Porto Rico - 1898 Coamo Provisional

In Coamo, Mayor Florencio Santiago petitioned General James H. Wilson to create a provisional stamp. Permission was granted and the stamp was printed in a hand press at a local print shop. It is thought that fifty sheets of ten stamps, 500 in total, were typeset printed in black ink on imperforate, unwatermarked yellowish paper with an uneven brownish gum applied. There were two horizontal rows of five stamps per sheet. Interestingly, since the printers did not have enough number “5” characters, four different fonts were used. Each stamp has differences in the typeset so its position in the sheet can be identified. A control mark “F. Santiago” was handstamped in violet to prevent counterfeits.

Genuine Original Sheet

 Forgeries

From unkown sources

Singles

The 2 singles above are quite obvious in only having a single frame all around

Honduras 1877 Overprints

 After demonetization the mint remainders of the first issue were sold todealers and potential forgers.

The provisionals were valid for only 16 months (2 in Comayagua and 14 in Tegus) in anticipation of the Morazán issue arrival

Even though millions of the first issue were sold directly to stamp dealers, some counterfeiters used forged stamps to with fake overprints.

Genuine stamps

NOTE the checkmark in the mid outer right frame. This is a mark of the stamp being genuine.

Medio real

Un Real

Dos Reales

Forgeries & Fakes

Kreb Bros of NYC Fakes

The Kreb brothers of NYC were the first to take advantage of the remainders released in 1883. Their work included used and covers with fakes of new cancellations introduced in 1884.

Eusebio Toledo was a postal employee who used the originals to make fakes of the provisionals in the late 1890's

Raoul de Thuin  made fake overprints in the early 1900's

I do not have any copies of his fakes.

His overprints are shown above

Fournier sold all 3 varieties of the fake overprint.

Fournier fakes

Key checkmark is missing

Fournier fake overprints

Addendum

The extremely rare framed overprints also exist as fakes.

Both of the following are from auctions

Krebs Bros Fake

Gambia Cameo Forgeries

 Mail from Gambia was processed through Sierra Leone from 1853 – the stamps of Sierra Leone were valid for use in Gambia from 1861 to 1869.

The first Gambia stamps were issued in 1869.
The Cameo head of Queen Victoria embossed in white on a simple colored background was produced originally for reasons of cost but it became a classic and in
great demand.
Apparently, only 500 sheets of 15 of the first issues were produced and anything remaining from any of the cameo issues were destroyed in 1898.

The issues
1869, 4d and 6d values only, imperforate and unwatermarked
1874, the same, on watermarked paper
1880 June, 7 values, line perforated, watermarked sideways
1880 October, 5 values, line perforated, watermarked upright
1881 May, all values. comb perforated, watermark upright
1886-93, eight values, with changes of colour.
The stamps normally passed twice through the plates, once for printing the colour, and a second time for the embossing

The various watermarks

Genuine and features

Genuine SG 10B
Make note of the following
1. & 2. The thickness of the frames
3. The shape of the G
4. The top of the A and the position and size of the letters
5. This spot of color – it does not appear on all stamps or may be very faint
6. The general shape of the chignon, normally with a second inside curl. This is not a determining factor but beware of curls that are noticeably inclined to the right
7. Note the thickness of the circle line
8. Note the direction the pearl points to
9. Note the shape and thickness of the corner ornaments

1869 Genuine Issues

The 1874 series are identical to the 1869 ones except on watermarked paper. The imperf forgeries are only distingishable in a few cases were a fake watermark was impressed.

Forgeries

At least 5 variations of the imperf issues have been categorized.
The forgers include Spiro, Spiotti, Oneglia and at least 2 others
Edoardo Spiotti was a stamp forger in the late 19th century from Genoa (Italy). He apparently worked very closely with the stamp forger Oneglia

Spiro forgery

The circle ring is thinner

The tip of the crown is different
The bottom curve of the bust is different

The curl of the hair is different

Otherwise, this is the best forgery I have found

Fournier forgery

This forgery sold by Fournier appear to be the same as the Spiro.

The source was then obviously Spiro or someone else who supplied both.

Oneglia/Spiotti forgeries

These are easily recognized by the very thick outer border

Also the inner circle is much thicker than the original.
They are embossed

Unknown forgers

Thick inner ring.

No serif on the "G"

Different hair curl

Wrong corner elements

Uneven letters

Crude queen outline

1886 genuine issues

 Oneglia/Spiotti forgeries

Again the main feature is the very thick outer border

Addendum

Genuine 1886-87 sheets

Switzerland - Menke-Huber postcards

The firm Menke-Huber in Zurich issued some postcards with replicas of the first stamps of Switzerland (about 1910). This firm bought and sold stamps of all countries. The firm Henry Heller also issued the same cards. The stamps are well designed and some were cut out, applied glue and sold as genuine (see singles included). Cancels on postcards look genuine (all with the same date). Given the time period there was little information on fake stamps to prove otherwise.

The postcards are still readily availble at $10-$15 each.

Single stamps cut outs and shown on auctions as genuine.

Portuguese Colonies - Fournier Sales Sheets

 The following are unique sheets Fournier would have sent to prospective dealers.

It is unknow who the original source is.

They are excellent forgeries (see my blog Portugal Colonies - Crown Issues)

The above is a comparison of the Fournier forgery on the left compared to the genuine issue on the right.

Dealer sales cards

Dealer/client offers - half sheets

Dealer/client offers - full sheets