Bulgaria - 1901 Cherry Cannon

 Bulgaria - 1901 Cherry Tree Cannon 

Mi 48-49 / Sc 53-54
Issued to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the April Uprising of 1876.
The Cherry Tree Cannon is a wooden cannon, first used by the Bulgarian anti-Ottoman revolutionaries in the April Uprising. 

Pieces of metal were used as ammunition for the cannon.
It unfortunately accounted for many victims by "friendly fire" due to its unstable construction.
It is a common symbol and a decorative furniture piece in Bulgaria

Genuine stamps

NOTE - A simple method to check for most forgeries is the perforation method. 

Some printers used comb perforators but forgers generally used the simpler line perforators or a handheld device.

Another easy way to tell if the stamp is genuine is to check for the plate types.
The 5c has 5 types, the 15c also has 5 types but one has no specific traits

5c Types

Type I: Break of the outer frame over the 8 of 1876

Type II: point under the 8 of 1876

Type 111: break of the colored line left below the value

Type IV: additional thick white line left At the height of the wheel of the cherry cannon

Type V: Break of the outer frame on the upper right

Examples

Types 1, 2 & 3

15c Types

Type I: none of the characteristics of the other types

Type II: Large white spot left of 18

Type III: White line In the upper line of the value-valued to the right

Type IV: Large white spot attaches 18 to weave line

Type V: Break in line below facial feature

Examples

Types 2, 3, 4 & 5

Forgeries

1. There is a protrusion below the 18
2. The little hook on the left side extends further down

Varieties or other forgeries?
Although some mention more than 1 type it may be that several exist

The faces top left have different feature
2. The 76 is a different shape
3. The rays are different lengths
4. The left 5’s have different curves and opening
5. The CTOT on the right is larger, frame lines are thicker

6. The right stamp is heavily shaded

7. The cloud formation is different

A period postcard with the Cherry Cannon

References

- Billig's grosses Handbuch der Faelschungen 1937

- The Serrane Guide, APS 1998

- Handbuch Bulgarien, Postwertzeichen Teil 1, 1879-1944 - R. Weinbrecht

- Klaseboer Forgery CD 2 - 2020