Honduras 1896 Arias Issue

Seebeck

 Central America countries tend to be veritable minefields for most collectors.

Not only are forgeries very abundant but reprints and remainders abound.

Nicholas Seebeck with family assistance managed to convince several countries that he would print their stamps.

-Seebeck offered to print the stamps for free.

-They would be valid for only one year and a new issue would be produced.

-Seebeck would be allowed to have the remainders for resale

-Seebeck would be allowed to print additional stamps.

-The contract would be for 10 years, and include regular, official, telegraph, revenue, and postal stationary.

However Seebeck did not wait and had extras printed in great numbers with the originals. Later he produced reprints with the original plates.

These "reprints" are very difficult to differentiate. They are distinguished by their thick, opaque paper, distinctive "HONDURAS"-between-bars cancellations and characteristic shades.

Genuine Stamps

This issue was valid Jan 1, 1896 to July 31, 1898.

8 stamps in the series with some color variations.

They were printed in sheets of 108 stamps  

Perf 11.5, and lithographed. 

Originals were printed on both thin, semi-transparent paper .

They were produced in two printings. The first printing was in the fall of 1895 for release on January 1, 1896. The second and larger printing was released in the spring of 1897 using completely new plates. 

Quantities printed for the Honduras government

1c - 250,000           20c - 75,000

2c - 210,000           30c - 75,000

5c - 310,000           50c - 15,000

10c - 200,000          1p - 15,000  

It is obvious from these relatively low numbers that very few genuine stamps are on the market.

In June, 1897, the postal authorities put all remainders out to bid pre-canceled with a very heavy BH70 cancel (shown right).

These have no postal value and are not "reprints"

Forgeries

Forgery Type I - "Droopy Eye"

Type I Block

Made by Nino Imperato  of Genoa, Italy

This is by far the most common forgery

This forgery was produced in Italy about 1902 and is first seen for sale in "Il Facsimile" of N. Imperato in 1920. 

It was probably also distributed by Fournier.

1- The UPU is taller especially the U

2- The cogwheel is larger and the tip ends are blunt not pointed

3- The 1 in 1896 has no serif

4- Perforation 11 (see note)

5- The S is wider

6- The corner is shallower than the original

7- The eye appears to droop and the eyebrow is high and thick - this is the key feature.

8- The other eye is a beady black round

9- The center of the O's is wider

10- The C is more open

11- In the 1c the 1 is thinner than the original

12- The bottom letters are thinner

NOTE - there appears to be a rare forgery

A very rare subtype of the droopy eye was produced by 1908. It has softer colors.

Values known are 1c, 30c, 50c and 1p all perf 11.5 like the originals.

Imperforate exist in the 30c and 50c 

Forgery Type II - "White Face"

Forgery right compared to original left

1- These are all perf 12.5 instead of the 11.5 of the genuine

2- The 1 in 1896 has no serif

3- The UPU is much smaller

4- The face is completely white - key feature

5- There are several breaks in the background

6- The C is taller and more open

7- The eyes are small beady black rounds.

NOTE the stamp varies greatly in sizes

26.5 to 30 mm in width and from 29 to 31.5 mm in height

Forgery Type III - "Stripes"

This forgery may have been printed in Europe, probably Germany, after WW2.

It was printed in sheets of 50 without gum. 

It is perf 11.5 on soft paper like the originals.

1. The letters are thicker

2. The UPU is smaller and the circle is larger. The 1896 is clearly visible

3. The eyes have a white dot in them

4. The background is very heavily shaded - Key Feature

5. The first letters are closer together

6. The lines of shading in the scroll end are very thick

Forgery Type IV - "White Eyes"

This forgery is mainly an imperforate with some uncommon perf 14.5 examples. The main perfed ones are 11.5 as with the original

They are dated in the 1930's

It appears they are only in the 1c, 2c and 5c

The key feature is the white pupil in the eyes

The 1c has a break in the first O

The 2c and 5c the left leg of the N is broken

Genuine left, Type IV right

References

Postal History to 1877 Part 4 by Irving Green in Collectors Club Philatelist Vol 45:1

Honduras: the Provisionals of 1877 by L. Fulcher in London Philatelist, December 1922. 

The Postage Stamps of Honduras in The Stamp Lover, February 1912

Locomotive Stamps of 1898 by Hugh Watchorn in American Philatelist September 1966

Forged Stamps of America by Bynof 1991

Postage Stamps of Honduras by L. Crouch in Stamp Lover May 1912

Kohl Handbuch. 1933

Forged Stamps of All Countries Dorn

Focus on Forgeries V. Tyler

Vade-Mecum Seranne

Album Weeds - Earee

Forgeries CD2 - Evert Klaseboer

Some stamps provided by Big Blue 1840