Guatemala 1871-78

1871 Issue Sc1-4

 TYPOGRAPHED by the Hotel des Monnaies (French Government Mint), Paris, in sheets of 150, 10 wide by 15 high, with individual stamps measuring 18t by ?3 mm. 

Engraved by Ferdinand Joubert from a sketch supplied by Guatemalan officials, with preparation of stamps supervised by Anatole A. Hulot, director of postage stamp production at the Mint.

Perforated 14.1 by 13.5 on white paper, probably the unwatermarked stock made for the Mint by Lacroix Freres. Paper is surface-tinted. 

Issued March 1, 1871, and demonetized in May, 1875.

lc ochre- 100,000 printed.

5c gray brown- 200,000 printed.

10c Blue- 100000 printed

20c carmine rose- 100,000 printed.

Original Stamps

Sc1

Sc1a

Sc2

Sc2b

Sc3 Blue

Sc3 Deep Ultra

Sc3a

Sc4

Sc4b Blue error

Forgeries

In the upper part of the shield, the genuine has six and a half vertical bars. 

Forgeries have been found with 5, 5½, 6, 6 1/3, 6½ or 7 bars.  

Torres/Spiro Forgeries?

7 full bars as with genuine

Sun head tilted to the left

Uneven letters

Forgeries with 5 full bars

Forgeries with 6 full bars

Forgeries with 6.5 bars as with the originals

Color error forgery

1873 Sc5-6

Lithographed by Edward Matthews, London, England, in sheets of 100, probably 10 by 10. Design measures 18¾ by 22¾ mm; designer unknown. Rough line perforation 11.7. Very soft white wove paper. 

5 4r dull red violet—20,000 copies issued.

6 1p dull yellow—10,000 copies issued.

a. Lemon on harder white paper

Forgeries

Type I forgeries

This forgeries is reported from Fournier.

However, it bears the word "Facsimile" which is typical of Send forgeries. Perhaps only sold by Fournier.

Here are the same forgeries with cancels to hide the 'Facsimile"

Type II Forgery

This forgery was used as an illustration in the Scott catalogue for more than 75 years to the great annoyance of Guatemalan philatelists. It was not until 1958 that it was removed.

It is easily recognized by the circle in the shield.

1875 Issue Sc6-10

Plate proofs on India paper

Forgeries

The 1875 Liberty Head issues were engraved and perforated 12. 

There are several things which distinguish the genuine from the forged in addition to the perforation. The most significant of these is that the 'A's in "GUATEMALA are inverted 'V's in the forgeries and the fonts are all significantly different.

The forgeries are all rather crude lithographic printings and like the forgeries of the first issue these are readily identified in comparison with the genuine once a collector is aware of them. They are printed in color shades differing from the originals. The early forgeries by the Spiro brothers of Hamburg are pin perforated 13 and they usually appear to be rough, as if re-perforated. These are often seen with a fake large diamond shaped cancel consisting of numerous equally spaced square shaped dots.

A second group of forgeries was done or sold by Fournier.

Curiously these also have the inverted 'V's of the Spiro forgeries. They are perforated 12.5. It is very common to see these with a fake dark circular "Guatemala/11 Ag.78" datestamp which is a fast way to identify one of these forgeries.

An unknown rather crude forgery

1878 Sc11-14

Typographed by A. Chaix & Co. (Imprimerie Centrale des Chemins de Fer), Rue Bergère 20, Paris, on white paper with lithographed surface tint in colors of the stamps. Perforated 13.2. Watermarked LACROIX FRERES, in double-lined capitals arranged vertically, covering six stamps, in some sheets.

Designed and engraved by E. Mouchon. 

Design measures 23½ by 27¾ mm. 

Three lower values in sheets of 8 by 13 with four blank spaces in top row (two on each side); 1p in sheets of 10 by 5. Issued January 10, 1878

Sc11

Sc12

Sc13

Sc14

Essay

Die Proof

In issued colors on trial paper with moiré surface print on face, perforated 13½

Forgeries

Fournier Forgeries

This forgery appeared as early as 1878. Lithographed on paper toned in imitation of the originals, it was printed in all four denominations in sheets of 25 (five by five) with no inscriptions in the margins. Possibly obtained through Spiro.

The paper is of poor quality, and the Indian woman’s eyes are so heavily shaded they look swollen.

The woman’s feathers do not extend through to the outer oval.

They are frequently found with a ring cancel similar to the genuine, but with thicker letters reading “GUATEMALA” and a date (MAYO or AG) of “78”.

Full Fournier sheets

Sekula Forgery

A much more dangerous imitation of the genuine, and also is found in many collections and dealers’ stocks. 

It appeared about 1904, and was offered as a “genuine reprint of the original” by dealers Bela Sekula of Budapest and Guisquiére of Brussels. 

It appears to be only in the Peso