Italy Parma 1857-59

 Genuine Stamps

Genuine features

 

Genuine Features

1. Cross leans slightly to the right

2. Tip touches 3rd line down

3. Tip touches 3rd line up

4. Side of N sightly below other letters

5. Flat bottom of C

6. Break in leaf (not always visible)

7. Crossbar broken (key Feature)

Forgeries

Oneglia Forgeries

The upper left part of the fleur-de-lis is connected with a thick line to the left part of the oval.

Spiro Forgeries

Note the different lower part of the fleur-de-lis compared to the original.

Torres Forgery

Uneven bottom fleur-de-lis

Unknown Forgers

Billigs Type I

- The value inscriptions are much too small 

- The leaf and acorns on the left are touching the border. 

- Note that there are three acorns, instead of two. 

- In the genuine stamps, the right hand olive leaf has a small olive in it, this forgery lacks this olive.

Billigs Type III

Odd forgery with 3 acorns instead of 2 on the left side

A forgery with the leave patterns at the sides different. This forgery is possibly of German origins. There is no dot behind "DUC" and none behind "ECC".

1859 Provisionals

Genuine Stamps

General Features

The bottom of the S of STATI extends out to left

Middle frame line broken above A of STATI

Thick right side of A in STATI

Right top serif of T of STATI is generally smaller than that of the left

Right top serif of I of STATI is missing

Upper left of S in PARMENSI is flattened and top is much larger than bottom

Horizontal line below PARMENSI is 9 mm long (middle A to Middle S)

The bottom of the C in CENTESIMI is generally flattened

The end tail of the R of PARMENSI is flattened

The 80c

The 80c is the only stamp of the set that had only one printing run. At the "used" status it's the rarest stamp of the Old Italian States and one out of the rarest and most important of the world (1 letter and 5 single pieces known in total). A prime forgery target

Forgeries

This is one of the most forged issued of the Italian States

I have not noted the features. Comparing to the originals will easily show the differences.

5c Forgeries 

10C Forgeries

20c Forgeries

40c Forgeries

80c Forgeries

Sperati Forgeries

1859 Issue 5c 

1. There is a nick in the outer frameline at the level of the serif of the "P" in "PARMENSI"

2. There is a dot between the "T" and "E" of "CENTESIMI"

1859 Issue 40c

1. There is a large break in middle frameline above the "A" of "STATI"

2. The outer frame line at left, on the level of the "S" of "STATI" is missing

1859 Issue 80c - Type A

1. There is a spot of color off the point of the shield at top left 

2. The upper part of the right side of the "N" of "CENTESIMI" is broken away

1859 Issue 80c - Type B

1. There is a large break in middle frameline above the "A" of "STATI"

2. The lower right point of the shield appears to have extra ink blob

1859 Issue 80c - Type C

1. There is an extra blob of color in frame lines to left of the "P" of "PARMENSI"

2. The A" and the "R" of "PARMENSI" are joined at the foot

Fournier sold forgeries

Possibly supplied by Spiro Bros.

Newspaper Stamps

Genuine Stamps

Forgeries

References

Italy -  Parma Forgeries - Billigs

Italy.States.Forgeries - Cerutti Guido

Parma - Schloss

http://www.antichistati.com/800/index800.html - Lorenzo

Sperati.dot.Org - Country Index

Serrane Guide

Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries

Evert Klaseboer CD2

Italian States - Dorn

Album Weeds - Parma