Album Weeds – Bremen

1863 & 1866. 2 Grote. Red, orange.

Genuine

Lithographed, on thin, porous, soft, white wove paper, perqe en scie, or machine-perforated 13, according to the date of issue. The quatrefoil, punched out of the center of the handle of the key, is dark. The point of the key does not touch the outline of the oval containing it. The central oval is surrounded by 24 rays of white, in the shape of sugar-loaves, each having a dark spot at its point, making the sugar-loaves appear to be split or cleft at the end. The ornamental engine-turning of the oval which bears the inscription BREMEN, ZWEI GROTE, touches the inner line of the frame at the left side near AD of STADT, and almost touches at the right side, near the M of AMI. It does not touch at the top or the bottom. There is a large, shaded white stop after the word GROTE. The outer edge of this same engine-turned oval is scalloped; there are 48 scallops, all of equal size and shape, and easy to count. The letters, hyphens, and stop of the inscription STADT-POST-AMT., are each and all ornamented with a white outline round them, and the outlines of the various letters, etc., do not run into, or touch each other. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key touches the thirteenth vertical line of shading in the central oval, counting from the left. The knob, which is white, is quite distinct; but the lines require a microscope. The engraver’s “secret marks” are coloured dots. There is one of these dots in the middle of the head of the P of POST; one in the top hollow of the S, and another in the bottom hollow of the S of that word; one in the center of the bottom half of the A of AMT; two in the S of STADT, the same as in the S of POST, and one in the A of STADT, the same as in the A of AMT. The stop after AMT is very nearly square.

First Forgery

Very coarsely lithographed, in dark, reddish-orange or orange-brown, on thin, white wove paper, imperforated, or badly pin-perforated 13 x 12 1/2. The quatrefoil, punched out of the handle of the key, is white, with a dark outline. The point of the key touches the outline of the containing- oval. The said oval is surrounded by 19 white rays, in the form of pyramids, sharply pointed, of different sizes, and without the dark spots at their points. The border of the imitation engine-turning of the central design touches at the top, under POST, and also at the bottom, but not at either of the sides. This border is very irregular; the scallops are of various shapes and sizes, and quite uncountable. There is usually a dim blotch to be seen after GROTE; but it is not in the least like the square, shaded white stop of the genuine. The outlines of the letters, etc., of STADT-POST-AMT., all either touch or run into one another. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key touches the eighth vertical line of shading in the central oval, counting from the left. There is a dot in the lower half of the S of POST, but the other dots are absent. I do not think this forgery at all deceptive; though it is commonly to be found in small albums. It is coarsely done; whereas there is not a coarse line about the genuine.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on rather hard, stout, shiny, white wove paper, the face of which is coloured a very pale lemon-yellow. The orange is more yellow than in the genuine; and the stamp is very nicely machine-perforated 12 1/2. The quatrefoil, punched out of the handle of the key, is dark, as in the genuine. The dark outline of the point of the key seems to almost touch the outline of the containing-oval. Only two out of the 24 sugar-loaf-shaped white rays round this central oval have their points cleft, i.e., one just to the left of the bottom, and one just to the right of the top. The rest are plain, and all of them are too broad. The two bottom rays are jammed very close together. The scalloped border of the inscribed oval does not touch the frame anywhere, though it is very near to it, just to the right of the A of STADT. There are 49 scallops round this oval, and they are not all of equal size; being very large to the right of the O of GROTE, and very small to the left of the B of BREMEN. There is not the faintest indication of a stop after GROTE. The outlines of the letters of STADT-POST-AMT., hardly touch or run into each other at all; though the letters AD of STADT are joined together at the bottom. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key is extremely indistinct, and quite dark; it seems to touch the twelfth vertical line in the oval; but the said lines are all so indistinct, being so very close together, that, even with the strongest power of my microscope, I have not been able to decide positively. This central oval appears to be the darkest part of the stamp, in consequence of the closeness of the vertical lines; but, in the genuine, the engine-turned oval, containing BREMEN ZWEI GROTE is the darkest portion. The A of STADT has a blotch in its top half, and a small dash in the bottom half, and the head of the P of POST has some indications of a dot in it; the rest of the secret marks are absent. The stop after AMT is a hyphen, in an oblong frame.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, on thin, rather soft, unsurfaced wove paper, perf. about 15 1/2 (my specimen is imperfect, and I cannot be sure of the gauge). The quatrefoil in the key is dark, like the genuine. The point of the key plainly touches the oval outside of it. The bases of the sugar-loaf-shaped rays do not all touch each other; indeed, there is an absurdly large space between the one which points to the A of STADT and its neighbor, which points to the D of that word. This is an easy test. The scalloped outline of the oval, containing BREMEN ZWEI GROTE, does not touch the frame outside it anywhere. This scalloped outline, in the genuine, is formed by interlacing crescents; but, in this forgery, many of them appear to be merely white triangles. The lettering of the inscription STADT POST AMT is a good deal too small, the dark part of the letters (not including the lines round them) being only i mm. high, instead of about 1 1/4 mm. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key touches the tenth vertical line of shading in the central oval, counting from the left. There is a coloured dot in the head of the S of STADT, but I cannot make out any others. The stop after AMT is circular, and placed very much to one side of the center of its (circular) frame.

Fourth Forgery

This is much the best, and might easily deceive. Very nicely lithographed, on thin, white wove paper, perf. 15 1/2, or on somewhat thicker paper, perf. 12 1/2. The point of the key seems to just touch the dark outline of the oval round it. The top sugar-loaf is not cleft, and the one to the right of the bottom one has only very slight indications of being split. The scalloped oval only touches the frame on the left side, where two scallops touch it, under the A of STADT. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key touches the eleventh vertical line of shading in the central oval, counting from the left. There is a coloured dot in the lower half of the A of STADT, but the other secret marks are absent. There is a coloured mark, like a flaw, at the top of the tail of the S of POST, outside the outline.

Postmarks

These are generally in black, but may occasionally be found in blue.

Genuine.—1, 29 (date in centre, VEGESACK at the bottom, between the circles, and a little key, between two parentheses, at the top, between the circles), 71. Also an oblong like 71, but with rounded corners.

Also BREMEN BAHNHOF in a sort of ellipse. Also the word FRANKO, in very large capitals, without frame. Also 5, with numerals 303 in centre. Also TT and date in a circle. Also BREMEN TH. & TX. I have mentioned here all the postmarks that I have heard of; but of course not all of them are to be found on the 2 Grote. I give them all together, to save repetition.

First Forgery.—71.

Second Forgery.—71. Also five parallel bars, thick, and close together.

Third Forgery.—71.

Fourth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

1855, 1863 & 1866-67. 3 Grote, black on blue.

This stamp was employed to frank letters between Bremen, Bremerhafen, and Vegesack. There are three types, which may be distinguished by the vertical lines in the oval ornament, below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN. Type I. has one vertical line in the oval, Type II. has two lines, and Type III. has three lines. The following is a fuller description of the differences between the three types.

Type I

There is a single vertical line in the oval, below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN, and the top of the oval is closed. There is a black dot above the crown, touching the very center of the top of the central trefoil. The middle jewel in the base of the crown is a pearl, not a diamond. The top of the key does not touch the top outline of the shield. There are 18 vertical lines in the shield, counting the thin, left-hand outline of the shield, but not the thick, right-hand outline, and most of these lines have been drawn very slightly too long, so that the ends of them can just be seen above the top outline of the shield. The last line to the right goes very close to the thick outline of the shield. The shaded bottom point of the shield is exactly centrally above a little round ornament, which has a black dot in it. The shield does not touch the outline of the ornamental frame of the left-hand 3.

Type II

There are two vertical lines in the oval, below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN, and the top of the oval is almost closed. The black dot, above the top of the central trefoil on the crown, is a little too much to the left. The middle jewel in the base of the crown is a pearl, but it is not quite so round as in Type I. The key just touches the center of the top outline of the shield. There are the same number of vertical lines in the shield as in Type I., but the last line to the right is further off from the right-hand outline. The ends of some of the lines can be seen above the top outline of the shield, as in Type I. The shaded, bottom point of the shield points far to the right of the center of the circular ornament below it. This ornament is considerably larger than in Type I., and has a small circle in its center, with a vertical line in it. The left side of the shield touches the ornamental frame of the left-hand 3.

Type III

There are three vertical lines in the oval below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN, and the top of the oval is widely open. The black dot, on the top of the central trefoil, is too much to the left.

The middle jewel on the base of the crown is an unmistakable diamond, and the one to left of it is a pearl, instead of a diamond. The one to right of it is also very nearly circular, instead of diamond-shaped. The top of the key, as in Type I., does not touch the top outline of the shield. There are 19 vertical lines in the shield, counting as before, and the nineteenth is exceedingly close to the thick, right-hand outline, so that, in heavily-printed copies, it will probably be invisible. None of these lines show above the top of the shield. The shaded, bottom point of the shield is exactly central above the circular ornament. The said ornament, by the way, in this third type, is more an upright oval than a true circle. It contains another oval, with a vertical line in its center. The shield does not touch the outline of the ornamental frame of the left-hand 3.

Genuine

Lithographed, on blue laid paper; the laid lines may be either horizontal or vertical, but I think the horizontal lines are much more usually to be met with than the vertical ones. The varieties of type and perforation are as already described. The tests now to be given are common to all three types, unless otherwise mentioned. The wards of the key are like two T’s, placed back to back. The three lobes of each of the trefoils on the crown are all of about equal size. The top of the T of AMT does not touch the M. There is a tiny circle, or pearl, in the horizontally-shaded part of the upper, and also of the lower limb of each large 3, i.e., two in each numeral. The left lower knob of the handle of the key touches the ninth vertical line of shading in the shield, counting the thin, left-hand outline.

First Forgery

I think this is meant for Type II., but it is a poor imitation. Badly lithographed, on medium, hard, bluish-lavender or neutral-tinted wove paper, unperforated, or pin-perf. 13. The wards of the key are like two E’S, placed back to back. The upper lobe of each trefoil is larger than the other two lobes. The top of the T of AMT is joined to the M. The two little circles, in the top and bottom of the body of each large 3, are absent. The left lower knob of the handle of the key comes between the tenth and eleventh of the vertical lines of shading in the shield, counting the thin, left-hand outline of the shield. The oval below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN appears to be widely open, and to contain two vertical lines, but I cannot be positive, as, in my only three specimens, the postmark happens to obscure this test in all. There is no black dot at the top of the central trefoil on the crown. The jewels on the base of the crown are all diamonds, and there seems to be a dot in the right-hand one. There are 21 vertical lines of shading in the shield, counting the left-hand outline, and the last line, each side, goes very close to the outline, thus differing from all three types of the genuine. The fourth line from the right has been drawn too long, and projects considerably above the top of the shield. The top of the key does not touch the center of the top of the shield. Four vertical lines of the background can be seen through the quatrefoil in the handle of the key. The shaded, lower point of the shield, and the circular ornament below it, are as in the genuine Type II. The left side of the shield does not touch the ornamental oval, round the large left-hand 3.

Second Forgery

This is an extremely nice-looking counterfeit, and I fancy it has had a large sale. It is probably quite modern, as I do not remember seeing it until after the second edition of this book was published (1892). Very well lithographed, on blue laid paper. All my specimens have the laid lines horizontal. It is copied from Type II. The stamps may be found imperforate, percé en scie, or perf. 125. The little oval, below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN, containing the two vertical lines, is quite closed. There is no black dot above the point of the central trefoil of the crown. The central jewel on the base of the crown is a perfectly circular pearl. The corner-point of the key touches the center of the top outline of the shield, as in the genuine Type II.; but there are only seven of the vertical lines of the shield (counting the thin left-hand outline) to be seen to left of this point, reckoning along the top line of the shield. In the genuine Type II., eight lines can be seen. None of these lines project above the top of the shield. The shaded bottom point of the shield is only slightly to the right of the center of the little circular ornament below it. The ring round the barrel of the key is decidedly wider than the corresponding rings round the projecting knobs of the handle; though they are all of equal width in the genuine stamps of all three types. There is one easy test in the little black outlines, below the letters of the word BREMEN. In the genuine Type II., there is one of these lines (like an _|) under the right foot of the M, another similar but longer one under the whole of the E, another similar one under the left foot of the N, and one (shaped like a _|) beginning under the right foot of the N. These are all quite separate from one another in the genuine. In this forgery all these lines run together into one unbroken piece.

Third Forgery

According to the lines in the shield, this should be Type III., but according to the oval below the M, it is Type I. Fairly lithographed, on blue wove paper, rather thin, nicely perf. 12 1/2. There is no black dot above the crown. An easy test for this forgery is that all the jewels in the base of the crown are pearls. The top corner of the key, at the center of the top of the shield, touches the tenth line from the left (counting the left-hand outline) instead of the ninth. There are 21 lines in the shield, instead of 18, counting as before. The third and tenth lines from the left show above the top outline of the shield. The last line to the left goes very close to the outline, as in Type III. of the genuine. The shield touches the ornamental oval, round the large, left-hand 3. The right upper knob of the handle of the key touches the thick black outline to right of it; this is not the case with any of the genuine types. There is a very fine hair-line, joining the tops of the letters T AMT, and a similar line, connecting the bottoms of AMT. They look like guides for drawing the letters.

Fourth Forgery

This is an imitation of Type III. Nicely lithographed, on thick, hard, vertically-laid blue paper, percé en scie. There is no black dot above the point of the central trefoil. There are only 18 vertical lines in the shield, instead of 19, counting the left-hand outline. The line which shows very close to the right-hand outline, in Type III. of the genuine, is absent in this forgery. The shield just touches the ornamental oval, round the large, left-hand 3. I cannot see any other very salient points of difference between this forgery and the genuine Type III., but hope these tests will be sufficient.

Fifth Forgery

This is not like any of the genuine types. Lithographed, on blue wove paper, unperforated. The two T’S in the wards of the key are not alike; in the lower T, the hanging ends are split or double. There is no dot above the point of the central trefoil. The circles in the large numerals are absent. There are only 16 vertical lines in the shield, and the last two to the left are close together, as they are in Type III. The left lower knob of the key touches the eighth line from the left. The oval below the M of BREMEN contains four vertical lines. There is no black dot above the top of the central trefoil on the crown. The jewels on the base of the crown are like Type III. None of the lines of the shield show above the top outline. Four lines can be seen through the quatrefoil of the key, and three of them slant down from left to right, instead of being vertical. The shaded point, at the bottom of the shield, actually touches the circular ornament below it, and the said ornament contains three vertical lines. The left side of the shield is firmly joined to the ornamental frame of the large, left-hand 3. There are no circles in either 3.

Sixth Forgery

This has the oval of Type I., but the shield is more like Type III. Lithographed, on blue wove paper, perf. 12 1/2. The letters of STADTPOST BREMEN are only 1 mm. high, instead of 1 1/2 mm. The left outline of the shield is thicker than in any of the stamps yet described, all of which have the said line exactly the same thickness as the lines in the shield. Including this line, there are 21 in the shield, the last to the left being exceedingly close to the outline, closer than in Type III. of the genuine. The left lower knob of the key touches the eleventh line from the left. Three lines can be seen through the quatrefoil of the handle. The oval, below the first stroke of the M of BREMEN, is closed, as in Type I., but it seems to have two broken lines in it, with a dot below the space between them. There is no black dot above the central trefoil on the crown. The jewels on the base of the crown are altogether shapeless, except one to the left of the center, which is more or less circular. The shaded corner of the key does not quite touch the center of the top outline of the shield; it touches either the tenth or eleventh line in the shield, counting from the left. None of the lines project above the top outline of the shield. Two vertical lines, and a part of a third, can be seen through the quatrefoil, in the handle of the key. The shaded, lower point of the shield is the same as in Type I., but the little circular ornament below it contains a perfectly distinct, vertical line. The left side of the shield is firmly joined to the ornamental oval and the large, left-hand 3.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

First Forgery.—71.

Second Forgery.—Uncancelled, but more frequently with a horizontal blue pencil-line.

Third Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Fourth Forgery.—71.

Fifth Forgery.—71.

Sixth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

1856, 1862 & 1866-67. 5 Grote. Black on rose.

This stamp was issued for letters to Hamburg. There is a good deal of variety in the colour of the paper. I have seen it in pale rose, pale flesh-colour, and even in a sort of salmon-colour. The tint was, as Mr. Westoby says, very liable to fade; and I fancy the stamps, as issued, were generally of a far deeper colour than the tints which we now see; though, occasionally, unused specimens that have been kept from the light are of a fairly deep rose. There are two types, and they are not very hard to distinguish. Here are some of the salient points:

Type I

The right upright-stroke of the M of MARKE is very little higher than the left one. The point of the central trefoil on the crown does not go centrally into the wedge-shaped opening in the scroll above it, but is too much to the left, so as to graze the left side of the opening. In the central shield, the last vertical line to the left goes very close to the thick, left-hand outline of the shield. The lowest row of waves or semicircles, at the foot of the stamp, shows II 3/4 complete semicircles, the three-quarter semicircle being at the left-hand end. The base of the crown touches one of the semi- circles, in the row which runs between it and the top of the shield.

Type II

The right upright-stroke of the M of MARKE is taller than the left stroke, to quite a ridiculous extent. The point of the central trefoil on the crown goes centrally into the wedge-shaped opening in the scroll above it, not touching either side. In the central shield, the last vertical line to the right is very close to the thin, right-hand inner outline of the shield. The lowest row of waves, at the bottom of the stamp, has eleven perfect semicircles, with a half-semicircle at each end. The base of the crown does not touch the row of semicircles resting on the top of the shield, and the semicircles in this row are much smaller than in Type I. The diamond, to right of the central one, on the base of the crown, contains a black dot. There are many other differences, but these will be sufficient to identify the two types.

Genuine

Lithographed, in black, on rose wove paper, varieties and types as above. The details here given are common to both types of the genuine, unless specially mentioned. The quatrefoil, punched out of the handle of the key, does not show any little circle in its center, and two of the vertical lines of shading of the shield can be clearly seen through the aperture of the said quatrefoil. In Type I., there is a double knob at the end of each of the three projections of the handle of the key; in Type II., the projection to the right has only one knob, but the other two are double, that is to say, one behind the other. There are two rings on the barrel of the key, where it joins the ornamental part of the handle. There is one row of waves or semicircles to be seen, between the top of the shield and the base of the crown. The diamonds along the base of the crown have no shading in them, but, in Type II., the right-hand diamond has a black, elongated dot in its center. The shading, like a fringe, at the back of the left-hand 5, does not touch the outline of the containing-oval anywhere. The same may be said of the right-hand 5 in Type I.; but in Type II., the fringe of lines just grazes the outline of the oval in two places, i.e., at the right-hand of the top of the 5, and near the bend, at the bottom of the figure. The letters AN of FRANCO just touch, at the bottom of Type I., and are firmly joined together in Type II. FRANCO and MARKE are both at the same distance from the bottoms of their containing-labels. In the shaded ornament at the top of the stamp, above the center of the FRANCO MARKE scroll, there are 30 vertical lines of shading of various lengths in Type I., and 28 similar lines in Type II. In Type I., there are 27 short lines of fringe round the right side of the left-hand 5, and 23 round the right side of the right-hand 5. In Type II., there are about 25 lines of fringe to the left-hand 5, and 26 to the right-hand 5.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on pink, pinkish-buff, and also on a sort of drab wove paper, unperforated, or perf. I2 3/4. The shield is imitated from Type II., with one of the vertical lines very close to the thin, right-hand inner outline. There is only a single knob at the end of each of the three projections of the handle of the key, and only one ring round the barrel, where it joins the handle. The base of the crown comes very close to the top of the shield, and there is no row of waves or semicircles between the shield and the crown. The right-hand diamond on the base of the crown is shaded by vertical lines; the left-hand diamond is similarly shaded, and the central diamond contains a dot. The fringe of shading round each 5 is firmly joined to the outline of the containing-oval. This is an easy test, FRANCO is too near the bottom of its label, and MARKE is too high up. The M of this latter word has both its outer limbs of equal length, though, as I have before stated, Type II., which this forgery purports to imitate, has the right-hand part of the M very much too tall. The ornament at the center of the top of the stamp contains 29 vertical lines of shading, of various lengths. The fringe to the left-hand 5 has only 17 lines, and that of the right-hand 5 has 19.

Second Forgery

This is an imitation of Type II. Lithographed, on tolerably deep rose wove paper, badly pin-perf., the gauge not countable in my specimen. There is a little black circle in the center of the quatrefoil in the handle of the key, and none of the vertical lines of shading show through the quatrefoil. There is a single round knob at the end of each of the side- projections of the handle of the key, and a sort of pointed knob at the end of the handle. The right-hand diamond in the base of the crown bears a dot, as in the genuine Type II. The fringe of the numeral does not touch the containing-oval anywhere, either in the right-hand or left- hand 5, though the fringe does touch slightly in the right-hand 5 of the genuine. The letters AN of FRANCO do not touch each other at the bottom. There are 33 vertical lines of shading in the curly ornament at the very top of the stamp. The fringe to the left-hand 5 contains 22 lines, and the fringe to the right-hand 5 has about 21, but these latter are not very plain in my specimens.

Third Forgery

This is also an imitation of Type II. Lithographed, on deep rose paper, nicely perf. 15 1/2. The right-hand projection of the handle of the key shows one knob; the other two projections have two knobs each. The bottoms of the letters AN of FRANCO just touch, but they are not so plainly joined together as in the genuine Type II. There are only 26 lines in the fringe to the left-hand 5, and about 26 to the right-hand 5; the latter being rather blotched in my single specimen. In the genuine stamp, the central diamond in the base of the crown is, as nearly as possible, centrally under the central trefoil, but in this forgery, the diamond is decidedly too much to the right. My specimen has a very evident flaw in the top outline of the stamp, above the A of FRANCO, but I am unable to say whether this is always the case or not. I hope, however, that the flaw may always exist, as this is a very dangerous forgery, being carefully copied from Type II., even to the four little black dots, outside the four corners of the stamp. If it were not for the perforation, it might deceive anybody.

Fourth Forgery

This is an imitation of Type I. Lithographed, on deep rose wove paper, perf. 16. The two rings on the barrel of the key, next to the handle, are equal in size, but in the genuine Type I., the ring nearest the handle is larger than the other, as though the barrel were thicker there {I mean that the one ring is of greater circumference than the other.) In this forgery, both rings are practically of equal circumference. The base of the crown touches two (instead of one) of the waves or semicircles, between it and the top of the shield. An easy test for this forgery is, that the right-hand diamond on the circlet of the crown is not a diamond at all, but a perfectly circular pearl. The letters AN of FRANCO do not touch each other anywhere. There are 35 vertical lines of shading in the shaded ornament at the center of the top of the stamp. The fringes to the two numerals seem to be the same as in the genuine Type I. There are no dots outside the corners of the stamp.

Fifth Forgery

Lithographed, on very deep rose wove paper. It is not a pure rose, but has a trace of blue in it, like magenta has. I think this is intended for Type II., but the right-hand line in the shield is not so near the thin right-hand border-line as it is in the genuine, though the trefoil on the top of the crown goes centrally into the wedge-shaped opening above it, as in Type II. The upper point of the said trefoil, however, is not truly circular, but is slightly cut away on its right side. Of the two vertical lines of shading, seen through the quatrefoil of the handle of the key, the left-hand line is blotched against the side of the quatrefoil, so as to be practically invisible. (It can be easily seen in the genuine.) There is only one knob on the right-hand projection of the key-handle. The dot in the right-hand diamond on the crown is perfectly circular, instead of being like a short hyphen. Five or six lines of the fringe of the left- hand 5 touch the outline of the oval, and twelve of the lines of the fringe of the right-hand 5 are firmly joined to the outline of the oval. This is an easy test. The letters AN of FRANCO do not touch each other. MARKE is further from the outline below it than FRANCO is. There are 33 vertical lines of shading in the scroll-ornament, at the top of the stamp. There seem to be 28 lines of fringe round the left-hand 5, and 22 round the right-hand 5, but they are difficult to count, some of them being blotched. There are no dots outside the corners of the stamp.

Sixth Forgery

Lithographed, on buff paper, very nicely perf. 12 1/2. The perforation is the best thing about the stamp, which is a very poor imitation. It is intended to represent Type II. The projections of the handle of the key show single knobs, with a ring round, near the knob, as in the 3 Grote, instead of double knobs. The letters AN of FRANCO are not joined together. There is no row of waves or semicircles, between the top of the shield and the base of the crown. The central diamond on the crown is almost oval in shape, and the right-hand diamond is very small, and has no dot in it. The fringe of shading of each 5 is firmly joined to the outline of its containing-oval. The letters AN of FRANCO do not touch each other. The shaded ornament in the center of the top of the stamp does not touch the inner outline of the frame above it, though, in both types of the genuine, its central point touches the out- line. This said ornament is shaded by 35 vertical lines, many of them being broken and imperfect. The M of MARKE is of normal shape, and not like the deformed letter of the genuine Type II. I have not been able to count the lines of fringe to the numerals, they are so blotchy.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

First Forgery.—71.

Second Forgery.—71.

Third Forgery.—71.

Fourth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Fifth Forgery.—Uncancelled. Also a line in blue pencil. This, by the way, is often found on various old German stamps of different States, but I never saw it on a Bremen stamp.

Sixth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

1860 & 1866-67. 7 Grote, black on yellow.

This stamp was issued for postage to Lübeck and Mecklenburg-Schwerin. There is only one type.

Genuine

Lithographed, on yellow wove paper, varieties as above. There are 18 lines of shading on the shield, not counting the thin, inner boundary-line on the right-hand side; and the first and last of these lines are very close to their respective sides of the shield. Most of the lines have been drawn too high, and show above the thick, inner outline of the top of the shield. The top end of the key is cut off square, instead of being a circle. There are 27 vertical lines in the shaded ornament at the center of the top of the stamp, and the central one of these lines is drawn up through the inner boundary-line at the top of the stamp, and joins the thick outline above it. This line is quite vertical. Outside the stamp, at each corner, there is a little three-lobed ornament, with a dot outside it; the dot in the left top corner does not touch the ornament. The fringe of shading to each 7 only touches the outline of the containing-oval in one little spot, at the back of the shoulder of each numeral. There are 29 lines in the fringe of the left-hand 7, and about 28 in that of the right-hand 7. There is one clear line of shading on the shield to the left of the point of the key. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key touches the fifth line of shading on the key, from the left. The right-hand knob touches the inner outline of the shield. Four of the vertical lines of the shield can be seen in the quatrefoil, in the handle of the key, but they are sometimes rather blotched. There is a trefoil-ornament at each end of the FRANCO MARKE label; the top lobe of the left-hand trefoil just touches the inner outline of the stamp to left of it, and two lobes of the right-hand trefoil touch the right-hand, inner outline. There are two of the vertical lines of shading of the top central ornament, which cut through the left top corner of the M of MARKE. The five jewels of the crown are all fairly diamond-shaped, and each diamond has a black dot in it, except the one to the right of the central one, which has two dots. There is a tiny, thin, slanting line or dash, crossing the outline, below the I of SIEBEN, and another similar dash below the B of that word. These are really portions of the wavy lines of the background, which show through. All these wavy lines, by the way, are in tall, sharply-pointed waves. There are nine waves in the lowest line at the bottom of the stamp.

First Forgery

This is extremely good, though the paper is too pale, being of a sulphur-yellow colour. Lithographed, on pale yellow wove paper, thinner, but harder than the genuine, unperforated, or perf. 13. There are only 17 lines of shading in the shield, not counting the thin, inner right- hand outline. The central vertical line of shading in the ornament at the top of the stamp is drawn up too high, as in the genuine, but it slants to the right, instead of going vertically across the border. The barrel of the key has no line joining the wards, though, in the genuine, the right-hand edge of the barrel is outlined. The dot outside the left top corner of the stamp plainly touches the little ornament. There are 29 lines in the fringe of the left-hand 7, and 28 in that of the right-hand 7. The upper lobe of the trefoil, at the left-hand end of the FRANCO label, does not touch the border-line to left of it. The two jewels to right of the center one, on the base of the crown, are more like pearls than diamonds, and have no dot in them. The wavy lines do not trespass across the border, under SIEBEN. It will be understood that, in the other points not mentioned, this forgery agrees with the genuine.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on thin, yellow wove paper, rather darker than the first forgery, unperforated. There are 16 lines in the shield, not counting the right-hand boundary-line, and the right-hand line is exceedingly close to the said boundary-line, like the genuine, but is very crooked in its center. The left-hand line is not close to the boundary-line. None of these lines show above the thick, top outline of the shield. There are 34 vertical lines of shading in the floral ornament, at the center of the top of the stamp. The central one of these lines does not trespass across the border above it. The dot, outside the left top corner of the stamp, is too large, and it is triangular in shape, instead of nearly circular. It is a good deal farther from the ornament than even in the genuine. The fringe of lines to the left-hand 7 does not touch the oval anywhere, and there are about 27 lines in the said fringe, but some of them are blotched in my specimen, so I cannot be quite sure of the number. The fringe of the right-hand 7 contains 25 lines. The corner of the barrel of the key just touches the first line of shading” in the shield. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key comes between the third and fourth lines of the shield, counting from the left. This ought to be an easy test. The right-hand knob is some distance from the right-hand outline of the shield, so that two of the lines of the shield can be seen between it and the outline. Instead of the four lines of the background, shown in the genuine, there is a little circle in the center of the quatrefoil, in the handle of the key. This is another easy test. The trefoils at the two ends of the FRANCO MARKE label do not touch the borders of the stamp. The top left corner of the M of MARKE is not cut through by any lines of shading. There is a dot in the central diamond on the base of the crown, and a very tiny one in the right-hand diamond, but none in the others. None of the wavy lines cut through the outline under SIEBEN. The lowest line of waves, at the bottom of the stamp, shows waves, instead of 9.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, on fairly stout, yellow wove paper, only a very little lighter than the genuine, unperforated. There are only 13 vertical lines in the shield, not counting the thin, right-hand outline, and the outer ones are not near the sides of the shield. None of them show above the top outline. The top of the key is not cut off square, but ends in a circle. There are either 27 or 28 vertical lines of shading in the floral ornament at the centre of the top of the stamp, and the central one of these lines does not trespass across the outline above it. The dot in the left top corner touches its ornament. In the genuine stamps, all four of the corner-ornaments, outside the frame, are shaded with vertical lines. In this forgery the two top ornaments are shaded with lines which point towards the center of the stamp, the one in the left bottom corner has vertical shading, and the shading of the one in the right bottom corner slopes obliquely down to the left. The fringe of shading of each 7 touches the containing-oval, not only at the top right corner, but also round the bottom; there are only 19 lines in the fringe of the left-hand 7, and 18 in the other. The left-hand knob on the handle of the key comes between the second and third lines in the shield, and the right-hand knob is so far from the right-hand outline of the shield that there is one line of the shield to be seen between the knob and the outline. The trefoil-ornament at the left-hand end of the FRANCO MARKE label does not touch the frame anywhere, and the dark shading of the upper lobe of the right-hand trefoil just touches the right- hand border of the frame. There is no serif to the top left corner of the M of MARKE, and so, of course, there are no lines cutting through it. The three central jewels on the base of the crown are roughly-drawn ovals; the middle one and the one to the right of it have dots in them; the two outside ones are half-diamonds. The wavy lines of the back- ground do not trespass across the border, below SIEBEN. There are 9 1/4 waves in the lowest line, at the bottom of the stamp.

Fourth Forgery

Lithographed, on thickish, yellow wove paper, about the colour of the genuine, perf. 12 1/2. This is a very poor counterfeit, compared with some of the others. There are 19 lines in the shield, with the commencement of a twentieth in the left top corner. These, as before, do not include the thin, right-hand outline. None of these lines show above the thick, top outline of the shield. There are only 26 vertical lines of shading in the ornament at the center of the top of the stamp, and the central one of these lines does not trespass across the boundary-line above it; indeed, the central portion of this ornament, which, in the genuine, is the tallest part of the ornament, and touches the inner outline of the top of the frame, is, in this forgery, not so tall as the portions each side of it, and does not touch the outline above it. The fringe of shading at the back of the top of the left-hand 7 does not touch the outline of the containing-oval, but it almost touches at the bottom. The top line of the fringe of the right-hand 7 touches the outline. In the left-hand 7, there are about 22 lines of fringe; in the right-hand 7 there are about 23. There is no complete line on the shield, to the left of the point of the key; only the commencement of a line. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key comes between the fifth and sixth lines of shading of the shield. The postmark obscures the right-hand knob in my specimen, but I think there is a clear line of shading between it and the right-hand outline of the shield. The two upper lobes of the trefoil to the left of FRANCO touch the border, and the central lobe of the trefoil to the right of MARKE touches the border. There are no lines of shading cutting across the serif of the left top corner of the M of MARKE. There are no dots in the jewels on the crown, and the one to right of the center is an almost perfectly circular pearl. Several of the wavy lines of the back- ground trespass across the border, under the first half of SIEBEN, and some of the lines Can even be traced right through the letters SI. All the lines of the background are low waves, not the tall, sharp peaks of the genuine. There seem to be or 10 waves in the lowest line, at the bottom of the stamp.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

First Forgery. —Uncancelled.

Second Forgery.—71.

Third Forgery.—71.

Fourth Forgery.—71.

1861 & 1866-67. 10 Grote, black on white.

This stamp was issued for postage to Holland. There is only One type.

 

Genuine

Lithographed, on fairly stout, greyish-white wove paper, varieties as above. There are 27 lines in the oval shield. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key comes between the ninth and tenth of these lines from the left; the right-hand knob touches the fourth line from the right. A few of the lines have been drawn a little too high, and show above the top outline of the oval, especially the
first and fourth on the right side. The eleventh line from the left can generally be seen through the upper wards of the key. Five vertical lines, and indications of a sixth, are visible in the quatrefoil, in the handle of the key. The bottom knob of the key does not touch the outline of the containing-oval below it, and the line of shading under the center of the bottom of the knob trespasses a little across the outline below it. The wards of the key do not touch the outline of the barrel to left of them. In the lace-work pattern round the outside of the shield, each rosette shows four rows of holes in it. The top and bottom rosettes are joined to their neighbors by two imperfect white links of chain; all the others are joined by three links. The lattice-work lines of the oval which contains BREMEN ZEHN GROTE have been drawn too high above the BR, and go right across both white outlines. One of them also cuts into the right top half of the B, and another into the right top half of the R, making a black dot in the head of each letter. Another of these lines cuts into the upper part of the left-hand end of the E of ZEHN, and two into the top of the G of GROTE. In the left upper 10, the 1 has a white projection in the center of its left-hand edge, and the o is broken at the top. In the right upper 10, the 1 generally shows a tiny black dot near the top, and the 0 has a long curved line of shading inside its left half. In the left bottom 10, the serif at the head of the 1 is divided from the body of the numeral by a thin black line; that is to say, the left outline of the numeral is carried up unbroken to the top, across the serif. The trefoil-ornament, outside the left top corner of the stamp, contains seven radiating black lines, the third from the left being very long; the trefoil in the right top corner has five lines, two of them very short; the trefoil in the left bottom corner has six lines; and that in the right bottom corner also has six. There is a line all round the outside of the stamp, f mm. from the nearest point.

First Forgery

Very nicely lithographed, on fairly thick, extremely white wove paper, perf. 12 1/2, also pin-perf. about 17. The left-hand knob of the shield touches the tenth line from the left. None of the lines of the shield trespass across the outline, and none of them show through the upper wards of the key. The lattice-work lines show across the boundary, above the BR of BREMEN, but they are much fainter than in the genuine. There is no dot either in the B or in the R of this word, or in the E of ZEHN, and only one occasionally visible in the neck of the G of GROTE. There is no white projection in the center of the left-hand outline of the 1 in the left top corner, and the o is not broken at the top. In the right-hand upper 10 there is no dot in the 1, and the 0 is either unshaded, or shows only a short vertical line in the left side, instead of a long line, following the curve of the numeral from top to bottom. The serif of the 1 in the left bottom corner is not cut off from the body of the numeral. The radiating lines in the trefoils, outside the corners of the stamp, are: Left upper trefoil, 6 (the third line from the left being no longer than the fourth or fifth); right upper trefoil, 4, besides a base-line; left lower trefoil, 5; right lower trefoil, 5, and a base-line. There is no line round the outside of the stamp.

Second Forgery

Coarsely lithographed, on medium, yellowish-white wove paper, badly pin-perf. about 12, also badly pin-perf. to a much smaller, but uncountable gauge. The left-hand knob of the key touches the tenth vertical line in the shield. The line opposite the top point of the key generally trespasses across the boundary-line above it, under the center of the top rosette. None of the lines show through the wards of the key. In the quatrefoil of the key, the fourth line from the right is very crooked, instead of vertical. The line of the shield, under the center of the end knob of the key, does not trespass across the boundary-line below it. A prolongation of the T-like, lower wards of the key touches the outline of the barrel to left of it, and, in some specimens, the same is the case with the upper wards. There are only three rows of holes in each rosette. The top rosette seems to be joined to each of its neighbors by a single white link, and the two above the Z of ZEHN are joined together by two links only. The lattice-work lines do not trespass across either of the white outlines, above the BR of BREMEN, and there is no dot in either the B or the R, or in any of the lower letters. The 1 of the 10 in the left top corner has no white projection, and the 0 is not broken at the top. In the right upper 10, the 1 has no dot, and there is no shading in the 0. In the left lower 10, the serif of the 1 has no line, dividing it from the numeral. The radiating lines in the four corner-trefoils are: Left upper trefoil, 4; right upper one, 3 or 4 (they are blotched); left lower one, 3; right lower one, 5. The line round the stamp is a full millimeter from the nearest part of the stamp itself.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, on thin, yellowish-white wove paper, pin-perf. 16. There are only 26 lines in the shield. The left-hand knob of the key touches the ninth line from the left, and the shading of the right-hand knob comes between the third and fourth lines from the right. Nearly all the lines show more or less above the outline of the top of the shield. Two or three of the lines can be seen through the wards of the key. The shadow of the bottom knob of the key touches the outline below it. One line of shading, just below this knob, can be seen, projecting slightly downwards, about as much as in the genuine. The top rosette is joined to its left-hand neighbor by one entire link, instead of two imperfect ones, and the lowest rosette is joined to its right-hand neighbor by one link. The lattice-work lines show faintly across the inner white line, above the BR of BREMEN, but they do not cross the outer one. There is no dot in any of the letters. In the left upper 10, there is no white projection from the center of the left-hand outline, and the top of the o is not broken. In the right upper 10, there is no dot in the 1, and no line of shading in the 0. In the left bottom 10, the serif is not cut off from the rest of the 1. The radiating lines in the four corner-trefoils are: Left upper trefoil, 6; right upper one, 2 and a dot; left lower one, 4; right lower one, 4. There is no line round the stamp.

Fourth Forgery

Lithographed, on fairly stout, very yellowish-white wove paper, very nicely perf. 12 1/2. There are only 24 lines in the shield. The left-hand knob of the handle of the key comes between the eighth and ninth lines from the left. None of the lines project beyond the upper outline, but in my single specimen, the fifteenth line from the left projects obliquely across the boundary-line of the bottom of the shield, slanting down from right to left. None of the lines show through the wards of the key. I can only make out three vertical lines in the quatrefoil of the handle of the key. The bottom knob touches the outline below it, and there is no line to be seen below the center of this knob. A prolongation of each of the wards of the key touches the outline of the barrel, to left of them. The rosette to left of the topmost one only shows three rows of holes. The top rosette is joined to its right-hand neighbor without any link between them, so far as I can see; and the same is the case with the bottom one and its right-hand neighbor. The others have one, two, and parts of three links, respectively, but none of them have three perfect links. There are a few very faint indications of the lattice-work lines across the white boundary-lines above the RE of BREMEN; there is a very slight indentation of the top of the B; the R does not seem to have any dot; and the only mark that I can see in any of the lower letters is a small, oblique scratch, near the lower part of the left side of the E of ZEHN. The I of the left upper 10 shows no white projection, and the top of the 0 is not broken. In the right upper 10, there is no dot in the I, and no shading in the 0. The serif is not cutoff in the left lower X. The radiating lines in the four corner-trefoils are: Left upper trefoil, 4; right upper one, 5; left lower one, 5; right lower one, 3 and a dot. There is no line outside the stamp.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

First Forgery.—Uncancelled, or a blue pencil-line.

Second Forgery.—71.

Third Forgery.—71.

Fourth Forgery.—71.

1861, 1863 & 1866-67. 5 Silber Groschen, green on white.

This value was to frank postage to England. There is only one type

Genuine

Lithographed, in olive-green (1861), sea-green and yellow-green (1863), yellow-green, 1866-7; varieties as above. The paper is tolerably thick, white, or yellowish-white wove, and usually with a shiny surface. The top end of the barrel of the key is a circle. The wards of the key are like two E’S, with very long central tongues, placed back to back; but there is only one of the forgeries which does not imitate this. The ornamental border or frame of the shield has many projections from it, and there is a coloured dot in the projection over the 5, and a similar dot in the projection over the R, of 5 SGR. The trefoil at the top of the shield does not touch the outline above it, under the M of BREMEN. There are 59 vertical lines behind the shield, counting along the top. Most of these lines project above the boundary-line under BREMEN; indeed, in good copies, one of them cuts into the bottom of the first E of that word. The top outline of the head of the 5 is only very slightly concave, and the end of the tail of this numeral is a large round ball. There is a line of shading down the center of the right leg of the right-hand V. The sides of the frame, containing the hanging drapery and curly scrolls, are shaded with broad, horizontal green lines, and not solid. The stop after SGR is quite square. The ball in the right top corner of the stamp has a complete green ring in it. The trefoil-ornament at the top of the stamp is included within thirteen of the vertical lines of the back- ground; it touches the first of these, and the thirteenth, on the right, is outside the shadow on the right side, not touching it. The bottom of the G of SGR rests on the line below it. In the unperforated issue, there is a thin line round the stamp, about 1 mm. from the outline. The quatrefoil in the handle of the key is 1 3/4 mm. across in its widest part.

First Forgery

Nicely lithographed, in olive-green, yellowish-green, green, or a green so very yellow as to be almost greenish-yellow, rather than yellow-green, on thin, white wove paper, unperforated, percé en scie, or pin-perf. 12 1/2. The paper is to be found both shiny and dull. The top end of the key is cut off square, or rather, slightly rounded. There are no dots in the projections of the frame of the shield, above the 5 and the R of 5 SGR. The lines of the background do not project above the outline under BREMEN. The top outline of the head of the 5 is extremely concave. There is no line of shading in the right leg of the right-hand V. The shading in the ball, at the right top corner of the stamp, is a green crescent, instead of a ring. In the unperforated stamp, there is no line round the outside of the frame. The ornamental frame of the shield only touches the outline on the right side, though, in the genuine, it touches on the left side as well. This is a capital forgery; the crescent in the ball in the right top corner is the easiest test.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, in yellow-green, or bright green, on thick, non-surfaced white wove paper, unperforated. The two dots are absent in the two projections of the frame of the shield, above the 5 and the R of 5 SGR. The trefoil at the top of the shield touches the outline of the frame above it, under the first stroke of the M of BREMEN. The lines can, therefore, not be counted, but they do not trespass above the boundary-line, under BREMEN. There is no shading along the right limb of the right-hand V. The stop after SGR. is circular. The ball in the right top corner of the stamp contains a badly-formed crescent, instead of a circle. The lower end of the 5 is not a ball. My copies are rather closely cut, so I cannot say whether there is a line round the stamp or not. The quatrefoil in the handle of the key is too small, being only about 1 3/4 mm. across its widest part. The top end of the key is cut off rounded, but shows no circle.

Third Forgery

Lithographed, in rather dark yellow-green, on very thin, rather shiny, white wove paper, unperforated. The end of the barrel of the key is a circle in this forgery, like the genuine. The wards of the key are joined together by a line, along the barrel of the key. The projection of the frame of the shield, over the R of 5 SGR., has a dot in it, as in the genuine; and I think the one over the 5 also has a dot, but I am not sure, as my only two specimens have this particular spot hidden by the postmark. The top of the trefoil very nearly touches the top of the stamp; so nearly, that the lines cannot be counted above it. One or two of the lines project very slightly above the boundary-line, below BREMEN, but this is hardly noticeable. The top of the head of the 5 has a very jaunty, upward curve. There is a line along the right limb of the right-hand V, but it is near the inner edge, instead of along the center. The horizontal green lines in the side-frames are, in some parts, so close together as to appear almost solid. The stop after SGR. is something between an oval and a transverse oblong. The ball in the right top corner of the stamp contains a crescent, instead of a circle. The lower end of the 5 is not a ball. The G of SGR. not only rests on the line beneath it, but goes slightly through the line. There is no line round the stamp. The quatrefoil in the handle of the key is too large, being 2 mm. across at the widest part.

Fourth Forgery

Lithographed, in very yellow-green, on thick, rather hard, unsurfaced, yellowish-white wove paper, unperforated. The top of the barrel of the key is cut off square. There are no dots in the projections of the frame of the shield, above the 5 and R of 5 SGR. There are about 62 vertical lines in the background, behind the shield. Some of them project slightly beyond the outline above them, under the name, but not nearly so much as in the genuine; nor does one of them touch the first E of BREMEN. The top of the 5 slopes slightly down to the right, instead of curving upwards to the right. There is no line of shading in the right-hand V. The upper part of the right-hand frame is quite solid, though the horizontal green lines can be seen lower down. The stop after the SGR. is an oval, which slopes up a little to the right. The ball in the right top corner of the stamp contains a crescent, instead of a circle. The trefoil-ornament at the top of the stamp is contained between eleven lines of the background, touching both. The lower end of the 5 is a ball, like the genuine, only it curls inwards, instead of pointing upwards. The quatrefoil in the handle of the key is too large, being very nearly 2 mm. across.

Fifth Forgery

This is a mere caricature. It is very coarsely lithographed, in black, on thin, very yellowish-white wove paper, unperforated. A very few words will suffice to describe it, in case it should exist in the proper colour. The wards of the key are formed by four small black squares, placed a little distance apart, so as to make a white cross on a black ground. The trefoil-ornament touches the outline above it. The balls in the frames are of solid black.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

First Forgery.—71.

Second Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Third Forgery.—71. Also a long, broad, horizontal bar, with several short, broad, vertical bars each side of it.

Fourth Forgery.—71.

Fifth Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Envelopes

1857. 1 Grote, black on blue; black on white.

These envelopes are hand-stamped; and, like all hand-stamps, are hardly ever seen as absolutely perfect impressions.

Genuine

Hand-stamped in black, on white wove, blue wove, white laid (?), and also on blue ornamental, or fancy paper, with wavy laid lines. I have had but one of the latter, and I got it, in 1869, from a Bremen friend, who was a collector. My only entire specimen, given me by a collector in Berlin, is 149 x 82 mm., with “long gum.” It is struck in the left upper corner of the envelope, and has FRANCO printed in the left lower corner, in Roman capitals, 3 1/2 mm. high. There is a large stop after BREMEN, almost level with the middle of the N, instead of level with its foot, and the edge of the stop is barely 1/4 mm. from the side of the N. The shield measures 6 mm. from side to side, and very nearly 6 mm. vertically, from the top outline to the point at the bottom. The letters TAD of STADT are all joined together at the bottom. The tail of the R of BREMEN curls up, considerably higher than the foot of the following E. STADT POST AMT is in letters 1 3/4 mm. high, and BREMEN is in letters 1 1/2 mm. high. The jewels on the base of the crown are small, circular black dots, to represent pearls. In all my specimens, these are smudged, so that I am not able to count them, but there are at least nine pearls, and possibly more. By reason of the smudging, I cannot give any details of the key in the shield. The top edge of each side-flap of the envelope is cut in a straight line, while the bottom edge of each of the said side-flaps is rounded. In my list of the various papers I have mentioned white laid, with a “?”, as I am not sure that it exists. My present specimens are all on white wove. The bottom point of the shield is over the end of the E of BREMEN.

First Forgery

This is struck in the right top corner of the envelope, and the word FRANCO is absent. I have two entire specimens; one is on thin, white laid paper, 151 1/2 x 80 1/2 mm., and the other on stout, blue wove, 149 1/2 x 81 1/2 mm. In each case, the top edge of each side-flap is rounded, like the bottom edge. Both my specimens have “long gum,” like the genuine. The stop after BREMEN is small, and 3/4 mm. distant from the N. It is quite circular, though the genuine stamps, in both my specimens, show the said stop quite oval, probably from the movement of the hand in stamping. In this forgery, the stop is only a shade above the level of the foot of the N. The shield is 5 3/4 mm. across, and slightly more than mm. from the top outline to the bottom point. The A and D of STADT do not touch at the bottom. There are only five jewels on the base of the crown, three in the center of the band, and one at each edge. A very easy test for this forgery is the position of the bottom point of the shield, which is just above the first vertical stroke of the M, instead of the end of the E of BREMEN. The ornaments on the top of the crown are apparently trefoils; in the genuine they are meant for strawberry- leaves. In anticipation of possible criticism, I may say here that, though for the convenience of non-heraldic readers, I have spoken, throughout my description of the Bremen stamps, of “crown” and “trefoils,” it is really a ducal coronet, with the usual strawberry-leaves.

Second Forgery

I have only cut specimens of this, so cannot say anything as to size of envelope, presence or absence of FRANCO, etc. This is not at all a bad imitation. It is on greyish-white wove paper. The edge of the stop is rather more than J mm. from the N of BREMEN, and it is about the same height as in the genuine. The outline of the shield is very thin; it measures a shade under 6 mm. across, and 5 3/4 mm. from top to point. The point, by the way, hardly projects at all below the bottom outline, and it is a good deal to the left of the center of the bottom of the shield, instead of being central. It comes over the end of the E of BREMEN, as in the genuine. The tail of the R of this word does not curl up at all. The base of the crown is blotched, but among the blotches can be seen three small dots, one at each end of the band, and one in the center. The wards of the key show a white cross, which is not visible in the genuine. My specimen shows a long dash, joining the tops of the M and E of BREMEN.

Third Forgery

I have only cut specimens of this. It is on blue wove, and also on thick, white wove paper, the latter of an exceedingly coarse graining.

There is a small round stop after BREMEN, 3/4 mm. from the N. The shield is barely 5 1/2 mm. across, and 6 mm. from top outline to bottom point. The said point is above the end of the E, as in the genuine. None of the letters of the inscription touch each other anywhere, though the bottoms of the A and D of STADT are very close together. The tail of the R of BREMEN does not curl up at all. The letters of STADT POST AMT are decidedly too small, being only 1 1/4 mm. high, instead of 1 3/4 mm., and those of BREMEN are 1 1/2 mm. high, like the genuine. The band of the crown contains something which looks like 6 1/2 diamonds, joined together.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before. The only used specimen at present in my possession has BREMEN 5 * 8 in the frame.

First Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Second Forgery.—Uncancelled.

Third Forgery.—5, 98.

Post Office Seal.

A circular stamp, with scalloped edge, containing crowned arms in center, and the legend STADT-POST-AMT BREMEN, is occasionally found in old collections. It is on greenish-blue wove paper, water- marked with wavy lines, and gummed. This is only a seal of the Bremen Post Office, for official correspondence, etc. Such things are very common in Germany, and are called “Oblaten” (wafers). They are used by firms, companies, official bodies, etc., instead of regular wax seals, and even those from post offices, like the one here described, are not stamps in any sense of the word, or even franks.

 

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