(Spiro forgeries, reduced sizes)
Return To Catalogue - Ceres type stamps - France Ceres type forgeries, part 2 - France Ceres type, forgeries, part 3 - Ceres, Sperati forgeries, part 1 - Ceres, Sperati forgeries, part 2 - France overview
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Forgeries of the 1849 issue:
I have seen some Spiro forgeries, although they are not very common. They usually have a very peculiar cancel: an ellipse with horizontal lines or other fancy cancels. Spiro forgeries are not very deceptive and quite badly executed. In the genuine stamps, there should be 97 pearls around the central circle.
(Spiro forgeries, reduced sizes)
Most likely Spiro forgeries
(Spiro Forgeries of the 1 F value)
In the above Spiro forgeries, the ornamental border at the right hand bottom side is different, it starts from the exterior in the above forgeries, while it starts at the interior of the stamp in the genuine stamps. Also, the buste of Ceres is horizontal at the bottom (in the genuine stamps it is slanting upwards). There is a very white 'bald' spot on the head of Ceres. I've also seen the 20 c blue, 30 c brown and 40 c orange of this particular forgery type.
In the above forgeries, the 'C' of the word 'FRANC' appears to
large and the 'A' of this word too small. Also the 'C's in the
bottom inscription are too tall. For example, in the 25 c, the
'25 c' is different from the genuine stamps, the 'c' seems to be
much thinner. Even tete-beche forgeries exist (see the 20 c
above). I've also seen the unissued 25 (red) on 20 c blue of this
particular forgery set.
Several forgeries of the 1 F value (both shades), made by the
same forger; The right 'FR' is placed too far to the left when
compared to a genuine stamp.
In all the above forgeries, there is a round 'pearl' in the backside of the hair of Ceres. The genuine stamps have a much more elliptic 'grape' at this spot. The words 'RAN' of 'FRANC' are placed too high. The 1 F forgery is quite common (the other values less common); I've even seen blocks of 6. I've seen the 40 c forgery of this set with a red elliptic design at the back with the words 'Phaxy & Millet' (a fancy rewritten 'Facsimile', since in French language these words sound the same):
40 c with red Phaxy & Millet 'expert mark' on the back; a
joke of the forger!
Forgeries with very pronounced 'REPUB FRANC' inscription.
Some forgeries, possibly made by the same forger.
Forgery of the 15 c, reduced size
Some other deceptive forgeries
Two forgeries, probably made by the same forger, I've noticed
that both have a break in the "P" of
"POSTES".
Toulouse Forgery of a 10 c tete-beche pair (Faux de Paul de
Toulouse). The paper on which this forgery is printed is porous.
1 F forgery with both "S" in "POSTES"
different from a genuine stamp.
Tete beche forgerie of the 1 F value. Parts of the background
pattern are missing.
(Other primitive forgery of the 25 c value)
Forgery of the 20 c black. Note the broad chin of Ceres.
Two forgeries with the same forged cancel 'PARIS 7E/5 NOV' in the
lower right corner. These might be cuts from some postcard with
illustrations of stamps.
Very primitive forgery with a strange cancel.
Primitive forgery of the 10 c with the left part of the left
"1" too large. Next to it a 15 c forgery, made by the
same forger.
A set cut out from some souvenir sheet perhaps? The borders of
the stamps have brown lines.
Two forgeries probably made by the same forger.
Other forgeries.
For more forgeries of the France Ceres type click here, or France Ceres type (1849-1875), forgeries, part 3, Fournier or here for Sperati forgeries, part 1 or Sperati forgeries, part 2 and finally France Ceres type, Sperati forgeries, part 3 (Bordeaux).