NEWFOUNDLAND (Canada) 1857-1896

Return To Catalogue - Newfoundland 1897-1920 - Canada - Forgeries of the first issue - Forgeries of the second issue, 2 p, 4 p, 6 p - Forgeries of the second issue, 6 1/2 p, 8 p, 1 Sh - Postal stationery and Fiscal stamps

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Value in 'pence' or 'shilling'

1857 Arms of Newfoundland

  1 p brown
  5 p brown

Triangular stamp

Triangle
  3 p green

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

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

For forgeries of the first issue, click here.

1857 Arms of Newfoundland

Images reproduced with permission from: http://www.sandafayre.com

  2 p red
  4 p red
  6 p red
  6 1/2 p red
  8 p red
  1 Sh red

The above red stamps exist in three different colour shaded each: scarlet-vermillion (1857), orange-vermillion (1860) and lake (1861). Many of these stamps were bisected.

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

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

For forgeries of these stamps, click here.

Value in 'cents' or 'dollar'

(1866 onwards)

Newfoundland dog

  1/2 c red (1887)
  1/2 c black (1894)

These stamps are perforated 12.

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

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

Prince of Wales

  1 c lilac (1868)
  1 c lilac (different type) (1870)
  1 c lilac (different type) (1880)
  1 c green (1887)

The 1 c lilac (1868 issue) exists rouletted.

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

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

I have seen a 'postcard' in the above design with the curved 'ONE CENT' label in 1 c green.

Forgeries, example

The above forgery is a Spiro forgery.

Forgery made by Oneglia.

Codfish

  2 c green (value in 4 corners) (1866)
  2 c green (value in 2 corners) (1880)
  2 c orange (1887)

The 1866 issue exists rouletted.

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

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

Forgeries, examples:

Spiro forgery:

(Spiro forgery, easily recognized by the cancel)

The above forgery is a Spiro forgery, it is lithographed (the genuine stamp is engraved). The cancels are typically Spiro cancels (i.e. 6-bar, 4 concentric rings or British colonial type as above). The value circles are solid.

Other forgeries:

The perforation in the above forgeries is very large. Furthermore this forgery is engraved instead of lithographed. There are guidelines in the stamp borders (there are no such lines in the genuine stamps). The eye of the fish is round with a white circle (in the genuine stamps the pupil is mostly coloured).

Two forgeries with the 'T' of 'TWO' too far to the right.

Moens seems to have made a forgery of this stamp (1866 issue) as well, it can easily be recognized, because it is black instead of green. Futhermore the numerals are larger than in the genuine stamp.

Is this the Moens forgery?

Forgery of the 2 c red, with especially the left '2' totally different.

Harp seal

  5 c brown (1866)
  5 c black (1868)
  5 c blue (1876)
  5 c blue (1880, different type, no values at the top)

The 5 c blue (1876 issue) only exists rouletted. For the other stamps, they should be perforated 12.

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

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

Forgeries, examples:

In the above forgery the tail of the seal is not split into two parts. The whole background seems to be filled with icebergs. The label containing 'NEWFOUNDLAND' sticks out farther to the left and right than the value ovals. There are guidelines in the margins. I've been told that the above forgeries are made by Fournier, but I can't find them in his 1914 pricelist. These forgeries can be found with a cork-cancel, 4 concentric rings, row of oblong dots etc.

(Forgery)

I think the above forgery is a Spiro forgery.

The left stamp has a '408' numeral cancel.

Note the very wide perforation in the above forgery, the tail of the seal is also not split. These forgeries also have guidelines in the margins.

Other forgeries exist, from Moens (imperforate, left foot has 4 claws, no shading below nose whiskers), Oneglia (?, with perfortation 11 1/2, left foot has 6 claws) and an unkown forger (brown, blue and black, perforated 14 with bottom frame line very faint or absent).

Engraved forgeries, made by Oneglia; I've seen the 5 c brown with a numeral '1' cancel.

Yet another forgery.

Prince Albert

  10 c black

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

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

Forgeries, (all of them rather poor lithographs), examples:

The above forgery is a Spiro forgery (I presume). It is lithographed instead of engraved, perforated 13 (instead of 12). It has guidelines around the stamp.

Another crude forgery (note the strange shape of the 'C' of 'CENTS' for example:

Crude forgery

I have also seen the above forgery imperforate and also with a '160' numeral cancel.

Yet another forgery.

Ships

  10 c black (1887)
  13 c orange (Schooner, 1866)

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

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

Spiro Forgery:

The clouds are very heavyly done. Above the letters 'UN' of 'NEWFOUNDLAND' there should be some dots, which are absent in the above forgery. This is the forgery described in Album Weeds. It is lithographed, instead of engraved for the genuine stamps. There are corner guidelines in these forgeries. The flag behind the ship is larger and more wavy. Of course, the cancel is bogus as with many of the Spiro products.

The above forgery has the word 'NEWFOUNDLAND' quite different, the letters don't touch each other. The '13's are also different. There are guidelines all around the design. The second mast points to the front of the 'W' of 'NEWFOUNDLAND', in the genuine stamps it points to the middle of this letter. The flag behind the ship is smaller than in the genuine stamps. The cancels that can be found on this forgery are quartered corks or four concentric rings. I've been told that this forgery is made by Fournier, however, I can't find it in his 1914 pricelist.

Four forgeries of the 13 c value, note the very wide perforations on the bottom two stamps.

Forgery with large space between 'NEW' and 'FOUNDLAND'.

Queen Victoria

  3 c red (1870)
  3 c blue (1873)
  3 c blue (other design) (1880)
  3 c brown (1887)
  3 c black (small head of the Queen, 1890)
  6 c red (1870, 2 shades of red exist)
  12 c brown (1866)
  24 c blue (1866)

Surcharged on 3 c black (with colour changed)

  'ONE CENT' on 3 c blue (3 types 1897)

The 3 c blue (1873 issue) exists rouletted.

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

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

I have seen a 'postcard' in the 3 c design, but in the value 2 c red.

Forgeries, example:

In the 12 c brown the '.' after 'NEWFOUNDLAND' should touch the shading of the 'D' in the genuine stamps. Also the buckle doesn't go into the shaded center in the genuine stamps. Also note the poor expression on the face of the Queen. The outer line of this forgery is double from above the last 'N' of 'NEWFOUNDLAND' to above the end of the 'W' of 'TWELVE'. This is the second forgery described in Album Weeds. The Queen has a rather sad facial expression.

Spiro forgery of the 12 c? I've also seen this forgery with a numeral cancel in a 4 concentric rings.

Spiro forgeries:

The cancels will condemn these forgeries immediatly; an oval formed by 4 parallel straight lines at top and bottom and 5 curves lines at each side. I've also seen the 3 c blue with a '53' numeral cancel.

(Other forgery of the 24 c value)

For issues of Newfoundland from 1897 to 1920 click here.

Typical cancels:

Examples:

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