Italy Modena 1853-59

 1859 Provisional Issues Sc 10-14

Genuine Features

1. F may be damaged in forgeries

2. R has upturned right leg and may be joined to A
3. Bottom of letters generally open or weak
4. Dot inside shape
5. Right side of crown more inclined than left
6. Corner elements uniform in shape
7. M generally faulty
8. Large striped square
9. Top has 5 lines, bottom 6
10. Right leaf large solid dot
11. Point slightly offset to the right
12. Right side serif longer than left
13. Bottom frame line open both ends
14. C has visible serifs. There are private reprints from worn plates where the C is inclined or lacks serifs, letters are different and the F of FRANCO is damaged.
15. Note the dent in the crown

Quantities Issued
5 cent. green 120,000
15 cent. brown 48.000
15 cent. gray 72,000
20 cents. slate 120,000
20 cents. lilac 120,000
40 cent. pink 120,000
80 cents. bistre 120,000

Forgeries

NOTE Except for the 5c, used copies are rare - treat all cancels as possible FAKES

Fournier Forgeries he sold (Spiro?)

1. No dent in crown and right side out of proportion
2. No breaks in bottom frame line
3. 5c has fake Fournier cancel
4. Large space between the NC
5. 6 vertical lines in the top right shield instead of 5

Fournier (Spiro?) Full Sheets

Torres Forgery

Left image from his 1896 forgery catalog 
1. No breaks in bottom frame line
2. Crude corner elements
3. Line above shield extends both sides
4. Leaves are very different

Unknown Forger

1. Very large pearl under cross
2. Right side letters are inclined
3. Notch in crown missing

Unknown Forger

1. Letters on right side inclined
2. Cross off center to the right
3. Crown different and no right notch
4. Top left shield vertical lines 6 instead of 5

5. Very tall shield

Unknown Forger

1. Thin value letters
2. Right side of crown too high
3. Differences in leaf veins

Unknown Forger

Overall very poor design
1. Thick bottom line
2. Uneven frame lines
3. Numerous artefacts in letters

Unknown Forger

Poor design overall
1. Crown lacking in details
2. Thick left letters
3. Different heights on right letters

Unknown Forger

Possibly a modern forgery
Unusually well detailed
1. Many extra leaves
2. Large crown very different
3. Corner elements different
4. No line breaks in bottom frame line
5. Too many vertical lines in the shield

Unknown Forger

1. Distorted Crown
2. Elements in the arms around the shield are different
3. No breaks in bottom frame line

Unknown Forger

1. Crown lacks right notch
2. Right letters uneven in size
3. Very thick shading in elements
4. Probably a fake cancel

Unknown Forger

Overall poor design
1. Crown lacks details and wrong shape - no dent
2. Vertical lines in shield missing
3. Frame lines are uneven
4. Letters are uneven - inclined L in BOLLO

Unknown Forger

1. No dent in poorly defined crown
2. Vertical lines in shield broken
3. No breaks in bottom frame line
4. Large 2nd L in BOLLO

Unknown Forger

1. Tall and thick letters
2. Distorted crown & shield
3. Left branch cut off by frame
4. CENT too far left

Unknown Forger

Extremely crude design
Details all wrong and not legible

Unknown Forger

1. Crude rough design
2. Letters uneven
3. No breaks in bottom line

Reprints 1859
The word "CENT" and the value are less thick than in the genuine stamps.
There is no dot after the value.
In all the reprints there is an indentation in the frame line above the first "L" of "BOLLO". This is not very clear on some.
The line below the right bottom corner ornament is missing.
In some of these reprints there is a small bar in the frame line just in front of the "C" of "CENT" .
The right side bottom square is open on the bottom.
Some reprints have bumps in the line above the value

Newspaper & Tax Stamps
The first Newspaper stamps were printed in typographic method, on colored paper in sheets of 120 pieces.
At the bottom there was the label "B.G. cen.9" where "B.G." means "Bollo Gazzette".
From May 1853 this revenue was printed again, fully identical, with the exception of the label that is written in smaller characters to avoid technical problems during the insertion of the typographic characters of the lower label and with the number "9" followed by a dot. This value was printed in sheets of 240 pieces.
The quantity printed of the first type was 12,000 pieces, the quantity of the second one was
384,000.
During 1855 a stock of revenues with the label "CENT. 9" has been prepared on machine made paper with small threads of red and blue color.
They were never distributed due to the increase of the rate to 10 centesimi.
On November 1st 1857 a new revenue of 10 centesimi was issued, printed with the same plates of the equivalent postage stamp but in gray color.

Genuine stamps

PR1&2

PR 3 unissued & PR 4

Forgeries

Fournier Forgery

Full Sheet of Fournier forgeries

Torres Forgery

Left from his 1896 forgery catalog. Right forgery

Sperati Forgery

One of 2 Modena forgeries by Sperati

1. There is a hole in the upper frame above the 'O' of 'POSTE'
2. The 'S's are badly shaped.
3. The 'N' of 'CEN' is also badly done.

4. The vertical shading lines are largely missing at left of eagle's breast

Unknown Forger

As this was unissued any cancels would either be very rare or fakes as this one is
1. The central pearls in the crown are too large
2. The tail feathers are the wrong shape
3. The leaves are very different
4. The eagle head is different

Unknown Forger

1. The top EN is too tall and joined
2. The crown is crude and small
3. The claws are wrong
4. The beak is too open

Senf Forgery?

1. Head is very different
2. Crown lacks detail and is too high
3. Serifs on the 2nd S not on the original
4. Corner elements are heavily shaded

Unknown Forger

1. I is too large
2. Head is different
3. 9 is too small
4. Crown is too narrow at the base

5. Similar to 1852 "Bandit" stamps

Double Frame Forgery

1. Double frame not on genuine
2. B.G. is too large
3. Top letters are crude
4. Fake cancels

5. Similar to 1852 Double frame forgery

Unknown Forger

1. Head touching the crown
2. Corner elements are different
3. 9 is different shape
4. Crown base too narrow

1859 Newspaper Tax Stamps
These stamps were hand printed in black on thin yellow paper in sheets of 240 copies with horizontal separation line, vertical lines for non-issued.
Reprints in 1890 in gray on white paper in the form of worn print.

Genuine stamp

1. Wide serif with small points
2. AZ not joined
3. Double dash above crown
4. GA often joined
5. Lower leg of Z much longer than top one
6. Beak is open
7. Noticeable crest on head
8. One or both T’s may be broken at top
9. Ends are flat, forgeries may be bevelled
10. Right claw more curved than left
11. Dot generally has white spot inside
12. N is misshapen
13. 2 types, one with horizontal line (above) unissued with vertical line (below)

Forgeries

Torres Forgery

Left, from his 1896 Forgery Catalog
1. The key feature is the C instead of G in GAZETTE
2. The head is different
Aside from this the forgery is fairly convincing

Unknown Forger

1. The letters are crude and too thin
2. The claws are wrong
3. The tail feathers are wrong

Unknown Forger

Unknown Forger

1. Overall printing is very rough
2. Letters are uneven and crude
3. Sections of corner elements are joined

Unknown Forger

An extremely crude forgery

Possibly a Modern Forgery

1. Serif on G is different
2. A missing middle bar and joined to Z
3. C of CENT is closed as is the E
4. EN are joined

Unknown Forger

1. Letters are very thin
2. Corner elements have no shading
3. Claws are wrong

Unknown Forger

1. Pointed Tail feathers different size
2. Crown has large pearl shape on top
3. G looks like a C and too thin

Unknown Forger

1. Very thin letters

2. Round head

3. Odd looking tail feathers

Unknown Forger

Completely different bird design

1896 Reprint

Worn Plate

Sperati Forgery

1. The marginal guide line at right is broken opposite the first "T" of "GAZZETTE"

2. The serifs of the "T" of "TASSA" are not connected to the stem

Sperati Plate Proof