Belgium 1878 5 Fr

 Sc 39 is one of the most forged stamps in Belgium.

Only 30,000 of the #39 & 18,000 of the 39a were originally printed.

Fortunately there are many key points of the genuine that are simple to recognize.

Sc 39 & 39a

Sc 39 with common roller cancel

Genuine Features - those marked with an # are key

1. A break in the top right frame #

2. The tip of the 5 is slightly upturned and blunt.

3. This line is in 1 piece, most forgeries it if forked. #

4. There should be a visible dot here.

5. To the left of this thick hair line are a series of dashes. #

6. The ear has an inner curve broken in 2 places.

7. There are several break in these lines but not overdone.

8. A D should be clearly visible in this corner. #

9. This line is broken in one spot.

10. If one of the lines has a visible dasn downwards, it is a Fournier fake.

11. There should be no color dots in this line (except 1 spot on the plate)

12. This ornament should not cross the frame line.

13. This ornament is separated from the Y shaped one to the right of it.

14. A few of these lines have a slight downwards curve on the right side.

15. This Delta has this bell shape with a curved left tail but should not look like an A. #

16. The 4th line up is visibly shorter than the one before & after. #

17. This group is made up of 4 elements (image right).

18. The bottom legs of the ornament are open.

19. This hair if forked & does not touch the top of the head. #

20. This hair starts from the top & has a y fork lower down.

21. The top of the left side of the U is oblique & pointed. #

The deltas are a key feature and forgeries have a variety of shapes'

Genuine top left, others forgeries

Forgeries

This forgery (right) is by far the most common and overall quite good

- The delta is shaped like an A

- The line above the last E is forked

- The neck shading lines have few breaks

- The forehead lines are a different shape

Sperati Type I & II (Perfs were cropped for the image)

The main features of the Type I are the thick hair line and the forehead lines

The Type II is easily identified by the large dot between the AN

This is an uncommon forgery

Fournier Forgeries (2 color varieties shown)

- The delta top is separated and little more than a dot. The base below the deltaios shifted right

- The nose is slightly curved

- The forehead lines are less and shorter

- The neck shading is coarse and irregular

- The right 5 is thicker

NOTE - there will probably be variations of the Fournier forgeries. He was known to sell stamps from a variety of forgers.

Blocks from the Geneva collection below

Full sheet of Fournier 

Proof Sheet

Cancels found on Fournier forgeries

Forgery Type II

- The end of the left 5 is large

- The delta looks like an A with a long dash projecting from it

- The forehead & cheek shadings are very short

- The dash above the last E is forked

- The neck lines are broken and faded

Forgery Type III

- The letters are all thick and tall

- The facial shading lines are short and irregular

- The neck shading lines are broken

- This is possibly a modern forgery

NOTE - on the bottom left is the word "FAUX" (false). This can easily be removed to fool collectors

Forgery Type IV

- The delta is unrecognizable

- The ornament below the delta has no colored center

- The forehead shading lines are short

- The ear is very different

- The neck shading lines are coarse

Forgery Type V

- Overall a crude forgery

- All shading line are coarse

- The facial lines are very long and coarse

- The ear is different

- The U does not have a slanted top right

- The bottom letters are tall and thin

- It was found imperfed and might be a cut out