US Sanitary Fairs

Commission Executives

 The 1861 creation of the Women’s Central Association of Relief convinced the surgeon general to
recommend a commission of inquiry to look into camp sanitary conditions

The plan was approved by the Secretary of War on June 9, 1861, and approved by President Lincoln on June 13th of that year.
The commission employed inspectors and doctors for camps as well as staffing hospitals and soldiers’ homes.
The first Sanitary Fair stamps were issued in December 1863 to raise funds to support these efforts.
These stamps were not valid for US postage; they were prepared for, sold and used at the fair post offices.
The Sanitary Commission raised $4.9 million in funds and an additional $15 million in supplies to aid the soldiers on the front.

These stamps are considered as a forerunner of a red cross issue. The first sanitary fair stamp was issued in 1863 with inscription 'Young Ladies of Brooklyn Bazaar'.

Typical Fair Advertising

WV1 & 2, Albany, New York, Feb.22 - March.30 1864

Forgeries

Samuel Taylor forgeries

The Samuel Taylor forgeries are by far the most common and generally referred to as "Forgery B".

Forgery B has no shading in front or in back of the eagle, and on most copies there is a "V," or just the bottom of the "V," below the eagle's tail. 

Like most Taylor forgeries, it comes in a variety of colors and colored papers. It has been noted on white porous paper with blue, dark green and light green ink colors. 

It has been noted in light blue on off-white paper, and it has been noted on surface colored paper in black on orange, black on pink, red on blue and red on gray.

The beak has a pronounced curved hook and there is often a line break near the upper tip.

2 others forgeries are recognized and relatively common. They are designated Type 'A" and "C"

In the type "A" there is shading around the eagle (like the original but unlike Taylor's forgery) 

The pronounced topknot on the head of the bird serves as an easy identification. 

The quality of this lithographed stamp is very good, on a par with the genuine stamp. 

It is known in red, blue and black on white paper and was printed in sheets of 30 (6 x 5).

Type "A" forgery

Type "A" block

Block forgery sold as a "proof"

The Type "C" forgery like the type "A" has a topknot on the bird's head but it is less pronounced. 

Unlike the original or the other forgeries the curved shading line above BAZAAR is longer.

The letters TEN CENTS are thicker and stretch out further touching the ornaments.

This forgery has been noted in blue, green and red on white paper.

Unlike Type "A", there is pronounced shading in front of the eagle who is standing on a well defined rock.

Type "C" forgery

Type C forgeries

Brooklyn Sanitary Fair

This sanitary fair was held from February 22 to March 8, 1864. 

The original stamps were printed in green (WV4 - rare) and was valued at 15¢ and the

black (WV5 - very rare) stamp was valued at 25 ¢. 

Genuine WV4

The key features of the original are;

1. The word FAIR has white lines and spots

2. The arrows have close heads

Forgeries

The Taylor forgery is rather crude and heavily inked.

The arrow heads are very different especially the middle one

The letters are all thick

The curved line above SANITARY in thin

The leaves are very different

Taylor Forgery

Forgery Type "B"

It is more faithful to the genuine stamp than is Taylor's forgery

The I and R of FAIR are joined as are the T and A of POSTAGE. 

The center of the A of FAIR is closed in forming a slanted oval.

It appears in a variety of colors and may be another Taylor creation.

Type "B" forgery

Springfield Soldiers Fair - WV14 lilac

This Massachusetts fair was held December 19-24, 1864. 

The forgeries appeared in early 1865.

They were produced by Taylor and sold by George Hussey

The design of the original stamp was by Thomas Chubbuck. 

WV14 Original

Forgeries

The basic forgery is very easy to spot.

The designer's name Chubbuck is missing

On the original the soldier has 5 buttons on his uniform 

The forgery has no dot after MASS

Taylor Forgery

Stamford Soldiers Fair - very rare stamp

This Connecticut fair was held July 27-29, 1864. 

The color is a pale yellowish brown. All the originals I have seen have the same pale mottled appearance.

Original WV15

Forgeries

Taylor created at least a dozen color variations of this stamp

Taylor Forgeries

The 2 key features aside from the color;

1. The S of CENTS is slanted

2. The soldier is leaning slightly forwards.

Taylor did produce a couple that match the color but the features mentioned above still apply.

A 1968 exhibition souvenir sheet

Note a Taylor forgery was used.

Unlisted Bogus Stamp

Taylor was fond of creating bogus stamps which would easily fool collectors of that period who did not have access to modern type catalogs.

Other Sanitary Fairs

I have no fake copies of these

WV3 - Boston, Mass. National Sailor's Fair 1864, Nov. 9·22

WV6 - 1863 1 Dec

WV8 - New York, N.Y. Metropolitan Fair 1864 Apr. 4·27