Spud Papers – British Honduras

1865-72. 1d., 3d., 6d. & 1s.

Genuine

Engraved in epargne on slightly glace paper; perf. 14.; watermark, crown and cc. The frames all vary slightly, but the head has only two types, one for the 1d., 6d., and 1s., and the other for the 3d., which was issued later than the others. The hair covers a good portion of the eye-brow. The lettering does not touch the boundary-lines anywhere. There is a very distinct buckle to the garter in all the stamps, differing slightly for each value. The nose is straight in the 3d., but somewhat aquiline in the others. The top of the fleur-de-lis towards the back of the head just touches the arch of the crown above it in all the values. The stamps, as a rule, are very good specimens of typographic engravings, but occasionally we find copies of the 1d. slightly blurred, and not so well printed, the fault being with the printers, not with the artist.

Forged

Lithographed, on unsurfaced paper; perf. 13; no watermark, ungummed. The head is the same in all the values, with a moderately straight nose. The 1d., 6d., and 1s., have the large
square buckle of the genuine 1d., and the 3d. has no buckle at all. The word penny or pence touches the outer boundary-line of the garter in the lower values. The two little ornamental stops between the name and value are alike in all, being copies of the genuine 1d. In the genuine they are all different. The cross pattee in front of the crown just touches the boundary of the shaded oval, as also do the orb at the top, and the bunch of hair at the back. In the genuine they none of them touch the boundary.

Postmarks

Genuine.—Like our own, with a 0 6 by way of central numerals.

Forged.—Four concentric circles, like the old Baden, Transvaal etc.

From “The Spud Papers” by Atless, Pemberton & Earée, 1871-1881.