Reproduction 'A' of the 10 c value
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Sperati used a few genuine cheap stamps, bleached out the design (with the cancel remaining intact) and reprinting it. However, the majority of the forgeries of France made by Sperati are total forgeries, thus the cancel was also forged. The paper used by him is very close to the paper of the genuine stamps. I know that Sperati made forgeries of the 10 c, 15 c, 40 c and 1 F values of the 1849 issue (several 'reproductions'). He also made forgeries of the 2 c, 4 c, 20 c, 30 c and 80 c 1870 Bordeaux issue. More images of Sperati forgeries (including tete-beche forgeries) can be found at: http://www.seymourfamily.com/rfrajola/Sperati/speratiindex.htm (Richard Frajola). Most of the images shown here have 'SPERATI REPRODUCTION' in violet printed on the backside together with a number (of course, Sperati did not sell his forgeries like this, these marks were applied by the British Philatelic Association). Source of the distinguishing characteristics: The work of Jean de Sperati Part IV, 1954 British Philatelic Association.
Sperati made Reproduction 'A' to 'F' of this stamp.
Reproduction 'A' of the 10 c value
The cancel(s) on this Reproduction 'A' are always placed in the same position. Sometimes an additional cancel was added (see second image).
Sperati Reproduction 'B'
Sperati's Reproduction 'B' is very deceptive. There is a small white dot at the lower part of the 'ES' of 'POSTES'. I don't find the other distinguishing characteristics of the British Philatelic Association on this particular forgery (nevertheless they are both marked 'SPERATI PRODUCTION B' on the backside. The second forgery shown above does not even have the small white dot between the 'ES' of 'POSTES'. The cancels that were encountered on these forgeries are the following numeral cancels: '318', '1675', '1792', '1954', '2221' and '3383'. Both forgeries above bear the cancel '1792'.
Reproduction 'C' of the 10 c value
Reproduction 'C' has a very small flaw below the '0' of the right '10 C', furthermore another flaw just above the 'C' of this same word. Again, this forgery is extremely deceptive. The cancels used by Sperati on these forgeries are: grill cancel (several types), mute Paris star cancel (two types), continuous grill cancel and the following numeral cancels: '1128', '1639' and '2221'. The above shown forgery has numeral cancel '1639'. I've seen an uncancelled brown 'die-proof'.
Two Reproductions 'D' of the 10 c, both cancelled with a mute
Paris Star cancel.
Broken pearl of Reproduction 'D'.
Sperati's Reproduction 'D' of the 10 c value has a broken pearl above the middle of the left '0 C' of '10 C'. A small break can be found in the frameline just above the 'C' of the right '10 C'. Sperati used a grill cancel, a mute Paris Star cancel (as shown above) or a Paris Star cancel with numeral '8' or the numeral dot cancels '2063', '2273' (and possible others).
Reproduction 'E' has a constant numeral dot cancel '1954' (sorry, no image available yet). The numbers '1954' are placed on the lower part of the face.
Reproduction 'F' constisting of a Reproduction 'C' (left) and a
Reproduction 'D' (right).
Reproduction 'F' is actually a pair of tete-beche stamps constiting of a Reproduction 'C' and a reproduction 'D'. Additionally, there is a brown dot in the 'P' of 'POSTES' on the left hand side stamp. Another dot can be found in the 'E' of this word. I've also seen a black 'die-proof' of this particular Reproduction 'F'. The cancels applied on this forgery were: a grill cancel (struck twice), a mute Paris Star cancel (struck twice), a Paris Star numeral cancel '8', several numeral dot cancels '698', '1425' (possibly a genuine stamp with bleached out design), '1639', '1734', '2221', '2738' and a 'TB'(?) cancel.
Possibly a Sperati forgery (reduced size), it has the 'PLOERMEL
10 AVRIL 51 (..)' cancel as was also used by Sperati.
Again Sperati made Reproduction 'A' to 'F' of this stamp.
Reproduction 'A' of the 15 c value
Reproduction 'A' is very deceptive. There is a dent in the upper right part of the 'P' of 'POSTES'. This letter also has its lower left side shaved off. The 'C' of 'FRANC' has a white dot above it almost connecting it with the white space above it. I've also seen a black 'die-proof' of Reproduction 'A'. The following cancels were applied by Sperati: grill cancels (several types, one shown above), the mute Paris Star cancel (as shown above), the continuous rows of squared dots cancel and the numeral cancels '1639', '167'(?), '1792', '2221', '2738' and '3439'
Reproduction 'B' can be easily recognized, since the cancel is
always placed in the same position.
I have also seen a 'die-proof' in green of Reproduction 'B', with the cancel extended below the design of the stamp.
Reproduction 'C'
Spot of color in one of the pearls at the left hand side of
Reproduction 'C'.
There is a green line below the 'UB' of 'REPUB' (see also Reproduction 'F', where this is even better visible). The 'A' of 'FRANC' appears too small. A spot of color appears in one of the pearls on the left hand side (see enlarged scan above). There is also a white dot in the left hand side of the lower left corner ornament. Sperati applied grill cancels to this Reproduction 'C' forgery (two types) and the continuous grill cancel.
Reproduction 'D' of the 15 c value
The break in the upper part of the 'P' of 'REPUB' in Reproduction
'D'.
In the 15 c Reproduction 'D', there is a break in the upper part of the 'P' of 'REPUB'. The left bottom corner ornament has a green flaw extending towards the right. There is a second white dot below the usual one between the 'C' and 'P' of '15 C POSTES'. On reproduction 'D' the following cancels can be found: a grill cancel (as shown above), a mute Paris Star cancel (third image shown above), the Paris Star numeral cancel '8', the continuous grill cancel, the continuous rows of squared dots cancel and the numeral dot cancels: '698', '2063' and '2273'. The cancel '698' is shown above as the second image.
Reproduction 'E' with continuous rows of squared dots cancel.
Reproduction 'E' seems to be based on Reproduction 'D'. Although I can't see much due to the heavy cancel, the forgery shown above does have the 'SPERATI REPRODUCTION' mark on the backside, together with the indication 'E'. Sperati applied the following cancels to this forgery: the mute Paris Star cancel, the continuous grill cancel and the continuous rows of squared dots cancel (as in the forgery shown above).
Reproduction 'F' with Paris Star cancel numeral '8'.
Reproduction 'F' seems to be based on Reproduction 'C'. It exists with the grill cancel, the mute Paris Star cancel and the Paris Star cancel with numeral '8'.
Tete-beche Sperati forgery with Sperati's signature at the back.
Sperati made a forgery of a single stamp (reproduction 'A') and a tete-beche pair (reproduction 'B') of this value. Sorry, no images available yet. Reproduction 'A' is always unused. Reproduction 'B' exists with and without cancels. The cancels used were grill cancel, the mute Paris Star cancel and the following numeral cancels '1128', '1792' and '2063'. Another numeral cancel with unreadable numbers also exists as well as a red framed cancel.
Three forgeries, namely Reproduction 'A', 'B' and 'C' were made by Sperati of this stamp.
Reproduction 'A' of the 40 c issue
Die proof in black of Reproduction 'A'.
The cancel on this forgery is always the same and always has the same position. I've also seen this forgery as a die-proof in a minisheet (including the cancel) with text 'REPRODUCTION INTERDITE' in violet and the signature of De Sperati (see image above).
Sperati reproduction 'B' with a constant or static cancel. This
is actually a blackprint 'proof' made by Sperati of this forgery.
It was printed on a minisheet with violet 'REPRODUCTION
INTERDITE' on top and the signature of Jean de Sperati below.
Sperati also made a Reproduction B of the 40 c value. This forgery also has a constant cancel (sorry, no image available yet).
Reproduction 'C' of the 40 c value, this image was taken from a
'die-proof'.
There is a orange blotch below the 'RE' of 'REPUB', furthermore a white blotch below the '0' of the right '40'. In some examples I have seen the left '4' is badly done. These forgeries exists with a grill cancel, a mute Paris Star cancel and the following numeral cancels '692' (this might have been a cleaned up genuine stamp of lower value), '2063' and '3300' (this might have been a cleaned up genuine stamp of lower value).
For Sperati forgeries of France Ceres type of the 1 F value, click here. For France Ceres type, Sperati forgeries, part 3 (Bordeaux issue), click here.
For more forgeries of the France Ceres type (1849-1875), forgeries, part 1 or France Ceres type forgeries, part 2.