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Spud Papers – St. Helena

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Spud_StHelena11864. 1 Shilling, Green.

Genuine

Engraved in taille-douce on white wove paper, watermarked with cc. and crown; perf. 13. It is sometimes impossible to see the watermark, so this test is not always available. The general background of the stamp is formed of a very distinct engine-turned pattern of fine white lines, and the background of the central medallion is an engine-turned pattern of coloured lines. This central medallion is bounded by a very fine line; and the convex portion of each outer scallop of the central engine-turning touches this line, leaving a row of white half-diamonds all round the inside of the fine circular line.

Forged

Lithographed, on thinnish white wove paper, unwatermarked; pin-perf. 12 1/2. The white engine-turning of the background is very indistinct and blotched. The coloured engine-turning of the central medallion is better done, but the little white half-diamonds round the outside of the medallion are not visible, and the fine line which surrounds the
medallion seems to be only a part of the engine-turning. As the originals are taille-douce engravings, the ink stands out well in all the dark parts; but the forgeries, being lithographs, do not exhibit this peculiarity.

Postmarks

The originals are generally postmarked with four V’s, placed point to point at some little distance from each other. I have also seen four very wide bars, and sometimes a pen-stroke.

The forgeries are cancelled with dots, or with short blotches hardly long enough to be called bars.

I am sorry to have to give such a poor description of this forgery; but if our readers will take the trouble to place the forgery here given, side by side with a genuine stamp, they will see that there really is no very marked difference between them which would serve to detect the genuineness or otherwise of a single copy. My object, in these Spud Papers, is to give, if possible, such tests as will enable the possessor of a copy of any stamp to say at once whether that copy is genuine or forged; but, as our readers will see, this is a difficult matter with the stamp in question.

 

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

Album Weeds – British Bechuanaland

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1886Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland1Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland2 Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland3 Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland5Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland4

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

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

Genuine

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

Forged

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

Album_Weeds_BritishBechuanaland61893-1895

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

 

Genuine

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

Forged

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

Postmarks

Genuine—I have no cancelled copies.

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

 

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

Spud Papers – Mauritius

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Spud_Mauritius11857. Voilet & Blue.

This stamp (which is a good deal more common now than it was a few years ago) is a fair specimen of taille-douce engraving; and, though the forgers have been wonderfully careful, the counterfeit is very far from equalling the beauty of the original, so that there is no very great probability of our young friends being taken in, if they will only use a little ordinary caution.

Genuine

Well engraved in taille-douce, imperf. The corner-rays of the eight-pointed stars in the angles point accurately to the four corners of the little squares which contain them. There is a tiny white dot in the center of each star. The border of the stamp is formed of little half-moons interlaced, with all the cusps pointing inwards. The background consists of vertical strips of engine-turning; some of the strips looking like fine lace. The tassel or knob of the cap of liberty is of the same colour as the rest of the cap. The union jack is just visible upon the shield, which is shaded all over. The merchandise in the foreground consists of a bale and a chest, and the bale seems to be tied or fastened with a broad band. The lines of shading on the bale are wavy. The bowsprit and jib of the vessel are plainly visible, and the sea is darkly shaded. The foot of the figure is well shaped, and the half of the spear-head, which is nearest to the figure is shaded. The fingers of the hand which rests on the shield are not shaded. The M and s of MAURITIUS are exactly the same distance from their respective ends of the name label.

Forged

Lithographed, on very white paper; imperf. Only one or two of the corner rays of the stars in the angles point to the corners of the containing squares; and in most copies of the forgeries, the dots in the center of the stars are almost invisible, notably the one in the left lower corner. The border of the stamp is a sort of clumsy lace-work. The background is composed of simple shading, without any defined pattern. The tassel of the cap of liberty is a round white dot. The front rim of the shield is white, and there is no union jack. The merchandise in the foreground consists of two bales, the larger one being fastened with a rope. The lines of shading on both bales are straight. The bowsprit of the vessel is not visible, and the jib looks like part of the foresail. The sea has the appearance of soap-suds, and is not much shaded. The foot of the figure is dreadfully “splay”. There is a dark line down the center of the spear-head, but the rest of it is white. The fingers of the left hand are so very darkly shaded that they ate scarcely visible, except upon close inspection. The M of MAURITIUS is much nearer to the end of the name label than the s is.

Postmarks

The forgeries are postmarked with four concentric circles.

 

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

Spud Papers – Bahamas

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Album_Weeds_Bahamas41862. 1S., Green.

Genuine

Typographed, on slightly glace paper; perf. 14, watermarked CC and crown. This stamp, though not particularly striking, is very carefully engraved. The face is shaded almost all over; there being but a small white spot at the corner of the nose, and a small blank space at the top of the forehead. The ear is all shaded except the tip, which hangs down a little. Just under the middle A of BAHAMAS there is a small ring, or circle, with another circle in the center of it. The conch-shell (I think it is meant for a conch-shell), in the right lower corner, has a sharp spike projecting from the right-hand side about the center, and another from the left-hand side at the bottom. There are five leaves at the base of the pine-apple, and five more in the bunch at the top. If a straight line were drawn down through the center of the pine-apple, it would cut into the O of ONE, considerably to the right of the center. The white space round the inside of the central medallion is equally broad all round, and the outline of the portrait does not trespass upon this white space anywhere. There is a tiny full stop after the Etruscan bordering to the right, above the G of SHILLING; and the upper horizontal stroke of the last “key” in the pattern is wanting (the border cuts it off).

Forged

Lithographed, on ordinary white wove paper; perf. 13; no watermark, ungummed. The front of the face, from the forehead to the chin, has hardly any shading upon it. The rim of the ear is white, and the lobe inclines forward instead of downward. The letters of name are clumsily copied, and the circle under the middle A has a dot in the center of it. The spikes on the conch-shell are absent. There are only four leaves at the base of the pine-apple, and the leaves on the top cannot be counted. A line drawn down through the
 center of the pine-apple would cut exactly through the center of the o of ONE. The white space round the inside of the central medallion is much broader at some parts than others; notably, under the MA of name, and below the base of the neck. The chignon and the pointed front of the neck project slightly into this white space. There is no stop at the right-hand end of the key-pattern, and the last “key” (over the G of SHILLING) is only a straight line. The base of the defective “key” over the S of SHILLING is much longer than the bases of the others, whereas, in the genuine, it is the same size as the others.

Postmarks

The forgeries are cancelled with a stamp something like our own, but without the central figures. I think this stamp will not have a very extended sale, though it copies the original very closely.

 

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

 

LupSee also —> Album Weeds – Bahamas

 

Spud Papers – British Honduras

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Spud_BritishHonduras1Spud_BritishHonduras2 Spud_BritishHonduras3 Spud_BritishHonduras41865-72. 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.

Spud Papers – Nova Scotia

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1861. 1, 2, 5, 10 & 12 1/2 Cents.

I feel it quite infra dig. to have to chronicle such rubbish as these Nova Scotia imitations. If none of the forgeries offered to the public were any better than these, the raison d’etre of these Spud Papers would be no more. The 10 Cents, accompanying this paper (which is the best of the whole set), will serve to convince our readers that no collector above the age of nine-and-a-half years would be likely to be deceived by any of them.

Spud_NovaScotia1Spud_NovaScotia2 Spud_NovaScotia31, 2 & 5 Cents.

 

 

Genuine

Beautifully engraved in taille-douce; perf. 12. More than half the lower part of the ear is visible, and the central passage is very distinct. The head stands out well from the background, and there is no pupil to the eye. The face has a good-tempered, rather sleepy expression. The nose is strongly aquiline. The last pearl of the tiara just peeps out from the hair.

Forged

Very poorly lithographed; perf. 12 1/2. Only the lobe of the ear is visible. The head is flat, and does not stand out from the background. There is a dark outline to the profile of the nose and mouth and part of the forehead, which is not seen in the genuine. There is a pupil to the eye; the expression of the face is staring; the outline of the nose is straight. All the pearls of the tiara are equally distinct, or rather, indistinct.

Spud_NovaScotia4 Spud_NovaScotia510 & 12 1/2 Cents.

 

 

Genuine

Beautifully engraved in taille-douce; perf. 12. The eyes are small, with a distinct pupil. The eyebrows are light, especially the outer corners. There is very little light on the hair.

Forged

Very poorly lithographed ; perf. 12 1/2. Very large staring eyes, with a dark iris, but no pupil to be seen. The eyebrows are equally dark throughout their whole length, and they meet over the nose. There are patches of light all over the hair.

Our readers will see that I have not gone very much into details in these stamps; but it really is quite unnecessary, when we consider that in the whole range of philately we can hardly find any set of stamps so finely engraved as these. Lithography will have to make very great strides before it can overtake copper-plate and steel-plate engraving;
and, as long as the forgers insist upon trying to imitate engravings, we need not be much alarmed.

Most of the Nova Scotia stamps are on paper which has a slightly yellowish tint. The forgers have imitated this, and have rather overdone it. The postmark on the forgeries is somewhat like our own, but the space where the numerals ought to be is filled up by curved lines. All these forgeries are ungummed.

The genuine stamps were engraved, I believe, by the British American Bank Note Company.

 

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

Spud Papers – Bermuda

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Album_Weeds_Bermuda1 Album_Weeds_Bermuda2Album_Weeds_Bermuda3 Album_Weeds_Bermuda41865-6. 1d., 2d., 6d. & 1s.

Of our readers will kindly look back at the forgeries of Dominica and St. Christopher described lately, they will see that there is a remarkable likeness between them and the counterfeits now to be described. The fact is, that the government engravers have made the same head of Her Majesty do duty as the centre of all these stamps; and, of course, the forgers have taken advantage of it, to save themselves some trouble. But if they have saved themselves trouble, they have saved us trouble also; for, when we have once recognized a forgery for any one of these countries, we shall have no difficulty in condemning the forgeries for all the rest.

Genuine

Typographed; watermark, crown and cc; perf. 14. Part of the eyebrow is hidden by the hair. The rim of the ear is shaded, and the lobe is fat and hangs down. The shading on the neck does not go quite across, leaving a white patch all down the front of the neck and throat. The thistles on the tiara are nearly as high as the pearls.

Forged

Lithographed; no watermark; perforated 13. The hair is brushed clear of the eyebrow. The rim of the ear is thin and unshaded, and the lobe is thin also, and does not hang down. The shading on the neck goes right across. The thistle towards the front of the tiara is very small, and much lower than the pearls on each side of it; the one over the ear is rather
higher than the pearls.

In both genuine and forged, the framework differs for each value. The simplest test for these forgeries is the absence of watermark. I have not thought it necessary to enter into any very elaborate description of the various other discrepancies which may be traced between the genuine and forged; for the forgeries are very poor, and not likely to mislead. The 1 /. is, perhaps, the best of the lot.

 

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

Spud Papers – St. Christopher

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Spud_StChristopher1Spud_StChristopher21870. 1d. & 6d.

Genuine

Typographed (i.e., engraved in epargne), on thin white paper, slightly glacé. Watermark, crown and cc; perforated 12 1/2. Both stamps are from the same die. The monetary value is not always put exactly in the center of the value-label. In the copies now before me, the ONE PENNY is printed low down, almost touching the bottom of the label; whilst the six PENCE is printed high up, almost touching the top of the label. There are three jewels, in three separate compartments, on the band of the coronet; the one over the ear being rather indistinct. The forehead is lightly shaded. One wave of the hair comes down so low as to cover the corner of the eyebrow. The front pearl of the coronet touches the white circle a little before the beginning of the first H in CHRISTOPHER. A perpendicular, let fall from the right arm of the T in the same word, would cut into the bunch of curls at the back of the head. The ear is shaded all over, but very lightly at the bottom; indeed, the whole of the portrait is shaded, with the exception of a small portion of the front of the forehead.

Forged

Lithographed, on rather thick, unsurfaced paper. No watermark; perf. 12 1/2. Both stamps from the same stone. The values are properly placed, in the middle of the labels. There are dim blotches, instead of jewels, in the three compartments of the lower band of the coronet. The forehead has no shading, and is, therefore, much too white. The base of the neck is also unshaded.

The hair sweeps clear of the eyebrow. The front pearl of the coronet comes almost under the middle of the H in CHRISTOPHER. A perpendicular, let fall from the right arm of the T in the same word, would cut off the back of the head without touching the chignon. The rim of the ear is unshaded, until it is covered by the hair. The fleur-de-lis, in the right
bottom spandrel, is imperfect. The perforation is rather better than usual. Printed in sheets of 25, 5 X 5, and ungummed. The postmark is like one of the earliest Spanish cancel-stamps; an oval frame, containing six parallel bars.

 

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

Spud Papers – Dominica

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Spud_Dominica1Spud_Dominica2 Spud_Dominica31874. 1d., 6d. & 1/.

I am pleased to be able to say that the forgeries of these stamps are not likely to prove dangerous, as the originals are most beautifully executed. If our English engravers would take the trouble to invent new designs, I think we might challenge even the American Bank Note Company to produce finer stamps than we can turn out; but, as it is, we are never favored with anything but the same tiresome old portrait, which is about as much like Her Majesty as I am !

Genuine

Typographed, on thin white wove paper, slightly surfaced. Watermark, crown and cc. All values from the same die. Perf. 12 1/2. The name-circle does not touch the value-label, T of POSTAGE very much dwarfed. Lower part of tiara divided into three compartments; with an oblong jewel in the first, over the forehead, a diamond-shaped one in center, and another oblong one in the third, over the ear. The lobe of the ear is very round and fat. The last pearl of the tiara, over the ear, leans towards the left. The portrait is shaded all over with very fine lines. The hair covers part of the eyebrow at the outer corner.

Colours:—1d., bright mauve ; 6d., emerald-green ; 1/., rich rose, with very slight nuance of blue.


Forged

Lithographed, on soft white wove paper, rather thick, and unsurfaced. No watermark. Perf. 13 (very badly), All values from the same stone. The name-circle runs into the value-label, below T of POSTAGE, T of POSTAGE is the same size as the other letters. No jewel over forehead, center jewel is blotched, and the one over the ear is very indistinct. The lobe of the ear is quite thin, and does not hang down. The last pearl of the tiara, over the ear, is upright. The forehead is unshaded, with a white patch at base of neck. The hair does not touch the eyebrow.

Colours:—1d., lilac; 6d., dark yellow-green; 1/., chalky rose, Printed in sheets of 25, 5 X 5, and postmarked with an obliteration somewhat like our own, but without numerals. I have not yet seen postmarked specimens of the genuine.

 

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

 

LupSee also –> Album Weeds – Dominica

Album Weeds – Bermuda

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Album_Weeds_Bermuda1 Album_Weeds_Bermuda2 Album_Weeds_Bermuda3 Album_Weeds_Bermuda41865-66. 1d., 2d., 6d. & 1s.

The head on these stamps seems to be a favorite with the engravers, and it is to be found on a number of our colonial stamps, such as Dominica, St. Christopher, etc. All the forgeries bearing an imitation of this head, which will be found described in various parts of this work, have a very strong family likeness, even if they are not absolutely identical; and therefore, when my readers have become well acquainted with the forgeries for one of these countries, it will need but an instant’s inspection to enable them to detect a forgery for any of the others.

Genuine

Engraved in epargne, on thin, shiny, rather hard and transparent white wove paper; watermarked crown and CC, and machine-perf. 14, though the is. is also found perforated 14 x 12 1/2. The front pearl of the diadem just touches the seventh of the horizontal lines of shading of the background, counting from the top. There are nine thick lines of shading, below the lowest point of the front of the neck, with indications of a short, tenth line at the bottom. The white ring which surrounds the central medallion is exactly the same width all the way round. The hair completely hides the corner of the eyebrow; and it stops short under the front thistle, not coming up to the front of the forehead at all. There are six thick lines of shading, and one thinner and shorter one, from the top of the eyebrow to the upper eyelid. The front of the portrait, from the top of the forehead to the point of the neck, is not outlined, but simply formed by the stoppage of the horizontal lines of the background. The ornaments on the top of the diadem are: pearl, thistle, pearl, shamrock, pearl, thistle, pearl. All the pearls are taller than the shamrock and thistles. There are three distinct jewels along the base of the diadem – a diamond-shaped one between two oblong ones. The ear is shaded all over, and the lobe hangs down. The shading on the neck does not reach quite to the front, leaving a white space all down the front of the neck and throat. The lower lip is shaded with five oblique lines, and the nose is shaded all over, except a tiny white line just down the front. There are 17 transverse lines of shading on the neck, counting down the front; and most copies show indications of an eighteenth line. The profile of the forehead curves backwards, so that if a perpendicular line were let fall from the place where the forehead goes into the coronet, it would cut almost centrally through the eyeball.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on moderately stout, yellowish-white wove paper, no watermark, badly pin-perforated 12J, in oval holes. The front pearl on the diadem touches the seventh line of shading from the top, as a rule, like the genuine, but there is often an eighth line visible. There are only eight lines of the background to be seen, below the lowest point of the front of the neck. The white ring which surrounds the central medallion is wider on the right side than on the left. The hair is brushed almost entirely clear of the eyebrow, and it can be traced up to the very front of the forehead, below the diadem. There seem to be from five to seven lines of shading from the top of the eyebrow to the upper eyelid, but only two of them are thick, and the rest muddled and faint. The whole of the portrait is outlined. The front thistle on the top of the diadem is much smaller than the back one, and the back one is rather indistinct, and stands up very nearly as high as the pearls each side of it. The shamrock looks like a jietir-de-lys. The diamond-shaped jewel at the base of the diadem is tolerably distinct, but the oblong jewels each side of it are mere blotches in the shading. The rim of the ear is almost entirely white, and there is no lobe. The lines of shading in front of the neck go quite across, for the most part, so that there is no white space down the front of the throat. The lower lip is not shaded. There are about 15 lines of shading on the neck, counting down the front. The lines of shading in the background are ragged, and somewhat blurred; very different from the firm and clear-cut lines of the genuine.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on stout, very white wove paper, no watermark, pin-perf. 12, in oval holes. The front pearl on the diadem touches the seventh of the horizontal lines of shading, counting from the top ; but this is difficult to see, as, in this forgery, both the first and second pearls are covered over by the horizontal lines of shading, so that they are almost invisible. There are nine clear lines of shading below the lowest point of the front of the base of the neck. The white ring round the medallion is broad in front of the upper part of the face, and narrow below the base of the back of the neck. The hair covers merely the extreme end of the eyebrow, and it can be traced forwards to the very front of the forehead, below the diadem. There are about five lines of shading from the top of the eyebrow to the upper eyelid, three of them very thick. The back of the neck is strongly outlined, and there is a very faint outline round most of the rest of the portrait. The first two pearls on the diadem are, as I said, covered by the horizontal lines of shading, and are thus almost invisible. The front thistle looks like a white pearl, with sometimes a shaded pearl hanging above it. The shamrock is smudgy, and the last thistle is very thin. The jewels appear to be a double diamond, between two single ones. The shading in front of the neck is too short, and leaves an exaggerated, white line down the front of the throat. The lower lip is shaded with two horizontal lines, and the lower part of the nose is not shaded. There are thirteen thick lines of shading down the neck, counting in front, and between every two thick lines there is a very thin one. The profile of the forehead is quite vertical, and a perpendicular line, drawn down from the place where the forehead goes into the coronet, would pass clear to the left of the eyeball.

Third Forgery

This is by far the poorest of the lot. Lithographed, on very thin, very white wove paper, no watermark, unperforated. The front pearl of the diadem appears to touch the sixth line of shading from the top, but the lines are coarse and smudged. There are ten lines of shading below the lowest point of the front of the neck, and the lowest two are blotched together. The white ring surrounding the central medallion is very narrow near the front of the coronet, and opposite the front point of the neck; indeed, in the latter place, some of the lines of shading actually cut across the white ring. It is broadest towards the top of the back of the head. The hair is brushed very nearly clear of the eyebrow. It does not come to the front of the forehead, but resembles the genuine. There are only four lines of shading from the top of the eyebrow to the upper eyelid, and they are blotched together. There is a strong outline all round the portrait. There are three thistles, instead of a shamrock between two thistles, on the top of the diadem, and the first two thistles are much higher than the pearls. The jewels at the base of the diadem look like three diamonds, but the front one is very shapeless. The last one, however, is evidently a diamond, instead of an oblong. The ear is very indistinct, and very badly shaped ; it is shaded all over, like the genuine. The lines of shading across the neck are too short, leaving an exaggerated white line down the front of the throat. The lower lip is unshaded. There are only five very short lines of shading on the nose, so that it is almost entirely white. It is of a bad shape, hooked instead of aquiline. The front of the face is entirely unshaded. There are only eight coarse lines of shading across the neck, counting from the front. It will be seen that some of the points in this forgery agree with the genuine, and yet it is not nearly so good a counterfeit as the two already described. I first met with this forgery in 1891, but I fancy it is considerably older than that.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 29, 55 (with three lines, instead of four, at top and bottom).

First Forgery.—54, with blank center.

Second Forgery.—A portion of a very large circle.

Third Forgery.—Uncancelled.

 

Album_Weeds_Bermuda6Issue of 1874. 3d. on 1d., red; 3d. on 1s., green. Surcharge in fancy capitals.

These are the only two values to be found with this surcharge.

 

Genuine

The surcharge is in the ornamental, shaded or outlined letters, shown in the illustration. From the left top corner of the T to the right top corner of the final E, the surcharge measures 23 1/2 mm. The letters are 2 mm. high, measured parallel with their slope. The P of PENCE has a top like an ordinary capital P, without any curly line at the back.

First Forgery

I consider this a dangerous counterfeit. The length of the surcharge, measured as before, is 24 mm.; and the height is 1 3/4 mm. I have a 2d. with this surcharge, which is, of course, bogus.

Second Forgery

This is easy to detect. The surcharge measures 23 3/4 by a little over 1 3/4 mm., but the test is the P, which has a curly head, like a script P.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before.

Forged.—The surcharge only being forged, the stamps bear genuine cancellations.

 

Album_Weeds_Bermuda71874. 3d. on Is., green. Surcharge in Roman capitals.

Genuine

From the left top corner of the T to the right top corner of the final E, the surcharge measures exactly 24 mm.; and, from the outside edge of the second E of THREE to the edge of the upright stroke of the P, there is a space of a shade over 1 1/2 mm. The serif to the right side of the head of the T hangs down level with the cross-bar to the H. The head and tail of each E come very close together. The space between them is not more than 1/4 mm.

Forged

Measured as before, the surcharge is 231/2 mm. long, and the space between the words a shade over 2 mm. The serif to the right side of the T does not come down so low as the cross-bar of the H. The head and tail of each E are about 1/2 mm. apart. I have this surcharge on the 1d., which is bogus.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before

Forged.—The postmarks are genuine.

Album_Weeds_Bermuda8Album_Weeds_Bermuda9 Album_Weeds_Bermuda101875. 1d. on 2d., blue; 1d. on 3d., buff; 1d. on Is., green. Surcharge in ordinary capitals and lower case.

 

Genuine

The E of PENNY is exactly under the centre of the O of ONE. A line drawn down, along the first stroke of the N of ONE, would cut centrally through the first N of PENNY; and a line drawn upwards, along the last stroke of the last N, would cut centrally through the E of ONE. The distance between the two words is 2 1/2 mm.

Forged

The E of PENNY is plainly to the left of the center of the O of ONE. A line drawn down, along the first stroke of the N of ONE, would pass along the second stroke of the first N of PENNY; and a line drawn upwards, along the last stroke of the last N, would cut through the E of ONE, decidedly to the left of its center. The distance between the words is 2 1/2 mm.

It will be seen from the above that the genuine and forged surcharges are practically identical as to type, but, in the forgery, the ONE is not placed in exactly the same position above the PENNY as in the genuine.

Postmarks

Genuine.—As before

Forged.—The forgeries have genuine postmarks.

Bogus Stamps

I have the 1d. and 2d. surcharged in two lines, THREE PENCE. These are altogether bogus.

 

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