Classic Stamp Forgeries: Turkey Ottoman 1862

The first stamps of the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) with the Tughra design were lithographed at the end of 1862.

A 2 & 5 para were the first stamps to be printed

The second issue with the 20 para, 1 kurush, 2 kurush & 5 kurush values were printed in January 1863.

The sheet (or plate) was designed with alternating row of stamps in the sheets producing vertical tete-beche pairs. These Second issue stamps were printed black on thin pelure paper and colored after by brush.

Some values were also printed on thicker paper.

The Tughra monogram was the signature of the Sultan of that period along with the crescent below it. Because of the Tughra monogram in the design, these stamps are called “Tughra Stamps”

After printing the sheets were sent to the Ministry of Finance and there a colored control band was applied. The control band is a repetition of the words “Devlet-I Aliyye Nezaret-i Maliye” which roughly translated means “Ministry of State Finance”.

Genuine Stamps

Either by design or simply constant plate flaws the stamps have "secret marks"

Nany color varieties exist of these stamps.

Sc1 on thin paper

Sc 2 on thin paper

Sc2 tete-beche block as they appear in the sheets

Sc 3 on thin paper

As well, there is a dot in the right pearl 9th down from the top

Sc 4 on thin paper

The 20 paras, 1k, and 2k have a red control band on the bottom.

The 5k on the above generally has a blue control band

SC 6 & 7 on thick paper

Postage Due Issues

In 1863 the same designs were printed as postage due stamps. They were all dyed red-brown with a blue control mark (the opposite of the regular series). Here again the 5k has occasionally a red control mark.

The same secret marks apply.

Proofs

Only three values are known to have proofs, the 20 para, 1 kurus and the 5 kurus.

All proofs were printed on ordinary white paper and then dyed in the different colours with most over a stretched, very fine silk (or muslin) cloth (or scarf).

This produced a distinctive mesh pattern on the stamp, A few proofs were not dyed in this manner and no mesh is visible.