Three stamps of the same design but different colours were issued on 1 Jan 1851: the 0.6Kr blue (for a single inland newspaper), the 6Kr yellow (for bundles of 10 newspapers), and the 30Kr rose (for bundles of 50 newspapers).
The blue was used directly on the newspaper or an address label so is relatively common; the others were stuck on the wrapper of the bundle so almost none survived,
The great difficulty in determining these issues are the numerous authorised reprints which I will touch on later.
Three types exists of these stamps.
The blue stamp was printed in all three types.
The yellow and red stamp were printed only in type I.
The orange stamp was printed in type III only
In type I the "G" of "ZEITUNGS" has no crossbar and the dots on "A" of "STAMPEL" are evenly placed on the "A"
In type II the "G" also has no crossbar, but the right dot on the "A" is placed slightly more to the left, so the two dots are closer together
In type III, the "G" has a crossbar and the "A" is as in type II
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| Ank 6 TI |
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| Ank 6 TIIa |
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| Ank 6 TIIIb |
Genuine key features based on AUSTRIAN PHILATELY
1- Engraved on greyish-white wove paper, thick or thin or ribbed paper.
2- A most peculiar long curly line attached to the base of the P of POST at left and the K of K.K at right of the stamp, pointing to the left.
- Type I – curly lines are very strong and broad.
- Type II – curly lines not very strong.
- Type IIa – merely hair-lines.
3- A hyphen after ZEITUNGS is about 1mm, distant from S and level with the centres of the letters.
4- Corner Ornaments have 4 petals like heraldic roses and 4 small ones peeping out from behind it.
5- Lip stick out - upper one projects beyond the lower.
6- A very strong line of shading at the corner of the nose.
7- The shading of the central square is very much closer and darker at the bottom than at the top. Most of reprints are always well printed and in much deeper colour.
8- The diaeresis or double dots on top of the A of STAMPEL does not touch white line above it. However, Type II the double dots are slightly too much to the left.
9- The nose has a slightly Roman outline.
10- From the brooch on the shoulder some oblique dark lines of shading radiate to right and left on the tunic.
- 1 line ends exactly above the S of STAMPEL, 2nd between TA, 3rd between AM and 4th above the beginning of the M.
- The front white outline of the tunic reaches the bottom some distance before the S.
- The first dark line, running from the brooch to the right, ends exactly above the L.
11- The letters K.K. in the right hand label are place to read upwards and feet towards the centre of the stamp.
Forgeries
Spiro Forgeries
Unmistakable in the odd facial feature and his typical square dots cancel.Fournier also sold these Spiro forgeries (second choice as he offered them)
These forgeries are very well executed.
The letters are thicker and the bottom background is different.
The dots above the A are missing.
Winter is one of the finest forgers.
Here the face is weak in detail overall and the final L placed too high
Also the corner elements lack the small inner petal.
These are well executed.
Some forgeries from unknown sources
The distinguising feature is break/dent in the lower left outer frameline .
Large final L
Corner elements very differenr.
Background lines are wrong as well as corner elements.
Crude Forgeries
Modern forgeries
Not much chance one will ever see these except in high end auctions.
Friedl forgery
Features
1851 Mercury Newspaper Design, from a Type I in yellow
1. the horizontal strokes of the letters in top label are all missing or defective
2. top part of second "K" in "K.K." is missing.
1856 Mercury Newspaper Design, from a Type II in vermilion
1. there is a white spot in the outer frame in the top right corner
2. there are two spots of color un the upper part of teh "T" of "STAMPEL" and the top serifs of the "M" and "P" appear as two dots between the heads of the letters
Taken from a fake envelope.
Letters are uneven. Corner elements are wrong.
Reprints
These stamps are uncommon and prized by specialists
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| 1870 |
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| 1887 |
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| 1894 |
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| 1904 |
Reprint I (delivered on March 20, 1866, print run of 5 sheets x 100 stamps = 500 pieces):
Blue Mercury: light blue or dark blue
Blue Mercury, reprint from 1866
Yellow Mercury: vivid light yellow
Pink Mercury: bright pink
Red Mercury: vivid carmine-cinnabar
Reprint II (27 January to 25 August 1870, 100 sheets x 100 stamps = circulation of 10,000 each):
Blue Mercury: dark ultramarine
Yellow Mercury: dark yellow
Pink Mercury: dark pink
Red Mercury: vermillion
Reprint III (delivered on October 18, 1884, 10 sheets x 100 stamps = print run of 1,000 each):
Blue Mercury: greenish-blue
Yellow Mercury: lemon yellow
Pink Mercury: dirty pink
Red Mercury: dark vermillion
Reprint IV (delivered on April 21, 1886, 20 sheets x 100 stamps = circulation of 2,000):
so-called Fellner reprints printed on poor, fibrous and soft paper, so-called waste paper.
Reprint V (each 2,000 copies):
Blue Mercury: slate blue
Yellow Mercury: light yellow
Rose Mercury: dark violet-pink
Red Mercury: carmine cinnabar
Reprint VI (delivered on May 3, 1887, 100 sheets x 100 stamps = print run of 10,000 each):
Blue Mercury: dark slate blue
Yellow Mercury: dark yellow
Pink Mercury: light violet pink
Red Mercury: dark vermillion
Reprint VII (delivered in May 1894, edition 11,300 each):
Blue Mercury: light slate blue
Yellow Mercury: golden yellow
Pink Mercury: light violet pink
Red Mercury: light vermillion
Reprint VIII (delivered in two editions in 1904 (slightly different), total edition 1904 20,000 each):
Blue Mercury: light slate blue
Yellow Mercury: golden yellow
Pink Mercury: light violet pink
Red Mercury: light vermillion
