curve of the shoulder is quite as thick as one of the legs; i.e., twice as thick as in the genuine. The point of the front hoof very nearly touches the first vertical line on the left, and the tail ends at the third line from the right. Despite all these differences, this stamp, if printed on white paper, would be deceptive.

1857. 4/4 Sgr., black on brown.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, in black, on thick brown paper, watermarked with a post-horn. This watermark, being the same as before, can only be shown by the four stamps. I describe the stamp as a whole, but it must be remembered that it really consist of four small ones, joined together in one frame. The thin, inner line of the left-hand frame, if prolonged upwards, would pass exactly along the center of the vertical stroke of the P of the left upper POSTMARKE. This said line is very distinctly broken, or interrupted, to allow a passage for the tail of the G of the upper PFENNIGE; and similarly for the tails of the F and G of the lower PFENNIGE, all of which go through it. The inner line of the frame on the right side of the stamp is also broken or interrupted, to allow a passage for the F and G of the upper PFENNIGE, and the G of the lower PFENNIGE. The line down the middle of the stamp is not broken anywhere. None of the crosses on the crowns touch the outlines above them. The interior outlines of the side-arches on all the four crowns are formed by black lines, separated by a space from the pearls on the said arches, and there is a stop after each GUTE GR.; while the tail of the small G of the upper right hand GUTE GR. has lost its “kern”, or little ball at the end of the tail. There is a stop after the right bottom POSTMARKE. The E of the right top POSTMARKE is very close to the tail of the 3 to the right of it, so that the kern to the tail of the 3 would serve very well as the stop after the said POSTMARKE. The fraction-line of the lower right-hand J very nearly touches the lower outline of the containing-oval. If we suppose each oval to be divided into two by the fraction-line in it, then it will be seen that the half containing the little 4 is, in each case, considerably thicker in its outline than the half containing the little 1. The cross on the left upper crown points between the letters M and A of POSTMARKE.

Forged

This is decidedly poor. It is lithographed, on brownish-white, or greyish-white wove paper, moderately thick, no watermark. The thin, inner line of the left-hand frame, if prolonged upwards, would pass very nearly clear to the left of the vertical stroke of the P of the left upper POSTMARKE. This line is broken for the tail of the G of the lower PFENNIGE, but it is simply drawn through the F of that word, and also through the tail of the G of the upper PFENNIGE. The inner line of the right-hand frame is only broken for the tail of the lower right-hand PFENNIGE. The line down the middle of the stamp is broken between the two lower ovals. The cross on the left lower crown touches the out- line above it. There is no separate, inner outline to the side-arches of the four crowns. The right lower GUTE GR. has no stop after it, and there is no stop after the right bottom POSTMARKE. The small G of the right upper GUTE GR. looks very like a Q. The tail of the 3 at the right top corner of the stamp is distinctly lower than the level of the bottom of the E of the right upper POSTMARKE, SO that the ball of the tail of the said 3 is at some distance from the E, and could not serve as a stop to the POSTMARKE. Both lower fraction-lines touch the bottom outlines of their containing-ovals, and the right upper fraction-line very nearly touches the top of its containing-oval. The outlines of all four ovals are, as nearly as possible, the same thickness all the way round. The cross on the left upper crown points to the last limb of the M of POSTMARKE.

Spud_Braunschweig71862 & 1864. 3 Sgr., rose on white; watermark Post-horn.

Genuine

My young readers will please note that this stamp has the post-horn watermark, and therefore need never be confounded with the first issue. It is engraved in epargné, on medium, white wove paper. The tests for the genuine 3 Sgr. of the first issue will serve for this.

Forged

Lithographed, on thick, very white wove paper, no watermark, unperforated. The type is the same as that of the first forgery of the 3 Sgr. of 1852.

1863 & 1864. 4 Sgr., black on green; watermark Post-horn.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, in black, on medium to thinnish, green wove paper, watermarked with a post-horn. The outer frame of the stamp is, as in all the other values, composed of a thick and a thin line. None of the letters touch each other anywhere. The horse’s hoof comes between the first and second vertical lines of shading from the left, not counting the tiny line, close to the edge of the oval, which is sometimes visible. The nose touches the seventh line. There are 20 lines to the left of the cross, and 16 to the right of it, not reckoning the said tiny line. The cross itself is very different from that in all the rest of the stamps, both it and the crown having been entirely re-drawn. The said cross is a slim, but very broad, cross pattée, and it breaks through the inner line of the oval, and is joined to the outer line. The arches of the crown have oblong or triangular blotches, instead of the pearls; and the blotches on the outer arches are drawn standing out, as a sort of prickly fringe. The whole of the lower half of the outline of the central oval is one solid line. The piece of ground on which the horse stands does not touch the oval on either side, and there are 19 or 20 short, vertical lines between it and the bottom outline of the oval. Of the little black upright ovals, the one on the left is decidedly nearer to the central oval than to the frame; but the one on the right is about equidistant from the central oval and the frame. The fraction-line of the 1/2 is very distinct, and rather short, so that it does not anything like touch the sides of the containing-oval. The G of GR. is very slim, but nicely shaped, and there is a distinct stop after the R, not touching the R. The diaeresis over the U of FUNF does not touch the outline of the scroll above it; the G of PFENNIG has a curiously-shaped tail, which curls forward, so as very nearly to touch the stop after that word, and the said stop is hardly visible, as it is almost entirely hidden by the vertical lines of shading in the end of the scroll.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on rather thick, coarse, green wove paper, no watermark. The inner line of the frame is so very thin that it is almost invisible on the left side. In the word BRAUNSCHWEIG, the R and A are joined at the bottom, and the w and E are joined at the top. The horse’s hoof touches the third line from the left. The nose of the horse touches the ninth line from the left. The crown has a sort of lump on the top of it, and the lump does not touch the top of the oval. There are 42 lines in the oval altogether. The horse’s tail touches the fourth, instead of the third line, from the right. The crown is the same as in the third forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852. The only portion of the outline of the central oval which is solid is that part immediately under the piece of ground on which the horse stands; all the rest is composed of two lines. The hindmost hoof of the horse seems just to touch the outline of the oval to the right. There are 21 short lines, between the piece of ground and the bottom outline of the oval. Of the little black ovals, the one on the left is nearer to the thin outline of the frame than to the outline of the central oval; and the one on the right is very much nearer to the central oval than to the outline of the frame. The fraction-line of the 1/2 goes rather close to both sides of the oval. The G of GR, is almost equally thick all the way round; whereas, in the genuine, it is merely a hair-line at the top and bottom, getting gradually thicker in the middle. The foot of the R is lower than that of the G, and there is no stop after the R. The diaeresis over the U of FUNF touches the outline of the scroll above it, and there seem to be three dots instead of two. The G of PFENNIG has an ordinary tail, which does not go near the stop, and the stop is not covered by the shading, there being only one line which touches it.

Second Forgery

This is a frightful thing. Very badly lithographed, on thin, soft, apple-green wove paper, showing very coarse and distinct meshes of the wire-gauze on which it was made. There is, of course, no watermark. On the left side, the two outlines of the frame are very nearly of equal thickness. The RA and WE of BRAUNSCHWEIG touch each other, as in the first forgery. The horse’s hoof, which is very much curved downwards, touches the third line from the left; the nose touches the ninth line. There are 42 lines in the oval altogether; as the crown, which is like that of the first forgery, does not touch the top of the oval. The outline of the central oval is solid, from level with the horse’s chest to above the P of PFENNIG; then it is double above the E, and then solid again to above the second N. The piece of ground seems to touch the oval both sides, and there are 20 or 21 lines between it and the bottom outline of the oval. The position of the little black ovals is the same as in the first forgery. The fraction-line of the i goes near to the right edge of the oval, but not to the left one. The G of GR. is a clumsy imitation of the genuine, and the stop after the R is joined to the base of the R. The diaeresis over the U of FUNF is joined to the outline of the scroll above it. The G of PFENNIG has an ordinary tail and a broken head. There is no stop after the G. This counterfeit is not likely to deceive.

Third Forgery

This is, if possible, worse than the last. Very badly lithographed: paper the same as in the second forgery, but lighter in shade. There is no watermark. Both outlines of the frame are almost equal in thickness on the left side. The R and A of BRAUNSCHWEIG touch each other at the bottom, and the first four letters of that word touch the outline of the scroll, either above or below, or both. The horse’s hoof touches the third line from the left, and the nose, as far as I can make out through the post- mark, touches the eighth line. The ninth and tenth lines are drawn right through the nose. There seem to be 37 lines in the oval altogether. I cannot say anything as to the shape of the crown, as the postmark just covers it. The outline of the central oval is solid all the way round. The horse’s tail apparently touches the third line from the right. I can say nothing further of the central oval, as it is so faint and indistinct. The black oval on the left very nearly touches the outline to the left of it, and the similar oval on the right very nearly touches the outline to the right of it. The fraction-line of the J is so thin, as to be almost invisible. The G of GR. is somewhat like that of the second forgery, but with a larger and better head; the foot of the R is much lower than that of the G, and there is only a very faint indication of a stop after the R. The diaeresis over the U of FUNF does not touch the outline of the scroll above it. The G of PFENNIG and the stop after it are the same as in the first forgery. This is one of the coarsest forgeries that I have ever seen, and hardly deserving of description.

Spud_Braunschweig81864. 1 Sgr., yellow, orange-yellow, on white.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, in yellow or orange-yellow, on thick, white wove paper; watermark post-horn. The type is the same as that of the genuine 1 Sgr. of 1852. The execution is always very faulty, being blurred and indistinct, so that the details of the design are very difficult to make out.

First Forgery

Lithographed, in yellow, on medium, white wove paper, no watermark, unperforated. The type is exactly the same as that of the first forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852.

Second Forgery

Badly lithographed, in yellow, on thick, white wove paper, no watermark, unperforated. The outer frame of the stamp appears to consist of three lines, all blotched together into one very thick line. The outline of the central oval is formed of one thick line, all the way round. There is no line running up the horse’s neck; the front hoof appears to touch the third vertical line from the left. There are about 17 vertical lines to the left of the cross, and the horse’s nose touches the eighth line from the left. There are no vertical lines under the piece of ground, between it and the bottom outline of the oval; and the bottom of the tail of the G of BRAUNSCHWEIG touches the outline of the scroll below it. The stamp is so badly printed that I have not been able to make out any other details.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, in ochre-yellow, on stout, vertically-laid white paper, the laid lines being very unusually close together. I suppose I need not say that no Brunswick stamp was ever issued on laid paper. The type of the stamp is exactly the same as that of the third forgery of the 1 Sgr. of 1852.

Postmarks

Genuine.—29, 30, 71; also one similar to 34, but with an open space in the center.

Forged.—Similar to 96, but very much larger; also imitations of the genuine; also 1.

 

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

 

LupSee also —> Spud Papers – Braunschweig (Brunswick)

 

 

Album Weeds – British Honduras

1866-1884. 1d., 3d., 6d. & 1s.

Album_Weeds_BritishHonduras1 Album_Weeds_BritishHonduras2One Penny.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, on somewhat glacé, white wove paper, rather soft, and of medium thickness; watermark and perforation as in the above list. There is an ornamental stop before and after the name; each stop is a sort of eight-petalled flower, with a large and a small petal alternately, and all perfectly distinct from each other. None of the lettering touches the boundary-lines of the garter anywhere. There are three lines of shading to the left of the buckle of the garter, with slight indications of a fourth line, and the tongue of the buckle does not touch any of these three lines. The point of the tongue is not outlined. The hole in the overhanging end of the strap is very close to the little leaf below it, but a good distance from the two curved lines of shading above it. There are eighteen vertical lines of shading’, counting from the bottom, on the part of the garter where the two holes are, between the overhanging end and the P of PENNY. The centers of the two holes are almost entirely white. There are fourteen very distinct pearls on the front arch of the crown, and also on the back arch, and three on the short central arch. The ear is tolerably distinct, with a lobe. The hair can be traced almost up to the very front of the forehead, under the crown. There are eighteen transverse lines of shading, going across the neck and front of the throat. There are nine clear lines of shading from the upper eyelid to the top of the forehead; the lowest three are thicker than the others. The center of the band at the base of the crown is not shaded. The top and bottom limbs of the E of ONE are exactly the same length.

Forged

Lithographed, on common, white wove paper; unwatermarked; perf. 12 1/2 very badly. The eight petals of the two flowers separating the name and value are, as nearly as possible, all alike, badly done, and jumbled together. The letters of the word PENNY all touch the boundary-line below them. There are three lines of shading to the left of the buckle, and the tongue of the buckle touches the inner line. The point of the tongue is outlined. The hole in the overhanging end of the strap touches the curved line above it, but it is not very close to the leaf below it. There are only ten vertical lines of shading on the part of the garter where the two holes are, and two of them are absurdly short. The center of the right-hand hole is entirely dark, and that of the left-hand one nearly all dark. The pearls on the back arch of the crown are so badly drawn as to be uncountable. There are four pearls on the short, central arch. There seem to be two ears, one behind the other, and without lobes. The hair does not go near the front of the forehead. There are only fifteen trans- verse lines of shading going across the neck and throat. There seem to be about six lines of shading from the upper eyelid to the top of the fore- head, but it is almost impossible to make them out; and one of them forms a distinct eyebrow, which is not the case with the genuine. The center of the band at the base of the crown has a line of shading all along it, from end to end. The lower limb of the E of ONE is much longer than the upper one.

Album_Weeds_BritishHonduras3Three Pence.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné; paper rather stouter and rougher than that of the one penny; perforation and watermark as above. The ornamental flowers before and after the name have four wedge-shaped petals, and four very fine lines separating them from each other, and with no colored dot in the center. None of the lettering touches the boundary-lines of the garter anywhere. There are ten graduated lines of shading to the left of the buckle of the garter, and there is a distinct tongue to the buckle, which touches the first of these lines of shading. The buckle itself is perfectly distinct, with a dark outline. The overhanging end of the garter is shaded by seven horizontal lines. To the right of this end, between it and the P of PENCE, there are nine vertical lines of shading, all touching, or very nearly touching, the outline below them. The hole in the strap has a white center, and it is about midway between the overhanging end and the P of PENCE. There are fourteen pearls on the back arch of the crown. The ear is as in the One Penny. There are three lines of shading on the forehead, above the eyebrow. There are eighteen lines of shading going across the neck and throat. The line of shading along the center of the band at the base of the crown can be distinctly traced the whole way across.

Forged

Lithographed, on stout, white wove paper; no watermark; perf. 12 1/2 and 13. The ornamental flowers, before and after the name, are the same as in the forged One Penny. The words THREE PENCE stand on the boundary-line of the garter. There are three lines of shading to the left of where the buckle ought to be, but the buckle itself is not there. The overhanging end of the garter is shaded with two vertical lines and a horizontal blotch. To the right of this end, between it and the P of PENCE, there are nine vertical lines of shading, but the last three to the right are high up, and do not go near the lower outline of the garter. The hole in the strap has a line of shading across it, and it is very much nearer to the overhanging end than to the P of PENCE. There seem to be about ten pearls on the back arch of the crown, but they are almost uncountable. There appear to be two ears, one behind the other, as in the forged One Penny. There are four lines of shading on the forehead above the eyebrow. There are fifteen lines of shading going across the neck and throat. The line of shading in the band at the base of the crown is blotched into the line above it for part of the way across. There is another or second “state” of this forgery, in which the forehead and front of the face are entirely white, the lines of shading having disappeared; it is, however, in other respects, exactly similar to the forgery just described.

Album_Weeds_BritishHonduras4Sixpence.

Genuine

Engraved in epargné, paper, watermark, and perforation as above. The ornamental flowers, before and after the name, are composed of six petals of equal size and shape, with a tiny ring in the middle, in the center of a white dot. None of the lettering touches the boundary-lines of the garter anywhere, but the top of the x of Six very nearly touches the outline above it. There are six lines of shading to the left of the buckle, and the tongue touches the sixth. The buckle is like a D in shape, two of the corners being rounded. The center of the buckle contains six oblique lines of shading. The overhanging end of the garter has two transverse lines of shading above the hole. There are seventeen lines of shading, of varying lengths, to the right of the overhanging end of the garter, and between it and the P of PENCE; the very short end-lines of this shading very nearly touch the P. The crown is exactly the same as in the One Penny. There are ten lines of shading on the forehead from the upper eyelid, and the lowest three are thicker than the rest. The ear is the same as in the One Penny. The hair can be traced up almost to the front of the forehead. There are, as in the One Penny, eighteen transverse lines of shading across the neck and throat. The center of the band, at the base of the crown, is not shaded, and this band is no wider at the back than in front.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on rather stout, unsurfaced, white wove paper; no watermark; perforated 12 1/2. The ornamental flowers, before and after the name, are exactly the same as in the forged One Penny. The letters of Six PENCE stand on the outline below them, and the x of Six is not near the outline above it. There are only three lines of shading to the left of the buckle, and the tongue of the buckle goes between the second and third. The upper corners of the buckle are very slightly rounded, though, in the genuine, it is the top and bottom right-hand corners which are rounded ; and in this forgery, the buckle is not in the least like a D. The center of the buckle contains five vertical lines of shading, instead of six very oblique ones. The overhanging end of the garter has two vertical lines of shading, and a transverse blotch at the top. There are about ten lines of shading on the garter, between the overhanging end and the P of PENCE; and the nearest of them is a very long way from the P. The crown is the same as in the forged One Penny. There are only four lines of shading on the forehead, above the eyebrow. The lines are all the same thickness. In some copies there seem to be two ears, one behind the other, as in the forged One Penny, but this is not always visible. The hair does not come near the front of the forehead. There are only fifteen lines across the throat and neck. There is a line of shading, part of the way along the band, at the base of the crown.

Second Forgery

This is much inferior to the counterfeit just described. Lithographed in pink, on moderately stout, white wove paper; no watermark; unperforated, or perf. 13, very badly. The ornamental flowers, before and after the name, are composed of seven equal-sized petals, with a dark dot in the center. The S of SIX just touches with its head the outline above it. There are four lines of shading to the left of the buckle, but the tongue of the buckle does not project over the rim. The top right corner of the buckle is very slightly rounded, but the other corners are square. There are seven oblique lines of shading inside the buckle, and they run down from left to right, instead of from right to left. The overhanging end of the garter has one short transverse line of shading at the top, and one line of shading down each side. The hole is very indistinct, and seems to be triple, like a trefoil. There are about sixteen lines of shading in the garter, between the overhanging end and the P of PENCE, and several of them touch the outline below them, though none of them do so in the genuine. There are nine pearls on the front arch of the crown, nine on the back arch, and none at all on the central one. The cross on the crown comes centrally under the N of HONDURAS, but in the genuine it comes exactly between the N and the D. The nose is absurdly hooked. There are only three lines of shading above the eyelid. There is no sign of an ear. The hair ends above the middle of the eyebrow. There are only fourteen lines of shading across the throat and neck. The band at the base of the crown widens out at the back, till it is three times as wide as the front.

Third Forgery

This is apparently a second and much worse state of the second forgery. Very badly lithographed, in brick-red, and also in green; on medium, very coarsely wove paper, varying from yellowish to absolutely yellow; no watermark; unperforated. Very few details can be made out, as the stamp is so blotched; but the pearls, etc., correspond to the second forgery. There is very little likelihood of anyone being deceived by this abomination.

Album_Weeds_BritishHonduras5One Shilling.

Genuine

 

Engraved in epargné; watermark, perforation, etc., as above. The ornamental flowers are composed of four petals, placed in the position of an upright cross, with four tiny lines appearing from the points of intersection.

None of the letters touch the boundary-line of the garter anywhere. The upper and lower limbs of the E of ONE are of exactly equal length. There are two lines of shading to the left of the buckle, but the tongue does not touch either of them. The corners of the buckle are perfectly square, and it contains four lines of shading. The overhanging end of the buckle slopes over very much to the left ; the slope is nearly as great as that of the N of ONE. The hole is dark, with no shading near it. There are about eight vertical lines of shading on the garter, between the overhanging end and the S of SHILLING, but they are very close together, and difficult to count. There are two holes in this shading. The crown is the same as in the genuine One Penny. There are eight or nine lines of shading on the forehead, from the upper eyelid, and the lowest three are thicker than the others. The ear is the same as in the genuine One Penny. The hair can be traced to the very front of the forehead, under the crown. There are eighteen lines across the front of the neck and throat, the lowest one being very fine. The center of the band at the base of the crown is not shaded.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on medium, white wove paper; no watermark; perf. 11 1/2, and also 12 1/2, very badly. The ornamental stops are the same as in the forged One Penny. The second I of BRITISH and the H of HONDURAS very nearly touch the boundary-line below them, and the lower limb of the E of ONE: is much longer than the upper one. There are three lines of shading to the left of the buckle, and the tongue of the buckle touches the innermost of the three. All four corners of the buckle are slightly rounded, or rather squared off, and it contains six lines of shading, not including the outlines. The overhanging end of the garter hangs almost straight clown, as in the genuine and forged One Penny. The hole in this end of the garter has a white center, and the shading and the leaf-ornament come close up to it. There are seven lines of shading in the garter, between the overhanging end and the S of SHILLING; there is only one hole to be seen in this shading. The crown is the same as in the forged One Penny. There are three lines of shading on the forehead, above the eyebrow, but those forming the eyebrows, etc., are blotched together into one mass of colour. There seem to be two ears, one behind the other. (By the way this second ear is really a curl of the hair, but it is exactly the same as the real ear.) The hair does not go near the front of the fore- head. There are fifteen lines of shading across the throat and neck. The center of the band at the base of the crown is shaded with a line all across the center, which is blotched into the upper outline, near the middle.

Second Forgery

Poorly lithographed, on medium, very yellowish-white wove paper; no watermark; perf. 13. The ornamental stops, before and after the name, are a fair imitation of the genuine, except that one of the little lines is missing in the left-hand flower. There is no shading to the left of the buckle, and the E of ONE comes close up to the buckle. The buckle contains five lines of shading, besides the outlines. The slope of the overhanging end is the same as in the genuine One Shilling. The hole in this overhanging end is light, with two lines of shading proceeding from it. There are about eleven lines of shading on the garter, between the overhanging end and the S of SHILLING, and there is only one hole in this shading. The arches on the crown are the same as in the second forgery of the Sixpence. The orb is too large and white; and the cross on the top of it is represented by a flat thing, with a three-cornered bit snipped out of it. There are two lines, and indications of a third, above the eyebrow; but the eyebrow and the shading to it are all one blotch of colour. There is no ear visible in this forgery. The hair does not go anywhere near the front of the forehead. There are eleven lines across the front of the throat and neck. The band at the base of the crown has a fine line, running from the front, half-way to the back, and another line, on a higher level, running from the back, a quarter of the way to the front. There is a strong outline to the front of the nose in this forgery. This second forgery of the One Shilling, like the second forgery of the Sixpence, shows a thin but distinct outline all round the shading of the central medallion, though the genuine, and all the other forgeries, show no outline. The outline of the garter, under the ISH of BRITISH, is very wavy and irregular.

Postmarks

Genuine.—54, but with the colony number “A 0 6” in the center.

Forged. — 1, 4, 5, 42 (the last three without numerals), 101; also a large single circle like 1, but larger; also 54, with blank center.

 

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

 

 

 

Album Weeds – British Guiana

1850-1. Circular Stamps.

My readers will know from the catalogs (though very few from their own experience), that there are four values in this set: 2, 4, 8, and 12 Cents. In consequence of their rarity, I have only succeeded in getting hold of one specimen each of the 4 c. and 12 c. I have forgeries of the 4, 8, and 12 c., but have not seen the forged 2 c., though it probably exists. I do not know the age of the forgeries, though I have had some of them for about fourteen years. There are several types of each value, so my descriptions are necessarily imperfect, being taken from a single type of each value. The genuine stamps were all initialed by the postmaster or one of the clerks, before being issued.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana14 cents, black on yellow.

Genuine

Type-set, in black, on medium, soft, dull yellow wove paper. The meshes of the.paper are coarse, irregular, and set in straight lines, so as to resemble laid paper somewhat; if one can imagine laid paper with lines less than a millimeter apart. The circle is evidently composed of two pieces of printer’s “lead-rule”, bent round, so that the two together form a circle. The separation between the two pieces of rule occurs between the letters GU, and after the last A of GUIANA; i.e., the circular outline is broken in the said places. The two ends of the line, in each of these places, are not exactly opposite to each other, but the long piece forms part of a larger circle than the short; and, consequently, the ends of the long piece stand out a little, while those of the short piece stand in slightly. The circle measures twenty-seven millimeters across at its very widest part, and twenty-five at its narrowest. The circular inscription, BRITISH GUIANA, is in ordinary Roman capital letters, just two millimeters high. The central inscription, 4 CENTS, is just eleven millimeters long, measuring from the left-hand point of the 4 to the center of the stop after the S. The 4 is a fat, closed figure; the vertical stroke being very nearly a millimeter wide, and the horizontal and oblique strokes are very fine hair-strokes. CENTS is in fat italics; the thickest stroke of each letter being fully half a millimeter wide. The final S does not lean over any more than the rest of the letters. Evans’s catalog says that there are initials in pen-and-ink in the center of the stamp; but my single specimen only shows some very slight traces of red; whether pencil or ink, I cannot say.

Forged

Lithographed, in black, on medium, hard, ochre-yellow wove paper. The meshes are very regular, and have much the appearance of the grain of the paper which was used for our own old green newspaper wrappers. There is no appearance of lines in the paper. The “circle” is one continuous, very irregular line, twenty-seven millimeters across at the widest part, and twenty-four at the narrowest. It comes almost to a point, just above the T of BRITISH. The inscriptions, being lithographed, do not look at all like printed type-letters; and the letters of the circular inscription vary in height, from less than two millimeters, to very nearly three. The central inscription is in letters representing ordinary Roman type, but the S is italic, and leans very much over to the right, quite away from the rest. The thick strokes of these letters are nowhere more than about a quarter of a millimeter wide. The 4 has an open top; the thick stroke being hardly three-quarters of a millimeter wide, and the oblique stroke far thicker than what is understood by a “hair-stroke”. From the point of the 4 to the center of the stop after CENTS, the width is over ten millimeters. The 4 is just two millimeters high in the genuine; but, in this forgery, it is over three millimeters in height. In the center of the stamp is lithographed, in written characters, the name, “E. Lew”, or what looks like it, with an oblique paraphe or flourish. Besides this, there is lithographed in the center of the stamp, by way of surcharge, a very large “4”, closed at the top, 11 1/2 millimeters high, and the thick stroke two millimeters wide.

Postmarks

Genuine.—My specimen bears 2, with the name DEMERARA round the curve.

Forged.—22.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana28 Cents, black on green.

Forged

Lithographed, in black, on dull, yellow-green wove paper, thick and rather hard and smooth-faced. This is, in all respects, the same design as that of the forged 2 c., except that the numeral of value is altered.

Postmarks

My counterfeit bears REGISTERED in large block capitals, with an enormous R, half the height of the stamp, below it. These two marks, together with the signature, “E. Lew”, are all lithographed.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana312 Cents, black on blue.

Genuine

Type-set, on dull, dark blue wove paper, the same thickness and texture as that of the genuine 4 cents. The lead-line, forming the outer circle, appears to be all in one piece, as I can only see one break in it, just at the beginning of the T of BRITISH. The size of the circle is the same as in the 4 cents. The central inscription is the same height and width as before; measuring the width from the left-hand edge of the thick stroke of the 1 of 12 to the
 center of the stop after CENTS; this stop, by the way, in my specimen, being placed upside down; i.e., level with the top, instead of the bottom, of the S. The 1 of 12 is barely 1 1/2 millimeter high. The written initials are “H. A. B.,” or “H. A. W.,” I am not sure which.

Forged

Lithographed, in black, on pale lavender-blue, or on dull, pale, greyish-blue wove paper, medium, hard, and of the same grain as that of the forged 4 c. The stamp is in all respects the same as the forged 4 c., except for the change of numeral of value; so that the same tests will apply. The width of the central inscription, from the left-hand edge of the 1 of 12, to the center of the stop after CENTS, is 12 1/2 millimeters. The said 1 is 2 1/2 millimeters high. There is a large lithographed “E. Lew,” in writing characters, by way of surcharge.

Postmarks

Genuine.—My specimen bears, as before, 2: with DEMERARA round the curve

Forged.—The lavender-blue is uncancelled; the other bears two postmarks; 78, with numerals in the center, and 1, with “Paid Liverpool Packet” in it, with date. These seem to be lithographed.

Note

The forgeries are on much smoother paper than that of the genuine, which is very rough on the face. Evans catalogs a 4 c. genuine on tissue-paper. I have not seen this; but I remember having a whole set of counterfeits sent to me once, done in pen-and-ink on colored tissue-paper. I have no notes of them.

There is, I believe, a far more dangerous forgery of the 12 c. going about, but I have no notes of it, except that, like the genuine, it is typographed, on rough blue paper. I suppose it is hardly necessary to say that the genuine stamps, being typographed, show all the black parts well sunk into the paper, which is not the case with the lithographed counterfeits.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana41852. 1 c., Magenta.

Genuine

Lithographed, in black, on thick, magenta-faced, white wove paper, unperforated. The catalogs call the colour “magenta”; but I should rather name it “crimson”. The 1 of 1 CENT has no head-stroke; the C forms part of a circle ; both upper limbs of the E are almost exactly of equal length. The line, in the shield, forming the bottom of the sea, if prolonged right and left, would cut well into the B of BRITISH and the last A of GUIANA. The tail of the Q of QUE hangs straight downwards; and the vertical stroke of the P of PATIMUS, if prolonged downwards, would pass between the letters VI of VICISSIM. The M of this latter word stands exactly centrally under the U, and the stop after it stands centrally under the S of PATIMUS. The outer frame of the stamp is much thicker all round than even the thickest part of the outline of the shield. To the left of the ship are two forts, close together; the right hand one showing three battlements; the other displaying four, with three loop-holes for cannon. The masts of the large ship slope very much to the right, so that the central mast, if prolonged upwards, would pass almost clear to the right of the T of CENT above it. There is a very thin, light-coloured streak, along the center of the hull, so thin that it can hardly be traced the whole length of the vessel. To the right of the vessel, and apparently at a great distance in the offing, there is a three-masted ship, small, but perfectly distinct.

Forged

Lithographed, on thin, rather hard, smooth and shiny, magenta-faced white wove paper. (This is really magenta.) The i has evident traces of an oblique head-stroke; the C of CENT forms part of an oval, and shows a small head, which is not the case with the genuine; the central tongue of the E is considerably shorter than the upper limb. The line in the shield, representing the bottom outline of the sea, if prolonged right and left, would almost graze the R of BRITISH, and pass quite clear between the N and last A of GUIANA. The tail of the Q of QUE slopes obliquely down to the right. The vertical stroke of the P of PATIMUS, if prolonged downwards, would pass almost centrally through the v of VICISSIM. The M of this latter word stands centrally under the space between the letters us of PATIMUS; and the stop, which is very faint, is far to the right of the s of PATIMUS. The outer frame of the stamp is scarcely so thick as the thickest part of the outline of the shield. The point of the shield is above the space between the letters PA of PATIMUS. To the left of the ship there are two very faint buildings, the right-hand one looking like a light-house, and much higher, instead of lower, than the other. The masts of the ship are almost upright; so that the central mast, if prolonged upwards, would cut well into the N of CENT. There is a broad, and very distinct light-coloured streak along the hull. There is an extremely faint indication of a one-masted vessel to the right of the large one, but even in the microscope it is very indistinct.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana51852. 4 Cents, black on blue.

Genuine

Lithographed, in black, on intense cobalt-blue-faced white wove paper, as thick as that of the I cent. The 4 has a closed top; the C and E of CENTS are the same as in the genuine 1 cent; and so is the line which forms the bottom outline of the sea in the shield. The Q of QUE, in this value, has its tail sloping very slightly to the right, and the letter itself is placed centrally under the A of DAMUS. The vertical stroke of the P of PATIMUS, if prolonged downwards, would pass along the first 1 of VICISSIM, which is exactly under it. The M of VICISSIM stands under the space between the letters MU of PATIMUS; and the stop after VICISSIM is under the space between the letters US of PATIMUS. The outer frame of the stamp is the same thickness as in the genuine 1 cent. The forts to the left of the large ship are also the same as in the genuine 1 cent. The masts of the said large ship slope very much over to the right; so that the central mast, if prolonged upwards, would pass almost through the center of the T of CENTS. The light-coloured streak along the hull of the vessel is broader than in the 1 cent, but not at all conspicuous. The little three-master to the right of the large vessel is the same as in the 1 cent.

Forged

Lithographed, in black, on dull, dead-blue-faced white wove paper, as thin as that of the forged 1 cent. The design, except the inscription, 4 CENTS, is exactly the same as that of the forged I cent. The 4 has an open top; the C of CENTS is part of an oval; the middle tongue of the E is very much shorter than the top limb. The Q of QUE stands centrally under the space between AM of DAMUS. The vertical stroke of the P of PATIMUS, if prolonged downwards, would cut right through the center of the v of VICISSIM, as in the last-described forgery. The M of VICISSIM stands under the space between the letters US of PATIMUS; and the stop after VICISSIM is far to the right of the s of PATIMUS. All the other tests, not repeated here, are exactly the same as those of the forged 1 cent.

Postmarks

Genuine.—My specimens are uncancelled.

Forged.—Ditto; also 22, together with a large 4, and the lithographed signature, “E. Lew”.

Reprints

These, as most collectors know, are perforated; the originals are imperforated.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana61856. Provisional; 4 c., black on magenta.

Genuine

Type-set, printed in black, on rather coarsely-wove paper, colored a rosy magenta on the face, and showing pinkish white at the back. None of the letters of any of the inscriptions touch each other anywhere. The end of the tail of the R of BRITISH curls up. The G of GUIANA has a well-marked cross-bar, and the little tail below it hangs straight down. The head of the G comes down so that it almost meets the cross-bar. The R of FOUR is exactly like that of BRITISH, and the head and tail of the C of CENTS almost meet. The Q of QUE is a capital letter, the same height as the capital v of VICISSIM. The lines forming the oblong frame are not continuous, but consist of four separate pieces; the ends at the top corners are very wide apart, but the gap at the lower corners is not so wide. The word DAMUS is perfectly distinct and readable. The ship has only a single sail (topsail) high up on each mast, with no lower sails visible at all. In my single specimen, the right-hand, or fore-mast stands directly under the upright stroke of the P of PETIMUS, and the middle, or main-mast, under, and slightly to the right of the S of DAMUS; while the left-hand, or mizen-mast is under the U of the latter word. All the design is deeply sunk into the paper.

Forged

Lithographed, in black, on deep crimson-faced, stout, fine-grained, smooth white wove paper. The paper is perfectly white at the back. The bottom of the A of POSTAGE touches the letters each side of it; so does the first A of GUIANA; and each A of this latter word is considerably taller than the other letters. The end of the tail of the R of BRITISH goes off straight to the right, and touches the base of the 1, instead of curling up. The cross-bar of the G of GUIANA is not visible in some copies; in others it is even too long, so that it almost touches the V. In no case is there any hanging tail to the G; and the head is far away from the cross-bar. The end of the tail of the R of FOUR does not curl up, but points straight to the right. The head and tail of the C of CENTS are far apart. The easiest test is the Q of QUE, which is an ordinary small or lower-case “q”, instead of a large Q. The oblong frame is continuous all round, being joined at the corners. The word DAMUS is indistinct, as the M and the U are joined at the top; and the word reads like DANMS. Each of the masts carries two sails, instead of one. The foremast is under the end of the P of PETIMUS; the main-mast is under the space between the two words, but much nearer to the P; and the mizen-mast is also under the space between the two words, but near to the s of DAMUS. The design is not at all sunk into the paper.

1856. 4 c., black on blue.

Genuine

The paper is blue-faced; instead of red-faced. I have not been able to get this; but I conclude that the design is the same as that of the 4 c. magenta.

Forged

Lithographed, on thick, hard, blue-faced white wove paper, with a shiny surface. The design is exactly the same as that of the forgery of the 4 c. crimson.

Postmarks

Forged.—My blue 4 c. is uncancelled; the crimson one has 1, with “Paid” between two transverse lines in the center (lithographed), and a large “5” (hand-stamped) added separately, as a sort of surcharge, besides the postmark. Another copy bears 98, with REGISTERED, in large block capitals, obliquely across it, all lithographed.

Note: Both genuine and forged have the signature “E. Lew” upon them; the genuine has it written; it is lithographed in the forgeries.

1862. Provisionals, 1, 2 & 4 cents; Rouletted 6.

These stamps are of local manufacture, type-set, with initials of the Acting Receiver-General of the Colony written in the center, in red or black ink. Most of the specimens that I have handled were cut, but I believe they were all rouletted 6. There is not a full set of any one of the six types. The sheet contains four horizontal rows, of six stamps in a row, thus making twenty-four stamps on the sheet.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana71 Cent, black on rose.

Genuine

Type-set, on rather thick, rough, rose wove paper, rouletted.

TYPE I.—The lines separating the pearl border from the lettering are not continuous. Each little ornament is evidently cast as a pearl with a dash below it, the dash being of about the same width as the pearl. Thus, when the pearls are arrayed side by side, the dashes appear, at a distance, to form one uninterrupted straight line; but, looked at closely, the line is broken below the space between every two pearls. This is the case with all the eight stamps of this type. In the fifth pearl from the top, on the left side of the stamp, there is only the usual crescent-shaped shading, with no round black spot, to the left of the shading, in the pearl. T h e perpendicular side-line, to the right of BRITISH, and the similar one to the left of POSTAGE, are both broken into at least four, and in one case into five, separate pieces, instead of each forming one continuous line.

VARIETIES OF TYPE I.—The thirteenth stamp on the sheet (i.e., the first of Type I.) has an upright dash near the left-hand end of the GUIANA label, and a shorter dash before the P of POSTAGE. The fourteenth stamp has an upright dash after the H of BRITISH. The fifteenth stamp has a curious scroll-ornament, instead of a pearl, over the first A of GUIANA, and the fourth pearl from the left, at the bottom of the stamp below the E of ONE, is turned on its side, so that the crescent points to the right, instead of downwards, and the short line which should be between the pearl and the E appears as an upright dash between this pearl and its left-hand neighbor. There is a sort of colon after BRITISH. The I of GUIANA is a 1. The seventeenth stamp has a stop at the left-hand end of the GUIANA label. The nineteenth stamp has an upright dash at the left-hand end of the GUIANA label, and a colon of square stops before the P of POSTAGE. In the twentieth stamp the head of the T of BRITISH is faint, and the right-hand end of the line above ONE CENT is bent downwards a good deal.

TYPE II. — In all the twelve stamps of this type, the sharp ends of the ovals in the bottom corners point towards the center of the stamp. The sharp ends of the ovals down the right side of the stamp point obliquely upwards to the left. (See varieties below, for a few exceptions.) The fifth oval down the right side is the same pattern as the rest.

VARIETIES OF TYPE II.—The first stamp on the sheet has a “hook and eye” ornament, instead of a crossed oval, to left of the TI of BRITISH. The second stamp has the top oval, and the bottom oval but one on the right-hand side, with their sharp ends pointing downwards, instead of upwards. The third and fourth stamps have the oval in the right top comer pointing downwards. The fifth stamp (like the second) has the top oval, and the bottom oval but one on the right side, pointing downwards. The sixth and seventh stamps have the oval in the right top corner pointing downwards. The eighth stamp has the same, and, in addition, the sixth oval from the top, on the right side, points downwards, and there is a colon before the P of POSTAGE. The ninth stamp has the oval in the right top corner pointing downwards. The eleventh stamp has the same, and, in addition, the fifth oval from the top down the right side has a large dot in it, and the seventh oval from the top, down the left side of the stamp, points upwards, and the top of the H of BRITISH is broken. In the twelfth stamp, the third oval down the right side is a curious pattern, quite different from the rest, and the seventh oval on the same side points upwards and outwards. The H of BRITISH is broken, and there is a large dash before the P of POSTAGE in this twelfth stamp.

TYPE III.—Each of the two perpendicular lines, to the right of BRITISH, and left of POSTAGE, is broken into four, five, and even six separate pieces. The one to the right of BRITISH, if prolonged downwards, would pass clear to the right (or, in the last stamp but one on the sheet, would just graze the side) of the o of ONE; and the line to the left of POSTAGE, if prolonged downwards, would pass through, or graze, the last stroke of the N of CENT. The inner stalk of the bunch of grapes at the top left corner of the stamp does not touch the stalk of the bunch immediately to the right of it. The A and N of GUIANA do not touch each other.

VARIETIES OF TYPE III.—The twenty-second stamp on the sheet (first stamp of Type III.) has the bunch of grapes in the left lower corner pointing downwards to the left; i.e., it belongs to the set down the left side. The twenty-third stamp has this same bunch of grapes pointing downwards to the right; i.e., it belongs to the bottom row, and the second and fifth ornaments in this bottom row are quite different in pattern, both from the grapes and from each other. The top of the O of POSTAGE is broken, and there is a semicolon after GUIANA in my specimen, though I am not sure whether this is always visible. The twenty-fourth stamp bears the legend POSTAGE. (It is not a broken O, but a properly-formed C.)

Forged

TYPE I.—Lithographed, on medium, smooth, granite wove paper, of a very disagreeable magenta tint, with a shade of blue in the red. Each of the four lines, separating the pearl borders from the rest of the stamp, is perfectly continuous, instead of broken; and, in the fifth pearl from the top on the left side, opposite the second I of BRITISH, there is a distinct black dot, besides the shading. The side-lines, to right of BRITISH, and to left of POSTAGE are continuous, instead of broken. The letters IA of GUIANA touch each other, though they are separate in the genuine.

TYPE II. First Forgery.—Type-set; paper very like the genuine, but thinner. The oval in the left bottom corner points downwards to the right, instead of upwards towards the center of the stamp, and all the ovals down the right side point downwards to the left. This is a very easy test.

TYPE II. Second Forgery.—Type-set, on rather thin, dull rose wove paper. The oval in the left bottom corner points upwards to the left, and the fifth oval clown the right side, by the ST of POSTAGE, is quite a different pattern from the rest.

TYPE II. Third Forgery.—Lithographed, on the magenta, granite’ wove paper before described. This is imitated from the seventh stamp on the sheet (first stamp in the second row) which has the second oval from the top, down the left side, pointing down to the left, instead of to the right. The upright lines to right of BRITISH and to left of POSTAGE are continuous, instead of broken; and the one to right of BRITISH, if prolonged downwards, would pass midway between the ON of ONE. instead of cutting deeply into the O, as it does in this particular type of the genuine. The O of POSTAGE is narrow and oval, instead of being wide and almost circular.

TYPE II. Fourth Forgery.—Typographed, on dull rose wove paper, rather thin, with coarse grain. The ovals at the top of the stamp are placed unevenly, and the two above the UIA of GUIANA are much closer together than those to the left of them. This forgery resembles the genuine, more than any of the others hitherto described.

TYPE III. Forged.—Lithographed, on the granite, magenta wove paper already mentioned. The lines to right of BRITISH and left of POSTAGE are continuous, instead of broken. The former, if prolonged downwards, would cut deeply into the O of ONE. The inner stalk of the bunch of grapes, at the top left corner of the stamp, is joined to the stalk of the bunch to right of it. The A and N of GUIANA are joined at the bottom. This forgery is imitated from the twenty-second stamp on the sheet, i.e., the first stamp of Type III.

Bogus.

(i.e., no genuine 1 cent of these types.)

TYPE IV.—Lithographed, on granite’, magenta wove paper.
TYPE V.—Lithographed, on granite, magenta wove paper.
TYPE VI .— Type-set, on fairly stout, rough, pale, dull rose paper. Lithographed, on granite, magenta wove paper.

Postmarks

Genuine.—54.

TYPE I. Forged.—Uncancelled. Also 22.

TYPE II. First Forgery.—Something like 30, with AO in the center.

Second Forgery.—Ditto.

Third Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Fourth Forgery.—Same as the first and second forgeries.

TYPE III. Forged.—Uncancelled.

Besides these I have notes of various forged cancellations, but do not remember which particular counterfeits bore them. They include 22, 54, 57 (but circular), 98, 100; also a very small oblong of oblique bars, that just fills up the width, and rather more than the length, of the central square. Also a pen-stroke. Also a large “4”, like a surcharge.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana82 Cents, black on yellow.

It will be noted in the sketches of the three entire sheets, that the types of the 2c. are in the same order as in the 1 c. The fact is that the sheet is the same, only the value being altered. Thus all the peculiarities of the various stamps of 1 c. (except the value) will be found on the corresponding stamps of 2 c., as, for instance, the spelling POSTAGE of the last stamp on the sheet. Besides these, the 2 c. has its own special varieties: No. 13 has TWO; 16 has an italic T in CENTS; 18 has an italic T in TWO.

Genuine

Type-set; stamps exactly the same as the genuine 1 cent, with value altered; paper, rouletting, etc., as before. I need not repeat the tests, as, except for the alterations in value, the tests given for the 1 cent will suffice.

Forged

TYPE I.—Lithographed, on medium to thin, smooth, primrose-yellow wove paper, with a grain like that of our own old green id. news bands of 1870. The design is exactly like that of the forgery of Type I. of the 1 cent, with value altered.

TYPE II. First Forgery.—Type-set, on rather rough, somewhat orange-yellow, medium wove paper. The oval in the left bottom corner is like the genuine. My specimen is not very distinct, but, as far as I can make out, the two ovals above IA in GUIANA touch each other. All the ovals down the right side point downwards to the left, as in the first forgery of the 1 cent of this type.

TYPE II. Second Forgery.—Type-set, on fairly stout yellow wove paper. The oval in the left bottom corner points downwards to the right.

Type II. Third Forgery.—Type-set, paper rather harder than the last. This is almost exactly the same as the second forgery, but there is a stop after GUIANA.
TYPE II. Fourth Forgery.—Type-set, on yellow wove paper, with coarse graining. The oval in the left bottom corner points downwards to the right, and all the ovals down the right side point downwards to the left.

TYPE III. Forged.—Lithographed, on bright yellow wove paper. This is exactly the same as the forgery of Type III., of the 1 cent, with value altered.

Bogus.

TYPE IV.—Lithographed, on thin, primrose-yellow wove paper, grained as before. No interior lines.

TYPE V.—Lithographed; paper as above.

TYPE VI.—(1) Type-set, on pale yellow wove paper, very coarsely grained. The corner-ornaments are rosettes, of eight circles surrounding a central circle.

TYPE VI.—(2) Lithographed, on thin, yellow wove paper, grained as in our old green 1/2 d. news bands. There are no interior lines.

Bogus Types.—(1) Type-set, on medium, hard, very pale sulphur-yellow wove paper, with a mottled grain. There is no type at all like this. The border is composed of curly ornaments, and is surrounded by a frame of a thin, inner line and a very thick, outer line. The frame makes the stamp much larger than any of the originals, forgeries, or bogus stamps hitherto described.

(2) Lithographed, on yellow wove paper, like that of the forgery of Type I. of the 2 c. The pattern of the frame is peculiar, consisting of interlacing semicircles, with little hearts and little balls, alternately. This is, of course, quite an imaginary type, intended for the ” hook-and- eye” type of the 4 c.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As in the 1 cent.

TYPE I. Forged.—Uncancelled. Also pen-marked. Also a very large 4, like a surcharge.

TYPE II. First Forgery.—Similar to 30, with AO in center.

TYPE II. Second Forgery.—Ditto.

TYPE II. Third Forgery.—Ditto.

TYPE II. Fourth Forgery.—Ditto.

TYPE III. Forged.—Uncancelled.

Most of the forgeries have written in the center, in red pencil, or else some initials, generally unreadable.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana9 4 Cents, black on blue.

Genuine

These arc type-set, like the genuine 1 and 2 cents, on blue wove paper, rouletted.

Forged

TYPE IV. Forged.—Lithographed, on thin, dull blue and greenish-blue wove paper, with a coarse and regular grain, like that of our old news bands. There are no interior lines. The top of the G of GUIANA does not go anywhere near the cross-bar. The tail of the R of BRITISH goes straight out to the right, and joins the foot-stroke to the 1; the S is distinctly taller than the letters each side of it. The letters AN of GUIANA touch each other at the bottom. The U of FOUR is no higher than the O; the S of CENTS is not too high; the U of GUIANA is not too high; and the I of that word is not like a “1”.

TYPE V. Forged.—Lithographed; paper and colour exactly the same as in the forgery of Type IV. Each of the side-lines is in one unbroken piece. If the right-hand one were prolonged downwards, it would pass a shade to the right of the perpendicular stroke of the T of CENTS. The tail of the R of FOUR hangs slightly lower than the perpendicular stroke, and does not curl up. The U of GUIANA is not too high; and the 1 does not look in the least like a “1”. The border, in this forgery, is very poorly imitated, and not at all like our illustration, which is a fair copy. It is the pattern (already mentioned among the bogus 2 cents) of interlacing semicircles, with alternate balls and hearts.

TYPE VI. First Forgery.—Lithographed, on dull blue, also dull green wove paper, with graining as before. The ornaments are really trefoils, with two balls out of each triplet dotted, and the corner-ones (1, 10, 18, and 27) made into clumsy quatrefoils, just like the illustration of this type, which is incorrect. The trefoils are all joined together by the curved lines issuing from each. The tail of the R of FOUR goes to the right, in a straight line. The ornaments are: 1, quatrefoil; 2 to 9, left; 10, quatrefoil; 11 to 17, down; 18, quatrefoil; 19 to 26, right; 27, quatrefoil; .28 to 34, up.

TYPE VI. Second Forgery.—Lithographed, on dull, grey-blue wove paper, grained as before. The trefoils are the same shape as in the first forgery, but larger, and without dots in them. They are separate from each other in this counterfeit. An easy test is that the stamps have the four interior lines, which are absent in this type of the genuine, and the corner-ornaments (1, 10, 18, and 27) resemble some of the old-fashioned circular brooches, which had a central circular stone, surrounded by eight smaller ones. The tail of the R of BRITISH does not curl up. The ornaments are: 1, brooch or rosette; 2 to 9, left; 10, brooch; 11 to 17, down; 18, brooch; 19 to 26, right; 27, brooch; 28 to 34, up. This description really covers two different forgeries, but will suffice to detect either of them.

TYPE VI. Third Forgery.—Typographed, on deep blue wove paper, grained as before. This also has the interior lines, which the genuine has not. The ornaments are separate, as in the genuine, but they are trefoils, as in the other forgeries, and have no dots. The corner-ornaments are brooches or rosettes, as in the second forgery, but not so large, and without the little rays or points which proceed from the brooch in that counterfeit. A further description is unnecessary. The plan of the ornaments is the same as in the second forgery.

Bogus

{i.e., no genuine 4 c. of these types.)

TYPE I.—(1) Lithographed, on pale greyish-blue, also on greenish wove paper, grained as before. This is merely the first forgery of the 1 cent, with altered value, and on different paper.

TYPE II.—(1) Type-set, on deep blue wove paper, grained as before. This is the second forgery of Type II. of the 1 cent, with altered value.

TYPE II.—(2) Type-set, on deep blue wove paper, similar to last. This is like the second forgery of Type II. of the 2 cents, with the necessary alteration of value.

TYPE II.—(3) Lithographed, on pale grey-blue wove paper. This is the third forgery of Type II. of the 1 cent, with altered value.

TYPE III.—Lithographed, on pale grey-blue wove paper. This is the forgery of Type III. of the 1 cent, with value altered.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

TYPE IV. Forged.—Uncancelled. Also a pen-and-ink flourish.

TYPE V. Forged.—22. Also a large 4, like a surcharge.

TYPE VI. First Forgery.—Uncancelled. Also pen-stroke. Also 98.

TYPE VI. Second Forgery.—Uncancelled. Also 98.

TYPE VI. Third Forgery.—54.

1853. 1 c. & 4 c.

(With and without a white line above the value.)

I have seen no counterfeits of these stamps; but there are reprints of them (as of the 1851 issue), which are perforated, like the reprints of the 1851 issue. The genuine stamps of both issues are unperforated.

Spud_BritishGuiana2 Spud_BritishGuiana3 Spud_BritishGuiana4 Spud_BritishGuiana6Issues of 1860-75.

Genuine

Engraved, in épargne; paper, perforation, and type as above. The motto in the oval band is DAMUS PETIMUSQUE VICISSIM. The outer line of the whole stamp is very close to the frame. The O in the right bottom corner is cut off somewhat squarely at the top. The tail of the R of BRITISH turns up, so as to point distinctly above the foot of the following 1. The 1 in the left top corner of the stamp is exactly in the center of its containing-square. The whole length of the S of DAMUS is about equal in thickness. The v-shaped centre of the M of PETIMUSQUE is cut
off square at the bottom; and the tail of the Q shows quite as much inside as outside the body of the letter. At the bottom of the oval garter there is a small, shield-shaped piece, which folds over obliquely, just above the C of CENT or CENTS; in it there is an irregular, white, eight-pointed star, and inside this star there is a dark circle, with a dark dot in the center of it. The tops of the masts are extremely faint, so as to be almost invisible. The highest point of the left-hand (mizen) mast only reaches as high as the level of the center of the highest (main-top-mast) sail of the middle (main) mast; and the highest point of the right-hand (fore) mast is not nearly tall enough to touch the outline of the oval above it. The buckle of the garter is no wider than the garter itself.

First Forgery

I have only the 2 c., with value close to CENTS. This is a most excellent forgery, and might deceive anybody. Finely lithographed, in a very red shade of orange, on very thick, very hard, white wove paper, imperforated. The top of the 0 in the right bottom corner is not at all square. The tail of the R of BRITISH is quite flat at the bottom, and points directly level with the foot of the following I. The 1 in the left top corner is slightly to the left of the center of the containing-square. The top and bottom of the S of DAMUS are distinctly thinner than the main body of the letter. The V-shaped center of the M of PETIMUSQUE is sharp at the point; and the tail of the Q does not show at all in the hollow of the letter, though outside it is more prominent than in the genuine. The little dark ring, containing a dot, in the white star over the C of CENTS is oval, instead of circular. The tops of the masts are quite easy to see; the right-hand one (like the middle one) touches the top outline of the containing-oval; and the left-hand one reaches up almost to the level of the top of the highest sail on the middle mast. The buckle of the garter is wider than the garter itself, and trespasses over the outline of the garter, both outside and inside the oval. The complicated, spider’s-web lines in the spandrels are not exactly like those of the genuine; but there is no possibility of describing the differences without diagrams. The lack of perforation and the extremely stout paper are the readiest tests for this forgery.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on medium to stout, white wove paper; pin-perf. 12 1/2. The inscription on the oval band is “DAMUS RETIMUSOUE VICISSIM!” This mistake of RETIMUSOUE instead of PETIMUSQUE renders this forgery easy of detection. The outer line round the stamp is at some distance from the frame; there being almost the width of the 1 in the left top corner between the line and the frame. The 0 in the right bottom corner is oval. The tail of the R of BRITISH points straight to the foot of the following 1. The 1 in the left top corner is a great deal too far to the right of its containing-square. The little dark ring in the shield-shaped part of the garter, over the C of CENT or CENTS, is irregular in shape, and thickest on the right side.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, on medium, white wove paper, badly pin-perf. to some uncountable gauge. The outer line of the stamp is too far from the frame. The 0 in the right bottom corner is rather irregular in outline. The tail of the R of BRITISH points straight to the foot of the following 1. The 1 in the left top corner is far to the left of the center of the containing-square. The tail of the Q of PETIMUSQUE is very oblique, pointing to the right, instead of almost straight down. The middle mast does not touch the top of the oval; and the other masts are even shorter than those of the genuine. The right-hand mast, if prolonged upwards, would pass clear between SQ of PETIMUSQUE; though, in the genuine, it would cut into the S. The pairs of wavy, parallel, vertical lines in the spandrels are much too prominent in this forgery; striking the eye at once. In the genuine, they have to be looked for.

Fourth Forgery

Of this I have only the 1 cent, in green. It is extremely poor, and not likely to deceive. Badly lithographed, in green, on thinnish, hard, yellowish-white wove paper, unperforated. The tail of the R of BRITISH seems to point downwards. The Q of PETIMUSQUE is a distinct O. The little colored ring in the star over the C of CENT is oval, and has no dot in its center. The top of the central mast does not touch the outline of the oval above it, and the tops of the other masts are invisible. The ship is very queerly rigged; the upper sail of the left-hand mast is put on obliquely, and the triangular sail (jib) near the SS of VICISSIM is shapeless, instead of being a neat, long triangle. The top of the G of POSTAGE is broken off, and the E is a mere blotch. I cannot give further details, as the stamp is so very badly printed.

Fifth Forgery

Very blotchily lithographed, on thinnish, very white wove paper, nicely perforated 124. The A of DAMUS has no cross-bar; the Q of PETIMUSQUE has only the very slightest indication of a tail, and the M of VICISSIM is much blotched. The bottom of the tail of the R of BRITISH points above the foot of the following 1, as in the genuine; but it is cut off obliquely, instead of being rounded off. The top and bottom of the S of DAMUS are much thinner than the body of the letter. In the shield- shaped part of the garter, over the C of CENT or CENTS, there are merely three small white dots, where the eight-pointed white star, containing a dark ring ought to be. The background of the central oval is solid (or nearly so); whereas, in the genuine, it is formed by horizontal lines. The tops of the masts are, of course, quite invisible on the solid background; and the hull of the vessel is also quite indistinguishable from the background. The lettering of the Latin motto is very ragged, compared with the neat block type of the genuine.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 2, 19, 29, 54, 57.

First Forgery.—57.

Second Forgery.—29.

Third Forgery.—98.

Fourth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Fifth. Forgery.—29.

NOTE.—There is a 12 c. of the 1869 type, which is surcharged with a large “5 C” in red. This is figured and catalogued as ” 5d.”; but it is a “c.” not a “d.” I do not know anything about the reason for the surcharge, or whether it is genuine or bogus.

Issues of 1863-75. 6, 24 & 48 Cents.

Genuine

Engraved in épargne paper. In the central circle, the fine, horizontal lines of the sky give place to two small, white clouds, to left of the ship, near the P of PETIMUSQUE, one large white cloud above the ship, and one small one to right of it, near the V of VICISSIM. The boom of the lowest sail of the left-hand mast (mizen) extends horizontally, considerably to the
left of the ship, and, if prolonged, would cut off about one-third of the M of DAMUS. The left-hand mast, if prolonged upwards, would graze the left lop corner of the first U of PETIMUSQUE; the central mast, prolonged, would pass centrally between the U and S of that word; and the right-hand mast, prolonged, would cut through the Q, rather to the right of its center. The hull of the vessel has a light, horizontal streak near the gunwale. The sea is (roughly) divided into three horizontal portions; white near the vessel, then dark in the center, then white again, near the bottom of the circle. The dots, comprising the eight-pointed star-ornament at the base of the inscribed circle, are all more or less wedge-shaped, except the three central ones; and there is a distinct dot outside each of the long, horizontal arms. There is a stop after GUIANA, and one after CENTS, in all the values. There is an ornament just like a white V, in the left upper spandrel, below the 1; and a similar, but inverted v, in the right lower spandrel, just above the 3. There is a small round white dot in the solid part, above the first U, and a similar one above the Q of PETIMUSQUE.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on very thin, very white wove paper, badly pin-perf. 13 1/2. The horizontal lines of the sky are coarse, and not all at equal distances apart. There is no cloud near the v of VICISSIM. The mizen-boom seems to slope downwards to the left. The left-hand mast has no visible top; the middle mast, if prolonged, would pass through the first stroke of the U, and the right-hand mast, if prolonged, would cut almost through the center of the S of PETIMUSQUE. The sea is white near the ship, but the rest is almost all dark. The strokes forming the star-ornament, above the C of CENTS, are chiefly clumsy oblongs; and the two side ones are very strongly V-shaped. The stop after CENTS is very faint. The V in the spandrel in the left top corner is part of the floral scroll-work, and is not under the 1, but midway in the space between the 1 and the B. I have not been able to make out the inverted V above the 3 in the right lower corner; but my copy is postmarked there, so possibly there may be one. There is a very large white dot above the M of PETIMUS, and the other dot (which is above the S) is joined to the scroll-work to right of it. The last I of VICISSIM is a J. This latter fact points to a German origin for this first forgery; as the Germans have a way of putting J for I in Latin characters. In the sign-boards over the shops, for instance, one may commonly see such words as JSRAEL, DESTJLLATJON, etc.

Second Forgery

Nicely lithographed, on medium, very white wove paper, fairly pin-perf. 13 1/2. There are two very tiny clouds above the ship, instead of one large one. The boom of the lowest left-hand sail does not extend beyond the stern of the vessel. The tops of the masts are like the genuine. There is no light streak along the gunwale of the ship. The sea is uniformly composed of white, curly marks on a solid, dark background. The ornament above the C of CENTS is very different from the genuine. It is composed of three oval dots, placed in a perpendicular row, all touching, with a V on its side, each side of the center dot, and a colored flaw to left of the left-hand V. There is a V-shaped curl (but not an independent V) in the scroll, under the 1 in the left top corner, and no v above the 3 in the right bottom corner. There is a white dot above the Q of PETIMUSQUE, but none above the first U of that word.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, on thin, greyish-white wove paper, perf. 13. Though very blotchy, the details of this forgery are extremely correct. The whole of the sky is mottled all over with white clouds. The point of the left-hand mast is not visible; and that of the central mast, prolonged, would not pass centrally between the US of PETIMUSQUE, but near to the S. I cannot make out any stop after GUIANA, and the stop after CENTS is very faint.

Fourth Forgery

Very nicely lithographed, on medium, greyish-white wove paper, perf. 12. This is dangerous. The boom of the left lowest sail points above (instead of below) the middle of the M of DAMUS; and there is a white streak below the boom, and parallel with it, running to the edge of the circle, and caused by one of the lines of the background being omitted. The top of the left-hand mast, if prolonged, would cut deeply into the first U of PETIMUSQUE; and the central mast, if prolonged, would pass nearer to the U than to the S. There is a very strong white streak along the gunwale of the vessel, and the heads of the three sailors, visible in the genuine, near the bows, cannot be made out. There is a very tiny stop after GUIANA, and a large, shapeless one, after CENTS. The v under the 1 in the left top corner forms a part of the scroll-work; and there is no inverted V above the 3 in the right bottom corner. There is a large white dot above the beginning of the first U of PETIMUSQUE, and another above the beginning of the second U. There is no stop after VICISSIM.

Fifth Forgery

Coarsely lithographed, on thick, very rough, yellowish-white wove paper, badly perf. 12. The horizontal lines of the sky are coarse, and far apart, and there are no clouds at all. There is 110 boom to the left lowest sail, and the point of the sail curls rather downwards. The left-hand mast, prolonged, would pass almost centrally through the first U of PETIMUSQUE; the central mast would cut into the S; and the right-hand mast would pass centrally between the letters QU of that word. Nearly the whole of the sea is solid, dark colour, and there are no large waves. There are 110 dots to right and left of the horizontal parts of the ornament over the C of CENTS. There is no stop after GUIANA or CENTS. The curly ornaments in the spandrels are very thin, and there is no v below the 1 or above the 3. There is no white dot above the first U of PETIMUSQUE, and none above the Q, though there is a sort of comma, laid on its side, above the second U. The bowsprit, in this forgery, has no dolphin-striker. The date-figures in the corners are very thin.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 2, 54, 57, 64.

First Forgery.—51.

Second Forgery.—1.

Third Forgery.—57.

Fourth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Fifth Forgery.—6 (without numerals).

Official Stamps

These are the ordinary stamps of 1867 and of 1876, surcharged OFFICIAL. In the measurements given below, I have taken the distance between the left-hand edge of the first F of OFFICIAL, and the right-hand end of the projecting, horizontal limb of the L. In this way, the measures can be taken very exactly, which would not be the case if I had tried to measure from the outside of the o.

Album_Weeds_British_Guiana_Official31875. 2, 8, 12 & 24 Cents.

These are the 1866-75 stamps, surcharged in black. There is a 1 cent, surcharged in a larger type in red, but I have seen no forgery of this.

Genuine

I only have the 2 c. from which to describe, and my specimens are all perf. 10. There appear to be two types of surcharge; Type 1 measures very nearly 12 mm. from F to L, and the bottom of the L is 1 1/4 mm. long. In Type II. it is fully 12 mm. from F to L, and the bottom of the L is 1 1/2 mm. long. The O in Type II. is slightly sloping to the left. The blank center of the O is I mm. across, in its widest part. The C opens almost 1 mm. wide. From the top of the A to the bottom of its cross-bar is 1 3/4 mm. If the said cross-bar were prolonged to the left, the upper edge of it could go into the opening of the C. The height of the surcharge is 2 1/4 mm.

First Forgery

Of this I have only the 4 cents, perf. 10. This, of course, is bogus, as there is no 4 c. official of this type; but I describe the surcharge, as it will probably be found on other values. It is nicely printed, and looks better than the genuine. The F—L measurement is the same as the first type of the genuine; i.e., very nearly 12 mm., and the bottom of the L is 1 1/4 mm. long, also like Type I. Almost the only difference is that the height of the surcharge is fully 2 1/2 mm., instead of 2 1/4 mm.

Second Forgery

Of this I have only the 12 cents, perf. 15. The distance F—L is 13 mm., and the bottom of the L is 1 1/2 mm. long. The blank center of the O is less than 1 mm. across, in the widest part; the ends of the C are cut off horizontally, instead of obliquely, and the opening is hardly 1 mm. wide. The A is crossed far too low down, so that the distance from the top of the A to the bottom edge of the cross-bar is slightly more than 2 mm., instead of if mm. If the said cross-bar were prolonged to the left, no part of it would go into the opening of the C. The height of the surcharge is fully 2 1/2 mm.

Third Forgery

Of this I have only the 8 cents, perf. 15. The distance F—-L is nearly 13 3/4 mm., and the bottom of the L is 1 3/4 mm. long. The O is very narrow, compared with the genuine, and the width of the blank center is about 3/4 mm. only. The two ends of the C are very close together, being scarcely 5 mm. apart; the top end is cut off obliquely, but the bottom end is cut off square. The distance from the top of the A to the bottom edge of its cross-bar is 2 1/4 mm., and the whole of the cross-bar, if prolonged to the left, would go below the opening in the C. The height of the surcharge is 2 3/4 mm.

1877. 1, 2, 4, 6 & 8 Cents.

These are the De la Rue stamps of 1876, wmk. CC; and any official stamps with CA watermark may be put aside as forged, without further examination.

Genuine

The watermark, as I have already said, is CC. The surcharge is better done than in the issue just described; it is 2 1/2 mm. high, and the distance F—L is 13 1/4 mm. The center of the O is nearly 1 mm. across. The ends of the C are cut off somewhat obliquely, and the opening between them is about 3/4 mm. From the top of the A to the bottom of its cross-bar, the distance is 2 mm. If prolonged to the left, the whole width of the cross-bar would be below the opening of the C. The bottom of the L is 1 1/2 mm. long.

First Forgery

Of this I have the 1 c. and 2 c., with CA watermark. The surcharge is not so clear as the genuine; it is 2 1/2 mm. high, like the genuine, but the distance F—L is only 12 mm., instead of 13 1/4. The top of the O is quite flat, as though a piece had been cut off it, and the blank center is slightly over 1 mm. across. From the top of the A to the bottom edge of its cross-bar, the distance is 2 1/4 mm. The bottom of the L is very little more than 1 mm. long.

Second Forgery

Of this I have only the 2 cents, CA. The surcharge is very clearly printed; it is, however, only 2 1/4 mm. high, and the distance F—H is 13 mm. The O is too round, and it is much thinner at the top and bottom than at the sides, though the genuine is a block letter, equally thick all round. The ends of the C are cut off square, and are extremely close together, hardly 1/2 mm. apart. It is hardly a block letter, as the back is thicker than the rest. From the top of the A to the bottom edge of its cross-bar the distance is only 1 3/4 mm. The bottom of the L is nearly 1 3/4 mm. long.

Third Forgery

Of this I have only the 2 cents, CA. The surcharge is nicely printed; it 2 1/2 mm. high, and the distance F—L is 13 1/4 mm., like the genuine The O is thicker at the sides than at the top and bottom, and the blank center is only 1/2 mm. across. The ends of the C are cut off square, and they are less than 1/2 mm. apart. From the top of the A to the bottom edge of its cross-bar, the distance is 1 3/4 mm. The bottom of the L is 1 1/2 mm. long, like the genuine. One peculiarity of this forgery is that the bottom ends of the FFI are slightly splayed out.

Fourth Forgery

Of this I have only the 4 cents, CA. The surcharge is badly done, the c being decidedly below the level of the other letters. It is 2 1/2 mm. high, and the distance F—L is 13 1/2 mm. The O is thin and narrow, and the blank center is only 1/2 mm. across. The bottom end of the C is cut off square, and the top end is slightly rounded; they are 1/2 mm. apart. From the top of the A to the bottom of the cross-bar, the distance is only 1 1/2 mm. If prolonged to the left, the whole width of the cross-bar would go into the opening of the C The bottom of the L is rather more than 1 1/2 mm. long. In this forgery, the central tongue of the second F is as long as the top limb of the letter, but the first F is like the genuine and the other forgeries. The first 1 is much thinner than the second.

Fifth Forgery

This is bogus. I have only the 1 cent, CA. A few words concerning this will be sufficient. The surcharge is very irregular, and is struck obliquely, from the left bottom to the right top corner. It is 3 mm. high, and the distance F—L is 16 1/2 mm. The C is high above the level of the other letters.

Bogus Official

I have the 24 cents, of the large, 1867 issue, perf. 10, with surcharge 2 1/2 mm. high, and distance F—L 16 1/2 mm. These large stamps were not employed as officials, so the surcharge is altogether bogus.

Chemical Changelings

Of the ordinary De la Rue issue of 1876, I have the 48 cents, changed from its normal red-brown to the exact drab shade of the 96 c. This will probably be offered as a genuine error. I have also the 2 cents, 1882, CA, changed to very nearly the drab of the 96 cents of 1876.

 

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

 

LupSee also –> Spud papers – British Guiana

 

 

 

 

 

Album Weeds – British Columbia

1865. 3d., blue. CC. Perf. 14.

Genuine

Very nicely engraved, in épargne, on surfaced, white wove paper, watermarked with Crown and CC; machine-perforated 14. On each of the side-arches of the crown there are six small, white pearls, and four on the central arch. The ornaments on the upper part of the crown are crosses pattée and fleurs-de-lys alternately; the Central cross pattée, at the base of the central arch, is a good deal lower than the points of the fleurs-de-lys on each side of it. There are two good-sized asterisks in the oval band, which serve as stops, to separate the name and the value from each other; and these asterisks have eight points; i.e., four large ones, with four small ones between them. The groundwork of the outer corners of the stamp is a sort of lattice-work, and, at all the places where the lattice-work lines cross each other, there are small, white, four-pointed stars, at the points of intersection. The V-shaped, middle part of the M of COLUMBIA does not come down level with the feet of the two upright legs of the M. The G of POSTAGE is a distinct G. The middle cross fattée has a small outlined triangle in each of the three white, triangular arms, following the outline of each triangle, very near the edge; and each of these outlined triangles is perfect. The circlet at the base of the crown contains six jewels, connected, each to each, with two parallel lines; the left-hand jewel is nearly round, but all the others are diamond-shaped. The spray of shamrock, on the right side of the large V, runs up very nearly as high as the O of POSTAGE; and there is a small, but perfectly distinct shamrock-leaf between the S of POSTAGE and the side of the crown. The top of the highest thistle-leaf runs up level with the middle of the H of BRITISH; it is very sharply pointed, as are also the two side-lobes of this leaf; but these two side-lobes do not come up higher than level with the second I of BRITISH. The top petal of the central rose has three vertical lines of shading in it; the right and left petals have each three horizontal lines of shading, and the bottom petals have each four oblique lines. Both the engraving and printing of this stamp have been very carefully done; and, consequently, every little detail shows with almost photographic clearness, very different from a slip-shod lithograph.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on hard, rather thin, white wove paper.; slightly surfaced; no watermark; unperforated. On each of the side-arches of the crown there are five large white pearls, and three very small ones on the central arch. The top of the central cross pattée on the crown comes up level with the top point of the fleur-de-lys on each side of it. The asterisks in the oval band are six-pointed, and all the points are very nearly of the same size, though the right-hand asterisk is very badly shaped. There are no stars at the intersections of the lines of lattice- work. The V-shaped middle of the M of COLUMBIA very nearly touches the outline of the oval beneath it. There are seven jewels, all diamond-shaped, in the circlet of the crown; they are connected with each other by a single line. The part of the spray of shamrock above the large V has two curly tendrils, ending with knobs, but no leaf. The highest thistle-leaf shows four lobes above the left side of the large V, and the longest of these lobes does not come higher than level with the middle of the S of BRITISH. Each of the upper petals of the rose contains two lines of shading; the two lower ones have only one line in each. This forgery is not at all bad, as a whole, although there are so many differences between it and the genuine.

Second Forgery

This may possibly be a badly-done reprint from the worn stone of the first forgery. I do not think it is likely to deceive; it is generally in a whitish sky-blue, and has a washed-out appearance. It is lithographed, on rather hard, unsurfaced, white wove paper, no watermark, perf. 13 (the favorite gauge of the forgers). There are five large pearls in each side-arch of the crown, and three, very nearly as large, in the central arch. The top of the cross pattée is higher than the fleurs-de-lys, each side of it. The asterisks in the oval band have six points each; those in the left-hand one are rounder-looking than the others. There are no white stars at the intersections of the lattice-work, in the corners of the stamp. The three legs of the M of COLUMBIA are level with one another. There are seven diamond-shaped jewels at the base of it he crown, joined together by a single line; but the third jewel from the left has the line broken each side of it, so that it does not join the others. The portion of the shamrock-spray that comes above the right side of the large V is just like that of the first forgery. The thistle-leaf above the top of the left side of the V has four lobes, as in the first forgery; two of them are level with the I of BRITISH, and the other two are level with the middle of the S. There is a colored blotch or dot under the said S, which joins the base of it to the line below it; and there is a colored dot over the first limb of the U of COLUMBIA, in the white line above it. The shading of the petals of the rose consists of blotches, instead of lines.

Third Forgery

This is a much later production than the other two, and is likely to be dangerous, as it is nicely got up. Carefully lithographed, on stout, yellowish-white wove paper, unsurfaced, no watermark, well perforated 13 1/2. The asterisks are like the genuine, i.e., with four long thick arms, alternating with four short thin ones; but the left-hand asterisk is not so well shaped as the other, having one of the large arms too short, and another not coming accurately to the center. The stars at the inter- sections of the lines of lattice-work are clumsy, fat, and with the points indistinct The V-shaped middle of the M of COLUMBIA comes down exactly level with the legs of that letter. The G of POSTAGE is a very distinct C. The top arm of the middle cross pattée has the outlined triangle in it (though the figure is hardly to be called a triangle), with the top line broken in the middle, and each of the outlined triangles in the side-arms lacks the vertical line, making each figure look like a v laid on its side (> <). There is no shamrock-leaf in the spray of shamrock, above the top of the right-hand side of the large V. The top of the thistle-leaf above the top of the left side of the large V has three lobes; they are all very blunt, and the highest point does not reach up to the level even of the bottom of the H of BRITISH. The three top petals of the rose are unshaded; the right lower one seems to have three lines of shading in it, and the left lower one has only one line.

Postmarks

Genuine. My cancelled copies bear a very blotchy postmark, something like a Canadian one, also 54 and 85.

First Forgery.—5, with blank center; 10; 54, with blank center.

Second Forgery.—1, also a shapeless blotch.

Third Forgery.—Uncancelled.

The originals are not often found postmarked; for, as may be supposed, the amount of correspondence from this colony was never very extensive in the old days. The unused copies of the genuine, usually offered for sale are remainders, bought up by dealers and amateurs when British Columbia was incorporated into the Dominion of Canada, in 1868. Since then, of course, this colony has used the Dominion stamps.

Album_Weeds_BritishColombia2 Album_Weeds_BritishColombia31867-69. 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 C. & $1.

There are two different perforations, 14 and 12 1/2. It is said that the 10 C. and 1 dollar, perf. 14, were prepared, but never issued for use. A copy of the latter value, perf. 14, which I received from
a friend living in the colony, passed into the possession of Mr. Philbrick. My friend got it at the post office, so I suppose they must have been obtainable. I have never seen a copy of the 2 C. perf. 12 1/2, but all the others exist with this perforation.

Genuine

These stamps are of exactly the same type as the genuine Threepence described above. Probably from motives of economy, when the change of currency from £ s. d. to dollars and cents was effected, and new stamps were required, the die of the 3d. was utilized for the six new values, by merely surcharging with the said new values, and printing the stamps in different colors. It will be remembered, then, that all these new values, though in different colors, are from the die of the 3d., blue, and therefore need no description. The colors and surcharges are:

  • 2 c., brown and black
  • 5 c., red and black
  • 10 c., lake and blue
  • 25 c., yellow and violet
  • 50 c., violet and red
  • $1, green and green

The surcharge on the 2 C. is TWO CENTS, the rest have CENTS, with a numeral and stop each side, as, for instance, 5 . CENTS . 5.

First Forgery

This is the first forgery of the 3d., but has the blot under the S of BRITISH, and the dot above the first limb of the U of COLUMBIA. I have the FIVE CENTS (sic), in orange and black; the TEN CENTS (sic), in vermilion and dark blue; the TWENTY-FIVE CENTS (sic), in sulfur yellow and black; and the ONE DOLLAR (sic), in green and black.

Second Forgery

Like the second forgery of the 3d.; poorly lithographed; unperforated, or pin-perf. 13; no watermark. I have only the FIFTY CENTS (sic), in violet and vermilion.

Third Forgery

The same as the third forgery of the 3d. I have only the 50. CENTS . 50, in violet and carmine, and the 1 DOLLAR I, in green and blue. In the 50 C. the word FALSCH is printed at the top, in tiny block letters, the color of the surcharge; and in the the word FALSCH ! with a note of exclamation, is printed at the top in capitals, the color of the surcharge. These two therefore are evidently German productions, but I do not know where they were made.

Fourth Forgery

Of this I have the 10 CENTS (sic) in rose and black, and the 1 DOLLAR (sic) in dark yellow-green and violet. At a distance, these forgeries look very well, and the 10 c. is almost like a typograph. Lithographed, on somewhat surfaced, white wove paper, no watermark, perf. 14 (the 10 C.) and perf. 11 (the 1 dollar). Many of the tests described for the other forgeries are covered by the postmarks in my copies, but the following will be found amply sufficient. The cross-bar of the A of POSTAGE is an unconnected, circular dot, as is also the central tongue of the E of that word, and the G has a thick, square lump for a tail. The instant and easiest test is the shape of the asterisks each side of the value, in the oval label. Each of them is a St. Andrew’s cross, with dots between the arms (><) The top of the T of THREE is not joined to the stem; and the cross-bar to the H of that word is an unconnected dot.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

First Forgery.—5, center blank ; 10, 54, center blank.

Second Forgery.—1, also an oblong, with rounded ends, also 10.

Third Forgery.—Shapeless blotches, but generally uncancelled.

Fourth Forgery.—54, with blank center; also 100.

 

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

 

 

Album Weeds – British Bechuanaland

1886Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland1Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland2 Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland3 Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland5Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland4

These are the Cape of Good Hope stamps, with surcharge in capitals and lower-case, reading horizontally.

The stamps with this surcharge are: CC, 4d.; CA, 1/2d. & 3d.; Anchor, 1/2d., 1d., 2d., 6d. & 1s.

Genuine

The letters of each line of the surcharge are perfectly level. BRITISH measures 7 1/2 mm. in length, from the left-hand edge of the vertical stroke of the B to the outside of the H. BECHUANALAND is 15 1/2 mm. in length, measured the same way. The space between the two words is 4 mm.

Forged

The letters are uneven. BRITISH is only 7 mm. long; BECHUANALAND is only 15 mm. long. The space between the two words is only 2 mm. Thus it will be seen that this is not a dangerous counterfeit. I have the 4d., CC, and the 2d., 6d., and 1s. with Anchor.

Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland61893-1895

These have a similar surcharge, but the letters are larger, and are printed vertically on the stamps, reading downwards.

 

Genuine

BRITISH, measured as before, is exactly 9 mm. long; BECHUANALAND 18 3/4 mm. long; the space between the ends is 5 1/4 mm. There is a stop after BECHUANALAND.

Forged

BRITISH is 9 1/2 mm. long; BECHUANALAND, 19 1/2 mm. long ; the space between the words is 5 1/2 mm. There is no stop after BECHUANALAND.

Postmarks

Genuine—I have no cancelled copies.

Forged.—These bear genuine Cape of Good Hope postmarks, such as 1, 29, 67, and something like 59, with a square, instead of a diamond, in the center, and a numeral, instead of a letter.

 

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