Spud Papers – Ecuador | Stampforgeries of the World

1873. 1 Peso, Rose.

This is not a bad-looking stamp although it is lithographed, and it is certainly far superior to the older issues, which look so much like forgeries. The forgers have copied it pretty well, but there are a few discrepancies between the genuine and the forged which will enable the reader to settle very speedily which is which.

Genuine

Lithographed, in rose, on rather stout white wove paper; perf. 8. The perforations are rather small, and set very far apart. Moens gives the perforation as 11, but the only specimen I have is perf. 8. However, both perforations may very possibly exist. There is a good space of white between the rays of the sun and the border of the shield; the mountain-peaks have a sort of oblique snow-line marked upon them, and their points are somewhat higher than the smoke from the steamer. The front flags are shaded all over, except a very small portion near the outer edge. The axe, in the lictor’s badge below the shield, has its head properly shaped. There are 83 square white dots round the circle. The inside of the U in UN is square at the bottom, and the inside of the O in PESO is nearly square. The point of the condor’s right wing does not touch the outline of the circle.

Forged

Lithographed, in carmine, on white wove paper, which shows very plainly the meshes of the wire-gauze upon which it was made; perf. 12 and 13. The upper rays of the sun almost touch the top of the shield. There is no snow-line upon the mountain-peaks, and their summits are slightly lower than the smoke of the steamer. A large portion of the front flags is altogether unshaded. The head of the axe in the lictor’s fasces appears to be cleft in two. There are only 68 of the square white dots in the circle. The inside of the U is rounded, and the inside of the 0 is nearly round.

The point of the condor’s right wing touches the circle, below the E of ECUADOR.