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