Classic Stamp Forgeries: German States Sperati

NOTE - All images show the genuine on the left & Sperati on the right (unless multiples of Sperati) - click on images for the full picture

Baden

A desire was expressed for stamps of a higher value than 9kr, the first step being taken by the Chamber of Commerce of Mannheim, who proposed to the Baden Ministry of Commerce that 18kr and 30kr stamps should be created.

Although the use of the then current 12kr and 18kr envelopes had been very restricted the Ministry decided to introduce 18kr and 30kr labels and Kurz was commissioned to supply the necessary dies for these values. The dies, which were in the design with plain background, were delivered on October, 28th, 1861, and Hasper (the University printer) at once proceeded to make the cliches for the printing plates.

The colors decided on were green for the 18kr and cinnabar-red for the 30kr. The 30Kr was changed to orange as the pigments reacted with the copper plate. The cinnabar-red ones are rare.

1850 Issue 1kr - Type A

1. there is a white spot just to the right of the E on BADEN

2. there is a white spot before the 1 of 18

1850 Issue 1kr - Type C

1. There are white spots on each side of the "I" of "VEREIN"

KREUZER"

2. There is a white spot with weakness in the background

between the first R E of FREIMARKE.

3. There is a white spot on each side of the S of POST

4. There are white spots each side of the I of RElN

5. There is a weak spot rather like a stop after the final

R of KREUZER

Bayern (Bavaria)

1850 1 Kr Type A

1. There is a white dot between the Y and bottom leg of the E of BAYERN

2. There is a nick at the outside edge of the black field of EIN label at top left

1850 1 Kr Type B

1. There is a thin white line that nearly joins the E upright and the bottom horizontal leg of BAYERN

2. The lower curve of the C of FRANCO is malformed

1850 1 Kr Type C

1. There is a white flaw that touches the top left of the B of BAYERN and the frame

2. There is a white flaw connects the letters UZ of KREUZER

Tete-Beche Type C

All multiples are presumably Type C's

Type C with fake cancel

Bergedorf

1861 ½s

Sperati made a copy of a proof shown left

1, There are color dots above the H and B of HALBER

There is a large dot outside the top right frame opposite the 1/2

Bremen

1855 3g

The Sperati forgery is noted as having 2 features

1.There is a constant dot between the crown and shield

2. There is a large dot/mark between the frame opposite the right 3

However, the right mark also appears on some genuine stamps like the left certified stamp (Sperati would generally model originals)

Below is a block of Sperati forgeries and neither marks appear on all of them.

The Sperati forgeries certainly have more line breaks especially in the shield.

If one looks at the key handle the left knob has a partial ring in all the forgeries.

1856 5g

This is a reproduction of the original proof as seen on the left stamp

1. There is a small white spot over the r of Franco

2. The right serif of the t of Grote forms a loop at the top

3. The f in funf has a dent on the right side but I do not know if this is constant.

1856 7g

1. The background lines are weak

2. There is a large color mark right of the a of Franco

3. There is a dot in the k

4. There is a dot above the G

5. The right side of the t is completely missing

6. The n has a dash above left

Some of the above may only be a specific plate flaw

1861 Issue 5g - Types B-C / D-E

Type B

1. there are small breaks in the vertical shading lines above gr. and V at right

2. there is a dot of color to the left of the 5

Type C

1. there is a break in the outside line of the link at bottom left

2. three vertical lines under the R of BREMEN have been strengthened

Type D

The top pearl on the right is masked by a large blob of color that covers the white space to the left

Type E

The top pearl on the right has a central blob instead of a round spot

Brunswick

1852 Issue 2sg

1. The vertical shading lines have numerous breaks

2. The inner frameline at top has breaks at left edge

3. The cross is shaped differently

1852 Issue 3sg

1. The outer frameline has one breaks and one dent at lower right

2. The outer frameline has a dent at top left near corner

3. There is a dash bottom left of the G - constant flaw?

The cancels used by Sperati are:

'BRAUNSCHWEIG 12/2' in a halfcircle

'BRAUNSCHWEIG 15/5' in a halfcircle

'BRAUNSCHWEIG 23/7' in a halfcircle

'BRAUNSCHWEIG 5/11' in a halfcircle

'WOLFENBUTTEL 16/3' in a halfcircle

'WOLFENBUTTEL 6/7 11 1/2 - 12' in a double circle

Hannover

1860 Issue ½gr

1. There is a break in right frameline just below the R of HANOVER
2. There is a white flaw in the head of the G in Grochen

1861 Issue 10gr Type A

1. There us a dot of color outside the corner ornament at top right

2. the vertical two line above the right side of the loop of the R in HANOVER are crooked

1861 Issue 10gr Type B

1. The lower serif of the G of GROSCHEN has a curved point

2. The top right corner element appears damaged

1863 Issue 3pf Type A

1. The foot of the E is joined to the H of ZEHNTEL

2. The L and the B of SILBER are joined at the foot

Lubeck

1859 Issue 2s

This stamp has an error in the name - ZWEI EIN HALB

1. The top of the "2" in upper left corner has a flat top

2. There is a projection into left margin at top left corner

3. In the neck of the right eagle there is an oval shaped void area with a colored dot (below)

Mecklenburg-Schwerin

When postage stamps were introduced in Mecklenburg-Schwerin on July I, 1856, there were 68 post offices.

In addition to that there were eight post offices in railroad stations where post offices in the towns proper functioned; they were considered branch post offices.

There were traveling post offices on the main line from Hagenow to Rostock and on several supplementary lines.

The postal service was supervised by the Ministry of Finances and directed by a General Postal Directorate

In 1856, the number of pieces of mail was about 2.75 millions, therefore about 40,000 per post office and 4.5 per head of population.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin had several post offices on foreign. soil, namely at Hamburg, where the post office was opened in 1674 and closed on December 3l, 1867, with the only interruption during the French occupation, 1809 to 1814.

These postmarks are sought after.

1856 Issue 5s - Type A

1. The outer frameline above the E of MARKE is weak

2. The letters K and L of MECKLENB are joined at top

1856 Issue 5s - Type B

1. There is a downward bend in thin frameline above the M of MARKE

2. There is a small break in the frame line below the M of MARKE

3. The frame lines are not quite in liner with each other

4. The 5 has a very thin spot or break in the upper right side curve of the body

Oldenburg

Except for the last issue, all the stamps are lithographed. In lithography, where every stamp is individually engraved by hand, it rarely occurs that one specimen exactly resembles another.

The paper of the stamps of Oldenburg must always be examined meticulously, for many copies with supposedly thin spots are not actually thin. The paper is cloudy, that is, light spots show within the structure of the paper.

There are splinters of wood, sometimes large in the paper. They are dyed in according to the basic color of the paper.

Differences in size of the several issues depend on, how much the paper was dampened, and how much it contracted again after printing.

Copies with original gum of ·the first issue are usually re-gummed. There were no stocks of leftovers, and so unused copies with original gum are very rare.

1855 Issue ⅓sg - Sperati Type B

1. the B of OLDENBURG is cracked where the two loops join

2. there is no extra black dot below the serif and attached to the G

1859 Issue ⅓sg

1. There is a dot midway back of the B

2. Dark spot between frames

3. The 1's tend to be wider than the originals

4. Frame line is broken

5. The line extends past the frame but is bolder and longer than the original

1859 Issue 2g

1. There is a break in top frameline above the L of OLDENBURG

2. The frame lines do not meet correctly at top left corner as top line is too short

1859 Issue 3g

1. There is a white flaw in the crosshatching above the D of OLDENBURG

2. There is a spur in between the left frame lines just below the level of the large C shaped ornament

1861 Issue 1/4g

1. There is a large flaw below the o of Groschen

2. There is a break in the left frameline just below the top junction

This issue is VERY expensive used, so many fakes exist. Almost all the genuine were cancelled with a BLUE cancel so any black ones are very suspicious.

1861 Issue ⅓g

1. The fraction at the right appears to be 1/8 instead of 1/3

2. There is a colored protrusion on lower edge of the crown at the right side

1861 Issue 1/2g - Type A

1. There is a colored spot above the al of Halber inside the curved frame lines

2. The bottom of the top B of OLDENBURG is broken

1861 Issue 1/2g - Type B

1. There is a large flaw to bottom left of the E of OLDENBURG

2. There is a nick in the right outer frameline mid way up on the right

1861 Issue 1g

1. There is a dot inside the outer left frameline opposite the lower scroll

2. There is a small break in outer frameline at right opposite the lower scroll

1861 Issue 2g - Type A

1. There is a large break in left frameline opposite the ribbon above left numeral 2

2. There is a horizontal colored scratch on right side frameline just above the right numeral 2

1861 Issue 2g - Type B

1. There is a defect inside the left frameline in the top left corner

2. There are scratches below the top line of the G in Groschen

1861 Issue 2g - Type C

1. There is a large colored spot at top left corner joint

2. There are marks between the background and the outer frameline in the lower left corner

1861 Issue 3g - Type B

The originals I have are too worn to show details - a particular issue with this stamp especially given the weak yellow colour

1. There is protrusion on top frameline at left corner

2. The background firmly touches the bottom frameline at left and below the sch of Groschen

Saxony

Of all the early European stamps, the Saxony 3pf is one of the most desirable.

The 3 Pf. red originally was in tended for use only as a provisional.

New stamps were in preparation, but it took more than a year before the 3 Pf. green replaced it.

The design was not elaborate as a result, and it was an imitation of the first Bavarian stamps.

It went from a woodblock to a lead filled plaster cast. As a result there are many plate faults, differences in sized and print quality as the die was worn with use.

Due to the way it was used by the public, very few used ones remain.

The post order stated that the stamp should be affixed to the upper right hand corner of the wrapper. Instead of doing this, however, the public placed it partly on the wrapper and partly on the subject matter to act as a seal. Most were torn when the wrapper was opened.

1850 Issue 3pf - Sperati Type A

1. There is a white dot in the outer frame over the S of SACHSEN

2. The shading of the numeral 3 is very blurred and nearly solid, particularly in the lower portions

1851 Issue 3pf

12.25 million originals were printed in 24 editions so there are a lot of color variations.
These color variations make them difficult to distinguish.
The Mi 2I has a much higher CV.
Generally it is sharper in detail and more dense in color.

Below Mi2I & Mi2II