US Confederate- Memphis Tenn. 2c

 The Memphis, Tennessee provisional adhesive designs were engraved on wood and reproduced as stereotypes from which a plate of multiple subjects was prepared.

The printing of the adhesives and envelopes was done in the office of the Memphis Avalanche, owned by M. C. Galloway, who was also the Memphis postmaster.

These stamps are generally available but there are an abundance of forgeries. All an easily be identified.

Genuine 2c stamps

The key features are the shape of the stars, the position and completeness of the diamonds.

In particular the large diamond in the top D

2c forgeries

Moens forgery

Possibly the model for other forgeries

Lithographed catalog illustration from Moens "Postage Stamps Illustrated" of 1864

Type 1 Forgery characteristics:

a. no diamond in "D" of "PAID" 

b. two dots in open area of "P" of "PAID"

c. outer frame line

Derived from Moens catalog illustration. Maker unknown.

Type 2 Forgery characteristics:

a. no diamond in "D" of "PAID" 

b. two dots in open area of "P" of "PAID"

c. no outer frame line

colors

a. 2c blue

b. 2c olive brown

Type 3 Forgery characteristics:

a. no diamond in "D" of "PAID"

b. solid square below center stroke of "M"

color

a. 2c blue

Type 4 Forgery characteristics: :

a. no diamond in "D" of "PAID"

b. solid square to left of  "M"

color

a. 2c blue

Type 5 Forgery characteristics:

a. no diamond in "D" of "PAID"

b. top left edge of "2" is broken

colors

a. 2c blue (shades)

b. 2c ultramarine (shades)

c. 2c red violet (shades)

Cut from J.W. Scott catalog of 1886.

Type 6 Forgery characteristics:

a. no diamond in "D" of "PAID"

b. three diagonal lines in "P" of "PAID"

color

a. 2c black

Type 7 forgery characteristics

Facsimile written in lower left corner