Spain 1855-59

 Officials 1855

1855. 1 January. Shield of Spain.
Designed by José Pérez Vareta. Printed in typography in the National Stamp Factory. Size: 18.5 x 22.6 mm.
Circulation: January 1, 1855. Postal validity until July 31, 1866.
Quantities issued
½ onza: 30.890.600.
1 onza: 30.760.500.
4 onzas 10.853.500.
1 libra: 6.740.200.

Forgeries

Forgeries of this issue do not appear to be numerous

Large and wrong number of pearls in the crown
Letters touch the inner frame
Coarse lines throughout

Probably the same source as the previous forgery
Inner central lions and castles are very crude

Very wide crown
Letters are shorter
Dots are missing

Decent forgery
Crown is wide
Lions are thin
Many breaks in the inner frame

Crude forgery
Letters touch the frame
Lions are poorly drawn
Crown cross touches the frame

Wrong number of pearls in the crown
A of LIBRA touches frame and no end dot
Lions are poorly drawn

Chain links narrow
Central lions and castles very crude
Large cross
Breaks in inner frame

1855 to 1859 Isabel II Genuine issues
3 printings Edifil (Ed) 39-50 plus 1 (NE1) not issued.

First printing with watermark 1855 left
Second printing watermark 1856 right
Third printing, no watermark 1856-62
NOTE some forgeries have watermarks but not as well detailed.

Original Issues

NOTE

The 12c Ne1 was not issued, 2,000,000 were prepared.

The value letters are very large
The majority were cancelled with bars, few mint exist.
Others were disabled with a single ink line (they come from the sample sheets).

Ed 39

Ed 39  2 cuartos green

Forgeries

Forgery Type I
Overall quite good
Bottom letters are thicker especially the 2 and the A touches the frame
Many of the pearls are smaller
Section below the neck is attached unlike the genuine

Ed 40

The 4c appears to have the most forgeries in this series with the majority being postal forgeries as with most Spain forgeries.

The 4c also comes in a host of colors

4c Type I

4c Type II

There are 2 main types of the 4c

The difference is mainly in the shading lines of the neck and the shading below the bust

4c Features

Genuine Traits
1. & 6 The OS top & bottom are closer together
than the other letters
2. The leaf tip points between 2 pearls
3. The ear lobe has a pronounced curl
4. There is often a white area here
5. Generally the lower shading line is broken
7. The background dots are well spaced
8. The corner elements have 5 distinct dots in them

Forgeries

Forgery Type I
Very large T
The eye lacks shading
Top RE very thick

Forgery Type II
Thick bottom letters
Eye, nose and mouth lack shading and outlines
All bottom letters too thick''

Forgery Type III
Large nostril
Pearls larger
All letters too short
Hair lines wrong
A common forgery

Forgery Type IV
Very short letters
Background pearls are irregular and pearls in
the circle are small
Lack of lines and white spots in the hair

Forgery Type V
Very thick letters touching the frame
Sleepy eye look
Irregular background pearls and many in circle
fused to the frame
White areas in the hair

Forgery Type VI
Very good forgery
Neck lines lacking
The 4 is inclined, the AR are not
Distance between the EO is larger
Small top C

Forgery Type VII
Nose is wrong
Background pearls are small
Corner elements lack dots
Pronounced chin

Forgery Type VIII
Nostril slightly large
Tall bottom letters
End of ribbon lacking definite tassels

Forgery Type IX
Sleepy eye, pointed nose
Very thick awkward letters
Background pearls very irregular

Forgery Type X
Small background pearls
Letters short, thick and irregular
Face lacks details

Forgery Type XI
Very crude forgery lacking and proper details
Thick irregular letters

Forgery Type XII
Facial features all wrong
Hair lacks shading lines
Top letters are too short, TOS of bottom very irregular

Forgery Type XIII
Heavy shading above the eye
Background pearls are too small and sep

Forgery Type XIV

Background pearls uneven
ARTOS taller than CU
Heavy shading in front of eye

Forgery Type XV
Very poorly executed – no features match the genuine

Ed 41

Genuine Blue & Blue-Green

Forgeries

Forgery Type I
Background pearls are very irregular
Top letters short, REAL very thick

Face does not extend far enough

Forgery Type II
Facial features are wrong
Bottom letters are tall and better defined
Thick irregular outside frame

Forgery Type III
Decent forgery
Top letters broken
Thick shading above the eye
Thick shading lines in the hair

Ed 42

Ed 42 Genuine

Forgeries

An excellent forgery
Lacks shading lines in neck
2nd E in REALES is thick, the first one has different serifs
The chin protrudes

A crude forgery
Background pearls are fused and misaligned
Letters are too tall
Corner elements lacking dots
NOTE – The 2r also comes in the 1r color.
This is a rare error found in a full sheet of the 1r.
Forgeries are plentiful. generally made by chemical alteration and replacing the numeral
of another stamp.
Often cheap stamps of the Antilles are used.

ED-NE1AS. 12 c orange. NOT ISSUED

The bars "Barrado" are used to render a stamp not for postage - this is relatively common with Spanish stamps and they have their own CV.

References

Introduccion al estudio y relacion de los sellos falsos postales de Espana – Francisco Graus

Michel Europe West 2012

Spain & Dependencies – Edifil.2009

Focus on Forgeries – Varro Tyler

Spain Specialized Vol.1 1850-1931 Edifil Tome 1

Catalogo dos Sellos De Espana – Antonio Duro

Seranne Guide to Forgeries

Torres Catalog 1879

Las falsificaciones del Sello Espanol – A. Monne 1965

SPAIN FORGERIES 1850 to 1925 by De Haene

FFE #7 FORGERIES SPAIN

Timbrex – H. Schloss

Forged Stamps of all Countries – Dorn

HANDBUCH DER BRIEFMARKENKUNDE HEFT 6: CARLISTISCHE POST – H. NEUES

Album Weeds – Earree

Tedesco Forgery Index

Handbok Fer Filatelister – S. Tullberg

Guia del coleccionista de sellos de Correos de España, 1850-54 – Tort

Many of the common auction sites that provided ample material

Denmark - 2 RIGSBANK-SKILLING

MARTINUS WILLIAM FERSLEW 

 On March 11, 1851, Denmark introduced the 4-Rigsbank Skilling (RBS) and 2-RBS. 

The 2-RBS was prepared early, due to some technical issues it was issued on April 28, 1851, nearly 1 month after the 4-RBS.

The first master die or cliché for 2-RBS was designed and engraved by M. W. Ferslew under the firm of Drewsen and Sons.

The printing process was required two plates of 100 stamps each plate and a plate for the burelage (a root printing of wavy lines to prevent counterfeit).

There were two types of burelage; Type 1a for Plate 1 and Type 1b for Plate II. 

The “Ferslew” burelage printing was taken over by “Thiele” printing in 1852.

As far as quantities, the Ferslew printing was 1,018sheets of 100 stamps per block, whereas the Thiele printing was 3,775 sheets

The 2 Rigsbank-Skilling stamps were officially withdrawn 1st January, 1875, but remained valid for franking until  15th January,1891.

Ferslew left, Thiele right

These stamps will not be found in many collections given their very high value.

However forgeries abound so best to be on the lookout for them

Genuine Features

1. Sharp point on the 2

2. Rounded tip with slight left inclination

3. The top K legs are closer and tighter to the main upright

4. The dot almost touches the frame

5. There is a wide space between the N & G

6. The letters KILLIN are joined

7. The SBA letters are shorter

8. The I is taller than the other letters

Genuine with city postmark

There are 10 plate varieties but opinions seem to differ on the points.

Types I & II

Types III & IV

Types V & VI

Type VII & VIII

Type IX & X

Reprints

Reprints are noted in 1885 and 1901

1885 on yellow & white paper with & without burelage

1901 with burelage

They are on unwatermarked paper

There is a very considerable difference in CV for reprints so it is definitely cause for certification on ANY auction site.

Forgeries

Rather crude

-Point on 2 left side missing, point right side points in wrong direction

-KILLINN letters not joined

-Legs of both K's are the same spacing

-Small cross & white

-Crown is very wide

-Thin central letters

-Horn opening very small

-Bulge in base of 2

-Crown & base very different

-Fake postmark

- The joined AE has been replaced by an A

- The 2 is thinner and the bottom right upturn is larger and points right

- The crown is a different shape

- The posthorn does not match

- The central letters are thinner and most not joined on the bottom

--Large space between S & B

Above with fake postmark

A decent forgery with a good color and background

- The crown top is wider

- The letters in the circle are thicker

- The central letters are tall & thin

- The posthorn is thicker

- The cancel is fake

Good background copy

- Tall thin letters in circle

- The K in BANK is taller than the other letters

- Base of the 2 is narrow

- Crown has large ball below the cross

- The S & G of SKILLING are shorter than the other letters

VERY crude design

This one needs no comment just the background says it all

- The base of the 2 is very rectangular

- The crown has too much white space

- The letters KILLIN are separated and none are joined

- The last G is lower than the letters preceding it

- The letters in POST are wider

- The first I is not taller than the R

- The last G appears to be tilted left

- The crown and cross are badly formed

- The left base of the 2 is not pointed enough

- Lots of artifacts in the circle

- The posthorn has a lot of white space

- The crown is poorly depicted with a large amount of white space

- The right lower legs of the K's extend too far

- The loop of the posthorn is narrow

- The 2 lower left is blunt

- Letters KILLIN are not joined

- The base of the G extends out and the S is shorter than other letters

- No dot after SKILLING

- Long extension on bottom left 2

- Odd looking horn

- Sort P stem

- Large cross

Odd looking & crude forgery

- Central letters are very small

- Circle letters are very tall

- The background is poorly defined

- The 2 lacks curvature in the foot

NOTE - based on B/W images in old reference books several more forgeries exist

References

2 RIGSBANK-SKILLING Postal History by Sten Christensen

Expertisation Early Denmark Stamps

Danmaek Forgeries - Billigs

Klaseboer Forgery CD 2021

Denmark 1851-1951 - Schmidt Andersen

DANMARKS GENNEMSTUKNE FRIMÆRKER - Schmidt Andersen

Denmark Facit 2019

Various auctions

Scandinavian Forum members

Frimaerke Samleren, 1950 - O. Heie

EVOLUTION OF THE DANISH POSTAL SERVICES - H. E. Tester