Sperati Spain Proofs

These are some of the Sperati proofs from 1851 to  1878

1851 2 Reales Type A
1. There is a break in the top frame line just to the left of the "D" of " DOS"
2. There is a break on the curved frame line vertically above the "R" of "REALES."
3. There is a white dot in the center of the "S" of "CORREOS"
4. Break at the base of the southeast pearl of the fourth set.

1851 2 Reales Type B
1. There is a break in the "S" of " DOS" at the top, so that the serif is separate from the letter
2. There is a break in the curved frame line immediately above the top of the letter "R" of "REALES"
3. The bottom right serif of the first numeral "l" is severed from the upright
4. Break in the first 'O' of CORREOS.
5. Several hair lines in the center are broken

1851 2 Reales Color Error

This reproduction is found in se-tenant pairs with the 6 reales. Reproduction was made in both types A and B.

1852 2 Reales Sperati Types B

Reproduced by photographic methods. Very similar to Type 1, with which

it can be confused We will examine:

1. White notch on the bottom of C

2. Thinning in the upper area of R

3. Breaks in the lower lines of the band

4. The point after 2 is slightly triangular with the vertex downwards

5. Slight thickening at the base of the figure 2

6. Break in the head of the second R

7. The bottom edge of C is irregular.

1853 3 Cuartos Type B
1 Spikes of the crown touch the tree
2 Bear paw is open on the tree
3 Oval jewel in base of crown is open at the top
4 Top of first I in INTERIOR is curved

1854 1 Reales Type A
1 There is a nick in the upper frame line over the numeral 8
2 The top left ornament is missing the small dot at the tip, instead there is a large hook
3 The bottom right ornament has a dot inside on the mid right side
4 The Thin frameline above the RL is broken in 3 or more places

1854 Issue 5r
1. there is a break or indentation in the left side of the second "O" of "CORREOS"
2. there is a clot of color in the center of the back of the "C" of "CERT"
3. there is a dot of color adjoining the right side of the "D" of "DO"
4. there is a line in the shading below the lower right Castle

1854 Issue 6r
1. there are white spots in the upright and in the loop of the first R of CORREOS
2. there is a spot of color in the center of the right side of the numeral l
3. there is a small projection from the outer frame line immediately above the numeral 4
4. the bottom right serif of the R of CERT is broken away from the upright and the upper left serif of the T of CERT is broken away from the upright

1861 Issue 19c

1.The frame line over "R" of "CUARTOS" has a minute break and is retouched (thickened) over the "RT"

2.There is another minute break in the frame line below and between "TO"

3.The left side of the lower right corner square inclines inwards at the top of the square

4.The 12th and 13th pearls that form the border at top are broken on the upper side while 10 of the pearls in the right frame are broken on the inside

1864 Issue 19c

1.The outer frame line at left is broken near the bottom

2.There is a defect in the thick curved line at bottom immediately below the "O" of "CTOS"

3.The upper curved line over "CORREOS" is broken over the first "R"

4.The first "O" of "CORREOS" has a defect at upper left

1865 Issue 19c

1.There are colored spots in the back of the "C" of "CORREOS" and in the head and belly of the "S"

2.There are two colored spots in the curved white space below "CORREOS," one (minute) below the "C," the other below the "O"

1867 Issue 19c Rose - Type A

1.In the rose printing there are clear breaks in the left frame line near the top, and in the middle of the top frame

2.There are two distinctive defects in the background of "CORREOS," above the second "R" (not clear on the rose) and below the second "O"

3.There is a dot below the top frame line above the "E'' of "DE"

4.There are three distinctive defects in the background of "ESPANA," at the bottom left of the "E," from the head of the first "A" and generally around the "N," between the legs of which there is a white spot

5.The foot of the "C" of "CUARTOS" is thick and there is a slanting projection at the bottom right which makes it look rather like a "G"

1873 Issue 4p

1.There are dots of color joining the two frames above "MUNI" of "COMUNlCACIONES"

2.The line over "4 PESETAS" is weak and broken

3.There is a flaw in the foot of the "4"

4.The left side of the "A" in "PESETAS" is just broken from the right

1873 Issue 10p 

1.There are are spots of color above the right of the first "N," over the "A" and the second "I" between the top frame and above "COMUNICACIONES"

2.There are the following flaws in the background behind "ESPANA:" at the left a white spot between "SP," white spots in the head and below the last "A"

3.There is a colored spot just below the serif of the "l" and a white spot in the tail of the first "S" of "PESETAS"

1874 Issue 4p

1.There are flaws in the circular frame over the first "N" and "ACI" of "COMUNICACIONES"

2.There are the following flaws in "COMUNICACIONES:" the "A" is broken at the right, the second "l" is broken at the top, and the second "N" has a heavy flaw at the right

3. There are many flaws in "ESPANA," the most distinctive being the "E" (which has a break at the left and flaws in both upper and lower serifs) and the "P" (in which there are five white spots)

1875 Issue 4p

1.There is a white spot in the left frame 4.25 mm. above the lower corner square

2.There is a white spot in the upper left corner of the top right corner square

3.There is a break in a line of shading on the neck 8 mm. from the bottom of the stamp and 9 mm. from the right

1875 Issue 10p

1.There is a triangular flaw in the shading just underneath the tip of the nose

2.In "COMUNICACIONES" there is a crack on the inner top right of the first "O," a white dot in the center of the "M" and a white spot in the lower diagonal of the first "N"

3.The most prominent flaws in "PESETAS" are the break in the head of the "P," the white spot in the bulge of the loop, the bite out of the back of the first "E," the broken bottom to the first "S," the missing lower left serif and the broken head of the second "E"

1878 Issue 4p

1.This reproduction shows the secret mark of the 40 centimos (open bottoms to the legs of the "M") instead of that of the 4 pesetas (open bottom to the right leg of the "A" in "COMUNICACfONES")

2.There is a white spot in the hair 4 mm. from the left and 7 mm. from the top of the stamp

3.There are breaks in the ornamental frame, 4 mm. from the left and 3 mm. from the bottom, and 2 mm. from the right and 5.25 mm. from the bottom

1878 Issue 10p

1There is a white spot under the moustache

2.There are two large spots of color, one inside the oval 6.5 mm. from the top and 3 mm. from the right of the stamp, the other outside the oval 4.5 mm. from the left and 3.5 mm. from the bottom of the stamp

3.There is a white spot in the oval frame immediately under the "U" of "COMUNICACIONES"

4.In most examples, the white of the eye is missing

1878 Issue 40c - Type A

1.There are four flaws in "COMUNICACIONES:" a dot in the cup of the first "C," a break on the right of the first "N," a break in the head of the third "C" and of the "E"

2. There is a break in the thicker vertical line between the oval and the left frame 7.5 mm. from the top

3.There is a flaw in the line over "P" of "PESETA" and another in the bottom frame below "S"

Peter Winter Master Forger

Peter Winter was well known as an opera singer from Germany and master imitator of worldwide stamps.

Winter (1941-2018) did not keep records of his work in the 1970s, 1980s or later. 

He did not keep any invoices or receipts; he worked mostly in the background and mostly with re-sellers. It was his intention that nothing should be verifiable that would give him the appearance of a forger. For him, they were artistic products, imitations, replicas and facsimiles of the original genuine stamps.

He founded the company ProPhilForum POC GmbH which in 1986, operated from a post office box address in Bremen, began to produce and sell replicas of more than 180 of the world's most valuable stamps, both on and off cover, for modest prices. 

Some of the reproductions were determined to have been made not from the stamps themselves but from copyright photographs which Winter had obtained from the British Library in London by means of a false declaration of intended use. 

Peter Winter

Some of his best work are the early Mauritius which he perfected with many retries. The one most in demand was probably his block of 4 US inverted Jenny.

One of his best forgeries was the 1934 Liechtenstein Vaduz souvenir sheet.

He also produced bogus stamps, the most famous being "The Lady Diana Queen of Hearts" souvenir sheet. He sold out 50,000 copies greatly increasing his coffers.

The following are samples that I have obtained:

Cape of Good Hope

Finland

Italian States

Mauritius

Moldova

Sweden

Switzerland

Italy 1863 Matraire Issue

 The Quindici issues of 1863 were printed in lithography by Francesco Matraire.

There are two main types, showing the head of King Victor Emmanuel III.

Type I was printed in sheets of 200 consisting of four blocks of 25 subjects, repeated, and then the sheets were cut into panes of 50 for sending to Post Offices. Plating this series is difficult as flaws are infrequent and few blocks exist.

For the Type II all 100 stamps can be plated, in 4 groups of 25 subjects; many large blocks survived, and the flaws were more numerous.

Genuine Rare Type I Block Cert. Enzo Diena  

The Type I singles generally sell for 10X that of the type II

Comparison of Types I & II

Type I

1. Line under top cartouche extends out

2. The C is almost closed

3. There is a line under the Q

Type I Pos. 4, C almost closed

Type II

1. The C is open

2. Line under Q is open EXCEPT FOR POSITION 9 where it is CLOSED.

3. Frame of right cartouche is broken

NOTE - these are the basic features that may not be visible or exactly as shown in all stamps of the full sheet.

Type II Pos. 9 exception, line under Q closed

2 other main constant flaws

Type II Pos.14

F Flaw Variety in NW corner, 

Type II Pos. 15

Dot between P and O of POSTALE

1 and 5 in NE corner joined by a dash

Full Sheet of the Type II
These were printed in blocks o 25 and then put up into 2 panes to make a block of 100 samples.

Given the numerous flaws, they are simple to plate.

NOTE - The full description of characteristics is in the Addendum

Type II Essays & Tests

There are known essays in black with and without inscriptions, on thin or medium paper, others in blue without inscriptions, even on glossy cardboard, and in red brown without inscriptions.

There are also machine tests, in black or blue, sometimes obtained by superimposing various prints and prints recto-verso.

Forgeries 

Type I

These are not common unlike the Type II

Genuine left, forgery right

Forgery Features

1. S of POSTALE has even sized top & bottom, A is shorter than other letters

2. Numerals are thinner

3. Hair is lacking in details

4. Short A FRANCO

5. Right side letters are wider

6. Corner C's are thinner

7. C's are rounder

Postal Forgeries

These are generally rare and can have quite high values.

There are three types of forgeries to defraud the mail (counterfeits), the first two were sold in Naples, the third in L'Aquila. 

Postal forgery Type I Lithographed

Printd and used in Milan in April 1863

1. Numerals are very thick

2. Letters are uneven and many inclined

3. Background lines are thick and slanted

The existence of 20 different types is proven, which suggests that the same one was printed in small sheets of 20 specimens.

Postal Forgery Type II Engraved (Intaglio Printing)

This forgery was not executed in sheets. 

It is distinguished from the previous for the print and for the background lines, which are slanted from top to bottom, rather than from bottom to top.

An attempt to replicate the genuine Type I

The earliest known date of intaglio forgeries of Naples is on 28 June 1863.

Issued in 2 colors 

1. Forehead flat not rounded

2. Bottom left 5 is slanted

3. Background lines are thicker, slanted and uneven

4. Tail of Q does not touch the frame

5. Letters are uneven

 

The Type II comes in 6 varieties

I  -The two "Cs" of the corners without a point.

II  -The accented "O" of "ITALIANO".

III - "B" of "BOLLO" upside down.

IV - "FRANOO" instead of "FRANCO.

V -"FFANCO" instead of "FRANCO"; "B" of "BOLLO" upside down; "OUINDICI" instead of "QUINDICI".

VI -All smaller and very irregular letters

Postal Forgery Type III Engraved of L"Aquila 

Appeared Nov.-Dec. 1863

The lines of the background are aligned almost as in the original but are more dense.

The words "FRANCO BOLLO" has smaller characters than the others. 

The color of the print is unmistakable. (It is likely that at the time of printing the color was like the original then later oxidized.)

One pair, one strip of three and one block of four new ones and only one used pair are known.

Some letters are known to be posted at the end of December 1863 after the discovery of the forgery, which bear the stamp not cancelled.

Multiples & Printer's Waste

Some of these multiples were reportedly salvaged from waste and sold to collectors

The black ones show up as trials or proofs but are forgeries

Addendum

Description of the features of the genuine Type II Plate shown earlier

Type 2 Subject 1

General Characteristics: white scratch through cartouche and frame under second leg of first A in ITALIANO; nick in top left of NW corner.

Type 2 Subject 2

General Characteristics: dot in right margin opposite C in SE square; dot in margin close to frame level with A of FRANCO; dot in SE spandrel level with O in ITALIANO.

Type 2 Subject 3

General Characteristics: Dot in margin level with NC of FRANCO; cut in cartouche and frame above S of POSTALE; small dot in SW spandrel above and to left of C

Type 2 Subject 4

General Characteristics: Large dot at left end bottom cartouche; dot to right of top of last I in QUINDICI; dot under right curve of bottom cartouche; large break or retouch above NO of ITALIANO

Type 2 Subject 5

General Characteristics: Break in frame below right end of bottom cartouche; dot in margin below that; dot on N of FRANCO and flaw between frame and cartouche above it.

Type 2 Subject 6

General Characteristics: Break in cartouche below A of POSTALE; small dot inside left end of top cartouche (sometimes absent); flaw on frame level with top of 1 in SW corner square; small dot in right margin opposite NO of ITALIANO

Type 2 Subject 7

General Characteristics:

White flaw to right of 15 in NE corner; small rising line in spandrel above N of QUINDICI; frame scratch under C of FRANCO (unclear)

Type 2 Subject 8

General Characteristics:

Small dot above and to right of right cartouche; dot in margin above S in POSTALE, also sometimes another above O; frame broken below U

Type 2 Subject 9

General Characteristics:

Line under Q; SW corner, white flaw below right of 5; dot high in NW spandrel

Type 2 Subject 10

General Characteristics: Small dot between frame and cartouche above QU in QUINDICI; tiny frame scratch below Q

Type 2 Subject 11

General Characteristics: Tiny circle or dot between cartouche and frame above left upright of N in QUINDICI; frame below Q broken into dots

Type 2 Subject 12

General Characteristics: Line of dots in the margin above POSTA; dot in centre of NE spandrel.

Type 2 Subject 13

General Characteristics: Small dot below curved end of moustache.

Type 2 Subject 14

f Flaw Variety

General Characteristics: Characteristic f flaw to left of C in NW corner, tiny hairline in margin below C in SE corner, small line 1mm to right of SE corner.

Type 2 Subject 15

General Characteristics: Dot between P and O of POSTALE; small dash near top of SE spandrel; 1 and 5 in NE corner joined by a dash; Dot in first O of BOLLO; small dot just above top of right cartouche.

Type 2 Subject 16

General Characteristics: 2 or 3 dots to left of P in POSTALE; NW corner ends in a spike.

Type 2 Subject 17

General Characteristics: Flaw in top left limb of T in POSTALE; dot in margin level with O in FRANCO; small dot on top of D in QUINDICI; small dot in top margin left of P.

Type 2 Subject 18

General Characteristics: Four dots in margin above E of POSTALE; line below Q only just open

Type 2 Subject 19

General Characteristics: Lines and dots in top margin; tiny dot near bottom of second I in QUINDICI; small dot near first C; dot to left of 1 in SW square.

Type 2 Subject 20

General Characteristics: White fault in oval at 1 o'clock; vertical dash near NE corner; dash above first O of BOLLO

Type 2 Subject 21

General Characteristics: Break in cartouche below LI of ITALIANO

Type 2 Subject 22

General Characteristics: Cartouche broken above and to left of C in QUINDICI; white 'quiff' at the back of the head above parting.

Type 2 Subject 23

General Characteristics: Frame smudge above OSTALE; outer frame broken below D; two dots in NE spandrel; two breaks below N in ITALIANO

Type 2 Subject 24

General Characteristics: Frame smudge above POSTA; dot in margin below U of QUINDICI

Type 2 Subject 25

General Characteristics: Cartouche broken above and to right of L in POSTALE; dot between 1 and 5 in SW corner; dot inside Q of QUINDICI