Hawaii 1853 5c Issue

Hawaii's second issue featuring King Kamehameha III was produced by intaglio printing in Boston, thus the name "Boston Engraved."

It is assigned Hawaii Nos. 5 in the Scott Catalogue.

The 5c value paid the Hawaiian domestic foreign mail charge to handle a letter and deliver it to a ship bound for San Francisco.

Genuine Issue

Given the high value, few collectors will ever own the original.
But they make an interesting subject given the abundant forgeries.
The main problem for collectors are the relatively affordable reprints passed off as "originals"

1853, 5c Black, rare Trial Color Plate Proof on Thick Wove paper

In 1861, a new five cents printing was ordered made from the original plate. These stamps were printed on a thin bluish wove paper.

Genuine Features

- There is a tiny dot opposite the left 5 near the frame line

- There are 2 dots below the image in the value tablet

Forgeries

Spiro forgery

- Immediately identified by the dot in a white space on the chin

- Typical 4 ring cancel

- No double right frame line

Torres forgery
- These are very close to the Spiro but without the chin dot
- The 5c has a typical Torres cancel
- Obviously some relationship with Spiro

Moens forgery
- Facial features are crude
- The eye on the right is higher than the one on the left.

J. W. Scott forgery

- Thick letters and odd eyes

Forger unknown

- Speculation it is a period privateer "Bully Hayes" and it is so named

- Very crude with tall thin letters

- Large 5's

Fournier forgery

- He only sold forgeries from various forgers

Unknown forger

-Note the odd "E" of FIVE

The same as the previous forgery with the "E" corrected 

Peter Wintet forgery

Well executed & deceptive

Unknown forger

Notethe unusual symbol before the "H"

Unknown forger

Note the double outer frame

Unknown forger

Note the leaning "s" of "CTs" and different lettering of 'POSTAGE' and '5'

A very crude forgery