Trinidad - The Imperforates

Painted by water color artist, Edward Henry Corbould

Engraver, Charles Henry Jeens

Printer Perkins Bacon, Recess Printed

Sheet size 110 (11 x 10) and

240 (10x24) for 1s sheets in 1859

Genuine stamps

1851 1d SG 3

1851 1d SG 8

1859 6d SG 72

Items to note

Position of the foot relative to the letter below

Shape and height of spear point

5 pointed star on cap (rarely visible on forgeries)

Shape of side ornaments

White dot in corner elements

Shape and size of letters

Provisional Issues

Demand from shortage of stamps over the period 1852 – 1860

Produced by local French descendent, Charles Petit from a stone plate

Sheet of 54 (9x6)

Imperforate 1d value only

1853 First printing

1855 2nd printing

1856 3rd printing

1858 4th printing

1860 5th printing

The printing degraded noticeably with each issue

These are not noted in most catalogs and can be expensive for good quality ones

They are often listed as "forgeries"

SG13 1st Issue 1853

SG15 2nd Issue 1855

SG16 3rd Issue 1856

SG18 4th Issue 1858

SG20 5th Issue 1860

Forgeries

These were forged by several known forgers and by many unknown. This is but a sampling of the most comment types found.

Panelli/Oneglia Forgeries

They both worked together at some point so these is no solid opinion as to who made them but here is an interesting point.

First the best known forgeries..

These are the ones normally attributed to Oneglia and sold by Panelli

However I came across the following sold by Fournier who may have obtained them from either of them.

Same type of background but straight chains not zigzag pattern

Hat is tilted

Shading in dress is different

Unknown forger

These are very common and appear the most often in auction sales.

These may be from Spiro.

The head is too tilted

No 5 point star on the cap

The spear tip is not wide or high enough

The foot is too high above the N

The above letters are too low

The other features are the same as the previous.

Torres forgeries

These match his 1876 catalog image shown in the first image on the left.

This set was part of the Fournier Geneva Collection

Primitive forgeries

Unknown

A reasonable forgery

The side ornaments are faulty

No white ring around the head 

Spear tip is too small

Modern Forgery

Paper is just too new and no gum

France 1927 C1 & C2

The stamps were produced by applying a typographic overprint to an earlier regular

issue stamp, as a special offering in connection with an aeronautics exhibition. 

A substantial difference in value exists between the regular issue stamp and the air post

overprinted stamp thus leading to many fake attemps.

Some of these are described along with the features of the genuine.

Sound Advice - only get them if certified as I have seen good fakes in prestigious auctions without certificates or only "signed".

The Genuine

Features of genuine and forged overprints.

1. The genuine overprint measures 12mm from wingtip to wingtip. In some forgeries it is between 12.5 and 13mm.

2. The accent over the letter “e” generally does not touch the letter. Not true in all cases

3. In the genuine, the forward wheels have a distinct oval shape; forgeries are often circular.

4. The dot over the "i" should be square, not round. 

5. Another clue is that the lettering is not all on the same line.

6. A rounding-off of the tail rudder also is suspicious.

7. Original overprints have 8 vertical lines of shading on the fuselage; some forged examples have 7 or fewer vertical lines.

8. The tail wheel should be aligned over the "t" of "Poste" or between the "t" and "e" of "Poste". Forgeries generally place the wheel directly above the "e", or to the left of the "t". 

9.The capital P and A should measure 2.5mm high. In some forgeries they are 3mm

Comparison of a Certified copy (top) and an eBay "signed" copy

In the Fake...

Crossbar in A is inclined

Accent over e is not like genuine

Wheels appear to be round

Large dot over the i

Openings in the e's are smaller

Below the common "Kull" fake

Note the rear wheel position, round front wheels and the dot placed too high

More Fakes

Hipstamp fake (no cert) $140

eBay fake ($110)

Another crude eBay fake with many issues in the letters

Another eBay fake

The P is leaning left

The t is rounded

The A crossbar is too low

Overall very smudged effect

References

-Airmail Stamps: Fakes and Forgeries, Newall, Alexander F.  1990.

-Fakes and Forgeries of the 20th Century  Dr. R G. Gethin, pub. 2006

-Genuine and Forged Overprints of France’s 1927 Air Post Issue, Christopher J. Palermo 2019

-Various stamp forums

Polish Legion Cinderellas

Jozef Pilsudski raised the Polish Legion to fight against Russia to regain Poland’s independence.

The stamps were charity stamps with no postal value and were intended to promote enlistment in the Polish Legion.

The four values exist perforated and imperforate. Printed in Vienna, 30 X 34mm.

Jozef Pilsudski wartime hero

These Cinderellas are plentiful and can be found as singles and in blocks.

Most blocks I have seen are forgeries and about half the singles are also forgeries.

Original Issues

Forgeries

Forgery Features

1. The main feature of the forgery above right is the missing talon in the left foot
2. The end of the tail is small and crude
3. The background between the numerals is incomplete
4. The head is shaped differently and there is a large dash on the right side
5. The background objects are completely different and lacking
NOTE – The rough perforations are not a common forgery trait.
I have seen these with clean perforations such as the auction block shown below.

Cherrystone auction

Common forgery

Switzerland 1919 Sc C1 & C2

 The first 2 airmail stamps of Switzerland routinely come up in the common auctions. The are for the most part fakes unless accompanied with a recent certificate by a Swiss expert.

Genuine Issues

The modern forgeries can be very deceptive and ALL the parts of the overprint need to be compared including..

1. The curvature of the wings

2. The separation width between the feathers.

3. The exact shape of the openings in the central disk

4. In particular the angle of the last bottom feather

5. The overall angle of the overprint

I have not seen any full forgeries as the base stamps are relatively easy to find.

Kull made large quatities of these fakes.

Fakes

This is a very crude fake

The wings have little curvature

The openings between the feather groups is too large

The feathers are too close together

The openings in the center are too small

The overprint angle is wrong

This is a common modern forgery

The gaps between feather groups are too large

The central openings are different

The last bottom feather is too inclined

Another fake with many of the previous faults

In particular the feathers are too wide particularly in the 50 value

30c Fakes

The used 30c is rare and an excellent copy will fetch over $1000

Here the forgery on the left is compared to a certified genuine right.

The feathers are not curved enough

The feathers are too close together

The central openings are wrong

The last right feather is little more than a blob.

France - Napoleon 1852-1862

 Although the main forgers/sellers were Fournier, Spiro and Sperati, only Sperati achieved a superb measure of similarity. His forgeries have been sold on many prominent auctions with neither the auction house nor the buyer aware.

Much of the forgery analysis will focus on Sperati forgeries.

Genuine Issues

1852, 10c Dark Bister on Yellowish Paper

1852, 25c Blue

Recognized by the “B” under the neck. Initial of Jacques-Jean Barre the designer and engraver

1853, 40c Orange on Yellowish Paper

1853, 1fr Lake on Yellowish Paper

1854, 5c Green on Greenish Paper

1854, 80c Lake on Yellowish Paper

1860 20c Type II

1860, 80c Rose on Pinkish Paper 

Forgeries

Compared to genuine on the left.

1852 10c

Probably a Spiro forgery right
Although the header reads REPUB, the “B” is missing
Note also that the top and bottoms tablets have been added to the main central image. Both are out of alignment.
The pearls are not consistent in size or spacing.

Fournier forgery right
No “B” below the neck
The mustache and ear are very different.
The key ornaments on the sides are broken, distorted and missing

Sperati 10c Reproduction 'A' has some minor spots in the 'PO' of 'POSTES'. 

Also, a horizontal scratch can be found in the last bottom 'C' extending towards the right bottom square.

Sperati Reproduction 'B' has a scratch in the design below the 'U' of 'REPUB'. 

It was sometimes, but not always cancelled with a constant numeral cancel '2235'

However, other cancels exist: the numeral cancels '1128' and '2273'. 

Unused Reproductions 'B' also exist

Sperati reproduction “C” right
Reproduction ‘C’ is actually Reproduction ‘A’, but with the cancel removed. In the right hand border halfway up there is a distortion.
There is a distorted pearl at 4 o’clock
Shading lines are lacking in the eyebrow
It also exists as a black ‘die-proof’ (see below)

Another Sperati with faults in the right border

1852 25c

Sperati 1852 right
Extremely dangerous
Small break in the frame line below the “FR” and a white spot below the break
Top of the “T” is slightly inclined
Top of the first “S” is shorter and more curved
Small dent in the top “P”

1853 1Fr

A very crude forgery easily distinguished from the original.

Fournier forgery right
The 1032 is known to be one of his cancels.
The lines in the neck are thicker.
The chin beard is thinner.
The ear shading is lacking.

Fournier forgery, probably a second choice one right
The shading lines in the ear are different
There are more breaks in the shading lines of the neck and cheek.
The letters and numerals appear to be shorter.
The S in POSTES has a narrow top section.
The last F is crude

A pair of Fournier forgeries
Many of the letter issues have been fixed so this is probably a first choice forgery.
The last F is still crude
The 1’s are slightly tilted as is the bottom of the T’s.
The shading lines in the ear are different

A pair of Fournier tete beche forgeries
Many of the letter issues have been fixed so this is probably a first choice forgery.
The last F is still crude
The 1’s are slightly tilted as is the bottom of the T’s.
The shading lines in the ear are different

1853 1Fr Lake on yellowish paper

Spiro forgery right
The pearls are too small
The mustache is different
The side keys are crude and missing sections
The letters are thin

An impossible pair from Spiro?

Very uneven letters

Pearls are too small

Sperati reproduction “A” right
Reproduction ‘A’ has some minor spots in the ‘PO’ of ‘POSTES’.
Also, a horizontal scratch can be found in the last bottom ‘C’ extending towards the right bottom square.
Reproduction ‘A’ has a numeral cancel ‘898’ and circular date cancels. Apparently, this cancel is always in the same position so this is a key feature

Sperati reproduction ‘C’ is very dangerous. right
There is a small scratch through the lower part of the first ‘S’ of ‘POSTES’.
Sometimes a white spot at the upper right part of the right ‘1’.
Some pearls are not uniform and the spacing varies

Cancelled reproduction C with the common 2273 cancel

Sperati reproduction “D” right
This forgery has a constant star cancel always in the same position.
He apparently copied a genuine cancelled stamp.
Some pearls around 11 o’clock are fused.
Some letters of EMPIRE are distorted.

Reproduction ‘E’ has a rather large break in the outer frameline, just before the upper left corner ornament.
A similar break can be found in the upper right hand corner.
There are some very small white dots in front of the first ‘E’ of ‘EMPIRE’ around the normal large dot.
Several hairs are dotted or broken instead of being solid.
The cancels ‘295A’ (below) and ‘698’are common to this reproduction

Sperati reproduction “F” right
A very dangerous forgery.
There are many weak areas on the outer frame.
The top of the “T” in POSTES is slightly shorter as is the top of the first “S”
Some hairlines are different.

A cancelled Type “F”

Sperati tete-beche Type L
An extremely dangerous forgery that has been sold as genuine
In the left stamp there is a very small white dot between the letters ‘R’ and ‘A’ of ‘FRANC’. The right hand side stamp has a broken line and white space below the
‘FR’ of ‘FRANC.

2 Type L with cancels "3383" & "1792"

Sperati reproduction M, these are affixed to fake covers and have the same flaws as the “L” above. The well designed fake cover below

The most common Sperati numeral cancels include;
295A 318 698 852 924 978 1032 1128 1129 1425 1632
1675 1792 1954 2221 2235 2273 3151 3383 4305

1854 5c

Avery crude forgery

Background lines straight

Distorted lettering

Heavy coarse shading

Forgery taken from Moskau catalog

Thin uneven letters

Rough facial shading

Broken wavy line background

1860 20c

Sperati reproduction of two 20 c tete-beche stamps only exists uncancelled. 

Distinguishing characteristics of the left stamp: some small white dots can be found between the letters 'E' and 'M' of 'EMPIRE' and after the 'F' of 'FRANC'. 

Also a second dot below the dot after the first lower "C"

Distinguishing characteristics of the right stamp: a white dot appears behind the 'P' of 'EMPIRE'. 

Torres forgery

Heavily shadowed face

Tiny pearls

Outside frame colored

Unknown source , possibly Fournier

Ear shading wrong

Narrow letters

Background wavy lines distorted

1860 80c 

Various eBay sold forgeries for $40

Bogus non existent 50c

1869 5Fr

I felt that given it's very high CV I should include it

Very crude

Modern Replica

Peter Winter

And finally Fournier's different cancels