Issue Dates : 1 July 1856 - 1 January 1862
Designed by : W.A. Eurenius (1830-1892)
Printed by : P.A. Sparre 1 sk, G. Scheutz 3 öre
Print Process : typo
Perforations : 14
The stamps were first rubberized with a dextrin solution, this has pulverized over the years and fallen off. Later this was replaced with gum Arabic, which lasted better .
Forgeries
Center shield wrong
Note any imperf must be regarded as potential forgery
FOR too large
Spaxe i background lines too wide
No dots on the "A"
Torres Forgery
1868 reprint
Uneven pearls and letters
"E" instead of "F"
Reprints
On 1.1.1862 the stamps were issued in brown color and from that day replaced the black ones which were valid until 31.12.1910 but were no longer sold. The stamp was now given the same status as the regular stamps and could be used for local letters in other locations as well.
Around the same time as the brown stamps came out, the now very worn star stamp was replaced in Stockholm with a circle-shaped luck stamp, hence star stamps are rarer on the brown stamps.
The best forgery of the brown stamp is the Paris forgery which differ from the originals in detail but most distinctively they are serrated with uneven corners. In addition, the gumming, if left, is "checkered" and sometimes they are stamped "Paris forgery" on the back to prevent them from being sold as original brands.
