BELGIUM 1869-1892

Return To Catalogue - Belgium 1849-1868 - Belgium 1893-1914 - Belgium 1915 onwards

Currency: 100 Centimes = 1 Franc

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.

For stamps of Belgium issued from 1849 to 1868 click here.

1869 King Leopold II in a fully coloured oval, various frames

  10 c green
  20 c blue
  25 c yellow
  30 c brown
  40 c red
  50 c grey
  1 F violet
  5 F brown (1878, 2 shades of colour)

For the specialist: these stamps are usually perforated 15, but the 10 c and 25 c also exist perforated 14, the 10 c, 25 c and 30 c also seem to exist imperforate (rare).

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

I've been told that these are essays in green and red of the 5 F value. I'm not sure if this is true.

Forgeries:

Sites with interesting information about forgeries of this issue (especially the 5 F): http://users.skynet.be/philately/1869/1869-faux.html and http://fauxtimbres.skynetblogs.be/. Also the book 'Les Timbres Belges Faux et Truques' by M.G.Slagmeulder.

Forged cancels 'NORD II' and 'ANVERS NORD 1' on 10 c values

Forgery of the 20 c value. Cut from some kind of souvenir sheet?

The 5 F is very rare (30.000 stamps in red-brown colour were issued and 18.000 in another shade of yellow-brown only). This is probably the reason that dangerous forgeries of this stamp are known to exist (at least 17 different, some from improved plates). Among the forgers that made forgeries of these stamps are Fournier, Sperati and Venturini. Fourteen of these forgeries are described in the book of M. Slagmeulder: 'Les Timbres Belges Faux & Truqués' (104 pages) or 'Les Timbres Faux de Belgique' (1955, 157 pages).
These stamps were designed by H.Hendrick and the engraving was done by A.Doms of the stamp factory (Zegelfabriek) in Mechelen. The initials 'HH' are found in the left bottom corner and the initials 'AD' in the right bottom corner of the 5 F stamps.

Distinguishing characteristics of the genuine 5 F:
1) There is a very typical delta-shaped ornament in to the left of the eye of the King. In many forgeries this ornament has a different shape.
2) On top of the second 'E' of 'BELGIQUE' there should be only one line (not a V-shaped ornament as in some forgeries).

There exists a badly printed 'Faux de Gand' which has the shading lines on the face going upwards instead of going downwards (1st forgery listed in Slagmeulder. Sorry, no image available yet).

Primitive forgery, 'R' of 'FRANCS' too wide, foot of both '5's too big and many other differences. This is the only copy of this forgery I've ever seen and it does not appear to have been listed by Slagmeulder.

The 3rd forgery listed in Slagmeulder (Faux de Gênes). The design is quite badly done, the '5's are too wide and the 'S' of 'FRANCS' is too small. Here a block of four cancelled with 'BRUXELLES 24 JANV 7S 1876'. It looks as if a curved line is going through the word 'FRANCS'. The dot behind 'BELGIQUE' is missing?

Fournier forgeries, with the forged 'LOUVAIN 1 SEPT 2-S 1887' cancel, with the Deynze cancel ('DEYNZE 17 NOV 67'), Gand cancel ('GAND 27 AVRIL 1-S 1876') and finally 'LIEGE 26 AOUT 8-M 1878'.

Different type of Fournier forgeries, the 'f' shaped ornament above the 'C' of 'CINQ' is not separated in two parts. The first one has a 'ANVERS 25 JUIL 12-S 1881' cancel, the next ones the Louvain cancel and Liege cancels as shown below. There is a patch of brown ink filling up the white space between the outer framelines above the 'GI' of 'BELGIQUE'. The 'L' of this word is slanting backwards too much.

For example the 5 F is known to be forged by Fournier, or at least sold by him, some sources (Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Works by V.Tyler) say that actually Oneglia produced the most dangerous Fournier forgery. The cancels that can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' are: 'GAND 27 AVRIL 1-S 1876', 'LIEGE 26 AOUT 8-M 1878', 'LOUVAIN 1 SEPT 2-S 1881', 'DEYNZE 17 NOV 67' (date before the stamps were even issued!) and 'LIEGE 15 JUIN 10-M 1881'. Fournier offers two varieties of the 5 F in his 1914 pricelist; the 5 F redbrown and the 5 F pale brown for 2 Swiss Francs each as first choice forgeries. The cancel 'ANVERS 25 JUIL 12-S 1881' is listed in Slagmeulder, but not shown in the Fournier Album.

Forged Fournier cancels as shown in a Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries, reduced sizes. Any cancel earlier than 1878 on a 5 F stamp must necessarily be a forgery, since the stamp was only issued on 6 March 1878.

Fournier forgeries, some of them taken from the Fournier Album of philatelic forgeries.

Forgery with 'CINQ FRANCS' written too small. Possibly with a 'LIEGE 26 AOUT 8-M 1878' cancel (I've seen others with this cancel; this is the same cancel as shown in the Fournier Album ). It is listed as the 12th forgery in the Slagmeulder book. The site http://fauxtimbres.skynetblogs.be/, also shows this forgery with a 'BRUXELLES 22 MAI 2-3 1878' cancel as in the second scan. I've also seen this forgery with a 'ANVERS 25 JUIL 12-S 1881' cancel (as the Fournier forgery). The dot behind the word 'BELGIQUE' is missing?

Peter Winter forgeries:

(Three forgeries with wrong perforation and 'FAUX' written at the bottom left)

The above two forgeries have wrong perforation (it should be 15), I think they were made by Peter Winter. I have seen them either uncancelled or with the 'BRUXELLES BRUSSELS 24....' cancel. I've also seen them in pairs of two or a stamp with a white stamp attached to it. Note that outside the frame at the left bottom corner the word 'FAUX' (= forgery) is written. Also note that the top of the 'G' of 'BELGIQUE' is quite badly done, when compared to a genuine stamp. Note, the very 'pointed' perforations, which doesn't match in the corners. They are often offered (in rather large quantities) on Ebay, so many of these forgeries must exist. I've also seen them with the word 'FAUX' scratched out from the design.

The word 'FAUX' written at the left bottom corner.

I also know that Sperati made forgeries of the 5 F. He forged both colour shades of this stamp. Two different kind of forgeries were made by him (reproductions 'A' and 'B'). In the so-called 'reproduction A' there is a smaller dot behind the dot behind 'BELGIQUE', also the curved brown label containing the word 'CINQ' has an extension into the white line above the 'N' of this word, among some other minor differences. In 'reproduction B' there is a white dot between the 'A' and the 'N' of 'FRANCS' (click on the stamp below to see this). Reproduction A exist in both colour shades, reproduction B only in the yellow-brown shade.

Sperati Reproduction "A".

(Reproduction B of Sperati, image obtained from Richard Frajola's website: http://www.seymourfamily.com/rfrajola/Sperati/speratiindex.htm ); there is a rather large white dot between the 'A' and 'N' of the word 'FRANCS'.

(Sperati forgery)

Sperati blackprint and forged cancel "ANVERS 20 FEV 7-8M 1854"

Sperati used genuine cancels for his forgeries (he probably bleached the image of a lower value, so the cancel and the paper would be genuine).

Other forgery of the 5 F; perforate and imperforate. Both with pencancel.

The line under the horn under the 'NC' of 'FRANCS' should have a break, this forgery does not have this break.

Forgery with an 'A' instead of a 'delta' in the ornaments left to the eye of the King (see zoom-in at the right). Also there is a 'wedge shaped' ornament above the second 'E' of 'BELGIQUE'. There is only a line in the genuine stamp. The 'AD' in the lower right corner is very clear. This forgery is listed as the 7th forgery in the book 'Les Timbres Belges faux & trucques' by M.G. Slagmeulder. Often, this forgery has the bottom left corner badly perforated (one hole missing, see first scan). According to http://fauxtimbres.skynetblogs.be/, the 9th forgery of his book is actually the same as the 7th (there are two lines on the second 'E' of 'BELGIQUE' in this forgery, but this has sometimes been painted over to make it one line as in the genuine stamps). I've seen a copy of this forgery with old cracked gum. I've also seen this forgery in the light brown shade (with very bad perforation). It exists with forged cancel 'HASSELT 3 AVRIL 8-9 81' and 'AMAY 10 JUIL 8-M 1876'.

A block of four forged 5 F stamps (11th forgery in the book of Slagmeulder). An 'A' instead of a 'delta' in the ornaments left to the eye of the King (see zoom-in at the right). Also there is a 'wedge shaped' ornament above the second 'E' of 'BELGIQUE'. There is only a line in the genuine stamp. The shading on the face of the King continues all the way to his lips. The 11th forgery (the third and fourth image shown above) closely resembles the 7th forgery. The 'AD' in the lower right corner is not as clear in these forgeries as in the 7th forgery and there is more shading on the cheeks of the King in this forgery. It exists imperforate, in blocks of four, uncancelled and cancelled ('LIEGE 25 JUIN 5-6', 'ANVERS 1 JUIN 1878' and 'BRUXELLES AGENCE 28 MARS 16-?')

Other forgery

The 5 F stamp is also known to be forged from a cut out of a 'day of the stamp' stamp of 1978. They can easily be recognized by the cancel 'ZEL... 1 AVRIL 9-10 1878'.

1978 stamp from which forgeries are known to have been made. The cancel will immediately reveal this forgery. Next to it such a forgery with faked perforation.

A 1972 Belgica exhibition sheetlet.

Other modern forgery; note the werid squarish perforation.

1883 King Leopold II, new design

  10 c red
  20 c blue
  25 c blue
  50 c violet

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

1884 King Leopold II, new designs (king with small beard: 'Fine Barbe')

  10 c red on blue
  20 c olive
  25 c blue on red
  35 c brown
  50 c yellow
  1 F brown on green
  2 F violet

As 35 c type, but with small tab attached (1893)

  10 c brown
  10 c red
  20 c green
  25 c blue
  35 c brown
  50 c brown
  50 c grey 
  1 F red on green
  1 F orange
  2 F lilac on red
  2 F violet

The small attachment with inscription 'NE PAS LIVRER LE DIMANCHE NIET BESTELLEN OP ZONDAG' could be used to prevent the delivery on sunday. With the removement of this attachment the sender of the letter did not object to deliver the letter on sunday. Stamps without tab are worth less. These stamps are all perforated 14.

vc = very common
c  = common
*  = not so common
** = uncommon

*** = very uncommon
R   = rare
RR  = very rare
RRR = extremely rare

Mute cancel:

I have seen postal stationery of the type with tab: 10 c red, 10 c brown and 25 c blue on red. The tab could be crossed out with a pen (since it could not be detached as in the stamps). I have seen postal stationery in the design without tab as well: 10 c red and 25 c blue on red.

Issues of 1893 onwards

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer