English people have a very peculiar habit of insisting upon adding an E to the name of this island. I really do not remember ever having seen the name written in book, newspaper, or pamphlet, except of course, in the various philatelic publications, otherwise than “Barbadoes”; and even Mr. Pemberton’s Handbook will be found to have this same defect. However, my task is to describe stamp forgeries, and not English peculiarities, and I merely mention this en passant.

The Barbados stamps are rather difficult to arrange, and the varieties of paper, watermark, perforation, etc., are decidedly puzzling. There appear to me to have been several types, but I fancy that some of them are simply due to the wear and tear of the plates. Originally there was a cord or line round the center of the smaller chest or package beside Britannia, but after a time this disappears altogether bit by bit. Another type or “state” has the lines of engine-turning in the background set very much closer together, so that the vertical line of diamond-shaped dots to the left of the spear is not visible. These two types or “states” are found only on the stamps without value indicated. All those with BARBADOS at the top, and value at the bottom, even from the first unperforated Sixpence and One Shilling, are from the second state of the die, with the lines close together. The head-dress of Britannia is a helmet, with some animal (a lion?) couchant on the top of it, and two five-pointed stars below the animal. This is in the first state of the plate. The second state, with fine lines of engine-turning, shows only one of the stars (the one immediately over the right eye of Britannia), the other being obliterated. I have given this slight description of the types or states, as I do not remember having noticed any mention of them elsewhere.

Issue of 1852. Value not indicated. Green, blue, red; on blued paper; unperforated.
Issue of 1856-57. Same type, on white paper; unperforated; green, blue.

Genuine

Engraved in taille-douce, paper as above, no watermark, unperforated. Size of stamp, 21 3/4 x 18 1/2 mm. Britannia wears a helmet, as above described, with a lion on the top of it, and two five-pointed stars, or one star, according to the state of the plate, below the lion. The bordering at the top and sides of the stamp looks rather intricate at first sight; but it is not really so, being merely formed of little crescents, in white outline, intersecting each other. At the top there are eleven entire crescents, with a half- crescent at each end to fill up. On the left side there are fourteen entire crescents, with a three-quarter crescent to fill up, at the top and at the bottom. The right side is exactly the same as the left. The head of the spear is diamond-shaped, and one-half of the diamond is shaded. The eyebrows are very distinct, and so is the outline of the side of the nose. From the brooch on the shell-collar, down almost to the waist, there are several vertical lines of shading on the front of the dress, indicating folds. The ship is very nicely done, and represents a three-master, square-rigged, with a long pennant, which streams out so as almost to touch the arm of Britannia. The hair on the right side of the face is dark all over. The first finger of the left hand is a little shorter than the others, and is rather apart from them. All four fingers or knuckles can be seen on the hand holding the spear.

First Forgery

Poorly lithographed, on thick, white wove paper, unperforated, the white parts being generally a little smeared with the ink, so as just to give the surface a greenish or bluish tinge, according to the color of the stamp. Size of stamp, 21 x 18 mm. The helmet of Britannia appeal’s to be a cap of Liberty, with a white knob on the top. There is a blotch on it, above the right eye, which, I suppose, is intended to represent one of the five pointed stars; but it is a failure. The top bordering consists of ten perfect or entire crescents, with almost a whole one to fill up at the left end, and a very little bit of one to fill up at the right end of it. The bordering down the left side of the stamp has fourteen whole crescents, with a half-crescent to fill up at each end. The bordering down the right side also has fourteen whole crescents, but with a three-quarter crescent to fill up at the top and bottom. These crescents are bluntly pointed, and very much more clumsy and coarse than those of the genuine. The head of the spear is of a long, pointed shape, just like the flame of a candle, and it is not shaded. There are no eyebrows, and the nose is represented by a dot, without any side-line. There are no vertical lines down the front of the breast of the dress. I do not think even a sailor would be able to tell what vessel, or rather what sort of vessel, the design is intended to represent, as the sails seem to be all in one line, as though there were three sails on each yard. The pennant or streamer is very short, and does not go near the arm. The hair on the right side of the face has a white patch in the center of it. The first and fourth fingers are much too short, and the second and third are much too long. There is no particular separation between the first and the other fingers. Two of the knuckles of the hand holding the spear can be made out, but the other two are jumbled together.

Second Forgery

Poorly lithographed, on very yellowish, white wove paper, moderately stout, and very rough at the back. The size of the stamp is 21 1/2 x 18 1/2 mm. It will thus be seen that neither of the forgeries is exactly the size of the genuine. The sides of the helmet, which, in the genuine and in the first forgery, form a sort of nimbus round the face, are not visible in this forgery, so that Britannia appears to have her hair done up in a conical form, with a large white knob on the top, and a large white blotch on the hair, above the right eye. There are eleven entire crescents along the top border, with a three-quarter crescent at each end to fill up. On the left side there are fourteen entire crescents, with a half-crescent at the top, and a quarter-crescent at the bottom to fill up. The right side is the same as the left, except that there is a three-quarter crescent at the bottom. The top point of the spear is slightly below the level of the top of the ball or knob on the head; but in the genuine, the point of the spear reaches high above the level of the said ball or knob. This is a very easily-seen test. The shading on the head of the spear consists of a little dark diamond, exactly in the centre of the head. The eyes and eyebrows are blotched together. Only eight vertical lines can be made out, in the broadest part of the shield, though there are fourteen in the genuine. Both genuine and first forgery show traces of the Union Jack on the shield, but they are absent in this forgery. There are many other points of difference, but the above will be found amply sufficient for the detection of this counterfeit.

Third Forgery

At a first glance this looks rather fine, but it will not bear a close inspection. Engraved in taille-douce, with the colored lines standing in ridges above the surface, on pale blue wove paper, unperforated. The helmet is a sort of tall cap of Liberty, with no indication of the lion or stars. Size of stamp, 21 3/4x 18 1/2 mm., as in the genuine. An easy test is that there is a thin frame-line round the top and sides of the stamp, with a blank between this frame and the bordering of crescents. The said crescents, by the way, have their points outwards, instead of inwards, and there are ten and three-quarter crescents at the top, the three-quarter crescent being at the left-hand end, thirteen crescents and a very small portion of the fourteenth down the left side, and thirteen down the right side. The head of the spear was intended to be a large diamond, but some of the wavy lines of the background have been drawn over part of it, making it shapeless. The vertical lines of shading on the center of the bosom of the dress are very thin and scratchy, and only one of them touches the shell-collar, though in the genuine there are four strong lines, that run quite up to the lion’s-head brooch, or fastening of the collar. There is no pennant to the ship. There are only two fingers and the stump of a third on the left hand, and only four toes, instead of five, on the foot. There are only seven points to the star in the right bottom corner, instead of eight, and the lower right point is much too long. There is no indication of the Union Jack on the shield, though early specimens of the genuine show it distinctly. The background, behind the figure, is very different from the genuine, being composed of a coarse, uniform, vertical chain- work pattern, with thin, vertical lines, showing between the links. In the genuine stamps the background is all engine-turned, showing many hundreds of interlacing fine and coarse lines. In this forgery the sea on the right side runs into the crescents to right of it. Only the lower part of the sea (about to the level of the bottom of the shield) touches the crescents on the right; and above that, up to the ship, there is a distinct space between the sea and the crescents. Altogether, though a taille-douce engraving, this forgery is decidedly not a success. I first met with it in 1902, and there is a Mauritius forgery, to be herein- after described, which is exceedingly like it, and evidently by the same engraver.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 2, 7, 8, 54; also something similar to 55; also one like 65, with shorter and thicker bars, with and without central numeral.

First Forgery.—Uncancelled or penstroked; also 54, without central numerals.

Second Forgery.—Uncancelled or penstroked; also 54, without central numerals.

Third Forgery.—Uncancelled, or more generally with a mark some- thing like 54, but much larger, and with three curved lines each side, and a large numeral 1 in the center.

Issue of 1859. Sixpence, One Shilling.

These stamps are only found on what I have called the second state of the plate, with the back- ground of fine lines set close together. The only thing different in this set is that the name has been cut in a curve over the head of Britannia, and the value added at the bottom, where BARBADOS used to be.

Genuine

Engraved in taille-douce, on very thick, white wove paper, unperforated. In the SIXPENCE, the name is in ordinary capitals, and the value in sans serif, or block letters. In the ONE SHILLING, the name is in block letters, and the value is in ordinary capitals. All the other tests are exactly the same as in the genuine stamps just described.

Forged

Very poorly lithographed, on rather thin, yellowish wove paper; unperforated. In both values the name is in ordinary capitals, and the value in block letters. In the SIXPENCE, the value is in letters which are very much smaller than the genuine, and they do not fill up the label. All the other tests for both these forgeries are exactly the same as in the counterfeits just described. The imitations of the earlier issue are much better executed than these, which are very much smudged.

Postmarks

Forged.—The forgeries are cancelled with 1 and 51; also 54 without central numerals. Of course it will be understood that I have not attempted to make a catalogue of the genuine stamps, but simply to mention those stamps, or those variations, which were necessary for the proper detection of the forgeries now exposed.

Bogus surcharge

I have lately seen (1902) the id., carmine, of the 1882 issue, surcharged obliquely with the word REVENUE, in script type. This surcharge, making a fiscal out of a postal, is, I am informed, entirely bogus. The stamp is postmarked with No. 78, the postmark being apparently forged.

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

One Penny, red, carmine, etc.

The varieties of the 1d. are: 1859, no watermark, imperf., lake. 1861, no watermark, clean-cut perf. 14 to 16; also rough perf. 14 to 16, lake. Perf. 11 1/2 to 12, no watermark, carmine-lake. Perf. 13, no watermark, brown-lake, carmine-lake. 1863-75, CC, perf. 12 1/2, brown-lake, carmine-lake, rose-red, vermilion. CC, perf. 14, vermilion. 1882, CA, perf. 12, vermilion. C A, perf. 14, vermilion.

I have given the above list of the different issues of the penny stamp, so as to assist in the detection of any future forgeries which may appear; but the originals are so very pretty, and so nicely executed, that there is not much fear of any of the forgeries being dangerous. Before I say anything about the counterfeit now to be described, perhaps I had better mention a fact which some of my readers have, no doubt, by this time, found out for themselves; and that is, that these penny stamps will not stand the application of water. I have seen some most doleful-looking specimens occasionally, in the albums of amateurs who were not aware of this peculiarity.

I would recommend, therefore, that, to remove any backing off these stamps, they should be floated on water with the face uppermost, care being taken that no single drop touches the face; and when they are thoroughly moist, the back will come off without difficulty. This is the way I always treat my own stamps, and I never get the faces wet, and thus do not damage them.

Genuine

Engraved in taille-douce, perforation and watermark as above, according to the issue. The shading of the oval behind the head is composed of crossed lines; but the vertical lines
are slightly more prominent than the horizontal ones. The face is shaded all over, except just along
the ridge of the nose, and on the forehead, between the eyebrows; the neck is also shaded all over.
The highest leaf of the top tuft of the pine-apple touches the top of its containing-oval. The top of
the conch-shell in the oval on the other side of the stamp also touches the top of its containing-oval.
 There are two lines of shading on the ribbon, immediately before the first letter of INTERINSULAR, and two similar lines immediately after the last letter of POSTAGE. The border of the stamp is a dark strip of engine-turning; and immediately inside this is more engine-turning, but of a lighter and more lace-like pattern, not so heavily colored. There are twenty-seven jewels in the lowest row of the crown, resting upon the hair.

Forged

Lithographed, on stout, yellowish-white wove paper, pin-perforated 13, no watermark. The shading of the oval behind the head is of vertical lines only. All the central portion of the face is unshaded ; and the centre of the bottom of the neck is also white. The highest leaf of the tuft of the pine-apple does not touch the top of the little oval; nor does the top of the conch-shell touch the top of its oval either. There are no lines of shading on the ribbon, either immediately before or after the inscription. My readers must please understand that I do not refer to the folded part of the ribbon, as this is shaded on the right side in both genuine and forged; but I simply speak of the flat portion of it, which contains the words INTERINSULAR POSTAGE. The border of the stamp is pretty fairly imitated ; but the beautiful lace-work just inside the border is, in these forgeries, represented by heavy and clumsy blotches and masses of color. It is usually impossible to count the lowest row of jewels of the crown, resting upon the hair; as, on the right side of the head (i.e., on the left side of the stamp), they run together into a white line; but a good copy of this forgery shows about thirty or thirty-one jewels in the lowest row.

Issue of 1861. Fourpence, rose; Sixpence, grey, mauve.
 No watermark. Perforated 14, 13, 12.

Issue of 1862-3. Watermark Crown and CO. Perforated 12 1/2, 14.
Issue of 1882. (The Fourpence.) Watermark Crown and CA. Perforated 14.

Genuine

Engraved in taille-douce, on stout, white wove paper; both values from the same die. The background, outside the central oval, is composed of strips of engine-turning, in two patterns, placed alternately; and each alternate strip, beginning with the outer one on each side, has a row of diamond-shaped dots running down the center of it. None of the stars in the four corners of the stamp touch their containing squares anywhere, and they are all exactly alike. The central oval, behind the bust, is formed of very fine crossed, vertical and horizontal lines; but I ought to mention here that I have a copy of the 6d. of 1861 which certainly appears to have a solid background However, it is possible that the paper may have been too damp, causing the fine lines to run into each other. There are eighteen or nineteen pearls in the necklace ; and the central one, which has a dark spot in the middle of it, is very much larger than any of the others. The base of the crown has two rows of pearls, with a row of diamonds or some other jewels between them. The upper outline of the value-label does not encroach upon the ribbon which contains the word POSTAGE. The whole stamp is very delicately engraved. The Queen’s lips are parted slightly, as though she were just going to speak.

First Forgery

Lithographed, on stout, very yellowish-white wove paper, no water- mark, unperforated, and perforated 11 1/2 and 12, better than usual. The dots on the alternate strips of engine-turning are of various shapes, but most of them are round, and none of them diamond-shaped. One point of each of the lower stars usually touches the outline of its containing- square somewhere; and the lower stars are generally badly done, and not like the upper ones. The central oval behind the bust is composed of crossed lines, like the genuine ; but they are blotchy, coarse, and indistinct, very different from the genuine. There are thirteen pearls in the necklace. These pearls are not nicely graduated in size, as the genuine are ; and the one with the dark spot in the center of it is not so large as the one immediately to the left of it. The base of the crown is formed of three rows of pearls, the central row being just the same as those above and below it. The bottom of the ribbon containing the word POSTAGE is cut into by the straight value-label below it, so that the S and T of that word (especially in the Fourpence) have to be made a little smaller than the rest of the letters. The whole stamp has a coarse look; and the Queen’s lips are far too wide open, so that she looks as though about to scream, rather than speak.

Second Forgery

Lithographed, on very yellowish-white wove paper, rather stout, badly pin-perforated 12 1/2 no watermark. I never saw this forgery before about 1890. The dots in the vertical strips of engine-turning are diamond- shaped, as in the genuine ; but each of the dark diamonds is placed in the center of a white diamond. The corner-squares, with their stars, are not alike in shape and size, the star and square in the left top corner, especially, being much smaller than those in the right top corner. The Fourpence has the background behind the bust apparently solid, but the Sixpence has the crossed, vertical and horizontal lines very distinct, though they lack the beautiful regularity of the genuine. There are fifteen pearls in the necklace, and nine of them contain spots; the four large ones in front having apparently two in each, though they require the microscope to make them out distinctly. The easiest test for this forgery is, I think, the second vertical strip of engine-turning on each side. In the genuine, these two strips are a fine and beautiful lace-work, and in each strip there is a horizontal row of very tiny, diamond-shaped dots (five in each, where the central oval does not encroach upon them) level with the larger, single, diamond-shaped dots in the first and third strips, as described above. In this forgery, the second strip from the outside, on each side of the stamp, is a mere meaningless jumble of blotches and scratches, spoiling the effect of the stamp completely. The outline of the lower jaw, on the right side of the stamp, forms almost a straight line from the chin to the ear; in the genuine, this is a nice and well modeled curve. Thus the Queen seems to have an altogether unnaturally hollow cheek. The lettering in this second forgery is a good deal thinner than in the genuine or in the first forgery.

One Shilling, green. 
Issue of 1862-3 and 1882.

The design, paper, and manner of printing of this stamp are all considerably different from those of the stamps just described; and I think that, on the whole, the forgers have not been quite so successful in this as in the lower values. However, my readers must judge for themselves.

Genuine

Engraved in épargne, perforation and watermark as above, on slightly glacé paper. The stamp, though not particularly striking, is very carefully engraved. The face is shaded almost all over, though there is a small, unshaded portion at the corner of the nose, and another 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 circle or ring, with another circle in the center of it. The 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 0 of ONE, considerably to the right of its center. The white space round 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 this pattern is wanting, as the border cuts it off.

Forged

Lithographed, on ordinary, white wove paper, unperforated, or pin-perforated 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 of it inclines forward instead of downward. The letters of the name BAHAMAS 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 in some parts than others; notably under the MA of BAHAMAS, 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 Etruscan or 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 of the same length as the rest.

Issue of 1883. Fourpence (Provisional), mauve and black.
 Watermark Crown and CC. Perforated 12 1/2 and 14.

This is the Sixpence before described, with the value FOURPENCE, as here illustrated, surcharged on it in black. It will be understood that the forgers have taken the genuine Sixpence, only the surcharge being counterfeited.

Genuine

The lettering is in thick, rather clumsy and blotchy Roman capitals, 2 1/4 mm. high. It is all in one word—FOURPENCE—and so wide that there is scarcely room for it on the stamp. From the center of the upright stroke of the F to the center of the upright stroke of the last E, the distance is 17 1/2 mm. The lettering is deeply sunk into the paper. From the center of the upright stroke of the R to the center of the upright stroke of the P, the distance is just a shade over 2 mm.

Forged

The lettering is not nearly so thick and clumsy as in the genuine, and the letters are exactly 2 mm. high. The surcharge is in two distinct words—FOUR PENCE—and there is a stop after PENCE. There is room for the surcharge and the stop on the stamp. From the center of the upright stroke of the F to the center of the upright stroke of the last E, the distance is 16 1/4 mm. The lettering is hardly, if at all, sunk into the paper. From the center of the upright stroke of the R to the center of the upright stroke of the P, the distance is 3 1/2 mm. I think the above measurements will suffice for the detection of this forgery.

Postmarks

Genuine.—1, 54 ; also the same, with a large B in the center; also pen-strokes; also the date written in pen-and-ink, like the cancellation on an English receipt stamp. (This last is probably a fiscal cancellation.)

Forged.—6 (no numerals), 22, 33, 54, 62. As to the surcharged Four-pence, this, of course, bears the genuine cancellations, but under, not over, the surcharge.

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

See also —> Spud Papers – Bahamas