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.

To 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On January 1st, 1868, these stamps were superseded by those of the North German Confederation, and the whole of the stock in hand was afterwards sold to a dealer.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.

1/2 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.

1 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.

2 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.

2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

7 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.

9 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.

1864. 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.

1864. 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.

1866. 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