(The above stamps are genuine stamps)
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(The above stamps are genuine stamps)
1 c black on lilac 2 c black on yellow 4 c black on blue
There are 3 different borders for the 1 c and 2 c ("crossed ovals" 12 stamps in a sheet of 24; "pearls" 8 stamps and "grapes" 4 stamps). Another 3 different borders exist for the 4 c ("hearts and pearls, 10 stamps in a sheet of 24, "cross in rosace, with inner lines", 2 stamps; subtype "cross in rosace, without inner lines" 6 stamps and "trefoil" 6 stamps). They were all printed in sheets of 24 stamps (4 rows of 6), resulting in 24 varieties. The 2 c was printed by removing the value 'ONE CENT' and replacing it by 'TWO CENTS'. There must be a signature of the postmaster 'R.M. As. R.G.' (Robert Mather Assistant Receiver General) on it. The signature is black on the 1 c, red on the 2 c and white (actually due to decoloration of the paper) on the blue stamps. Furthermore many forgeries exist (some of them already produced in the 1870's, by the way, I'm not sure if the above stamps are all genuine). An article describing the types of this issue can be found in the Philatelic Record of 1881-1882 (page 108) by F.A.Philbrick. All the subtypes are described here. Already back in 1882, 1 out of 20 stamps only was genuine....
The main types of the 1 and 2 c: Ovals, Pearls and Grapes types
(all genuine)
The main types of the 4 c: Hearts and pearls, Cross in rosace
types (with inner lines), Cross in rosace types (without inner
lines) and the trefoil type (this type has no inner lines).
Value of the stamps |
|||
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon |
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare |
||
| Value | Unused | Used | Remarks |
| 1 c | RRR | RRR | |
| 2 c | RRR | RRR | |
| 4 c | RRR | RRR | |
Images of a whole sheet of 1 c and 4 c stamps can be found in Die Ferrary Auktionen (II Auktion, plate 8).
Remainders of the 1 c exist with no signature and no perforation.
Remainders of the 1 c; always without perforation (normal stamps
were rouletted).
Types and subtypes of the 1 c an 2 c:
Crossed oval type, Subtype 1, the fifth ornament from the top on
the left hand side is different (it is actually an
heart-and-pearls type ornament!).
Crossed oval type, subtype 2. Second ornament from the bottom in
the right border is inverted (subtype 5 also has a similar
defect). The 'B' of 'BRITISH' has no serifs to the left.
Crossed oval type, subtype 3, the fifth ornament from the top on
the left border is broken.
Crossed oval type, subtype 4. The 'S' of 'BRITISH' is slanting
forwards. Image obtained from: http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=8445
Crossed oval type, subtype 5. It also has a reversed oval in the
second right oval from the bottom (as subtype 2).
Crossed oval type, subtype 6; From this subtype onwards, the vertical lines consist of smaller lines instead of one single line. This subtype has a '1' instead of a 'I' in 'GUIANA'. For image see remainders of the 1 c above.
Crossed oval type, subtype 7, the second ornament from the top on
the left border is inverted.
Crossed oval type, subtype 8, the 5th oval from the bottom on the
right is reversed. There are two dots in front of the 'P' of
'POSTAGE'.
Crossed oval type, subtype 9, the 'E' of 'POSTAGE' is placed very
low. There is a break in the line to the left of the 'T' of
'POSTAGE' and a smaller break to the left of 'AG'. The vertical
lines consist of 4 smaller lines.
Crossed oval type, subtype 10, the upper right ornament is
inverted. The vertical lines consist of 4 smaller lines.
Crossed oval type, subtype 12 (there is no signature on the first
stamp?). There is a line in front of the 'P' of 'POSTAGE'. The
third ornament from the top on the right hand side is damaged.
Pearl type,subtype 13. There is a vertical line in front of
'GUIANA'.
Probably Type 14. A bar can be found behind the 'H' of 'BRITISH'.
Pearl type, subtype 15. The pearl above the 'IA' of 'GUIANA' has
been replaced by a trefoil ornament.
Pearl type, subtype 16. Note the position of the vertical lines
right of 'BRITISH' and left of 'POSTAGE'.
Pearl type, subtype 17. The 'S' of 'POSTAGE' is slanting
forwards. The second 'I' of 'BRITISH' is smaller than the other
letters.
Pearl type, subtype 18. The 'O' of 'POSTAGE is partly missing.
The line under 'GUIANA' has a curve on the left.
Pearl type 19. There is a bar in front of the word 'GUIANA'.
Pearl type, subtype 20. The top of the 'T' of 'BRITISH' is very
badly done (totally missing even in this copy). The line above
'CENTS' curles upwards above the 'TS' of this word.
Grape type, subtype 21. The vertical line next to the 'IS' of
'BRITISH' is placed too far to the right.
Grape type, subtype 22. The second 'I' of 'BRITISH' is a '1'.
Grape type, subtype 23. The second ornament in the bottom row is
wrong (it is the ornament of the 4 c value). The 'O' of 'POSTAGE'
is open on top.
Grape type, subtype 24, 'POSTAGE' misspelt; 'C' instead of an
'O'. The second upper ornament is different from the rest.
Types and subtypes of the 4 c:
Heart and Pearls type. Subtypes 1, 2, 7 and 8
Heart and Pearls type. Subtype 4, note the lower position of the
upper left ornament. Also the inversion of some of the ornaments
in the bottom row.
Heart and Pearls type. Probably subtype 6 with the 4th ornament
from the top on the left hand side replaced by a trefoil
ornament.
Cross in Rosace with interior lines; subtypes 11 and 12
Heart and Pearls type; subtype 10 with ornament missing right to
the 'G' of 'POSTAGE'.
Probably Type 14
Trefoil type, probably subtype 15, the 'S' of 'BRITISH' is
slanting backwards. Ex-Ferrari item.
Forgeries, examples:
The images show the stamps as they appears in the Moens catalogue ('Les Timbres-Poste Illustres' by J.-B.Moens 1864) are shown first and then are shown forgeries based on this Moens catalogue (either by Moens himself or someone who based himself on this catalogue):
The 4 cents value did not have a pearl border type. The 2 c was
apparently made by the same forger. Some of the forgeries have an
outer frameline (as it appears in the Moens catalogue, but not on
the genuine stamps). I've seen a 4 c of this forgery in a
Fournier Album. The 5th pearl from the top on the left hand side
has a dot in it (which does not appear on the original Moens
image!). These forgeries are mentioned in Album Weeds. Note the
low 'T' in the 'ONE CENT' value.
Another Moens forgery: The crossed oval border only appeared on
the 1 c and 2 c values, never on the 4 c as in the above forgery.
Also, the signature is missing.
Another Moens forgery; the cancel might have been applied by Fournier. I've also seen the 4 c value
of this particular forgery. Note the typical position of the
grapes in the corners.
Fournier forgeries and forged 'A03'
cancel (images taken from a 'Fournier Album', reduced sizes).
Note that the '3' of the 'A03' cancel has a flat top.
Moens forgery as it appears in his stamps catalogue of 1864. Next
to it a forgery from a Fournier Album
of Philatelic Forgeries of the 1 c value, differing from the
above forgery. This stamp has a trefoil frame, which was never
used for the 1 c value (it was only used on the 4 c). Next to it
a 2 c forgery, made by the same forger. The 4 c forgeries have
the trefoil pattern, but it doesn't resemble a genuine pattern.
Also note the small 'S' in 'CENTS'.
Moens forgery as it appears in his stamps catalogue of 1864. In
the Ragatz book on Fournier forgeries, a 1 c of this type is
shown with a 'A03' Fournier cancel. Note the spaces between the
last upper right ornament and the others and other small spaces
between the ornaments.
Fournier forgery of the 1 c based on the above Moens forgery.
The crossed oval border only appeared on the 1 c and 2 c values,
never on the 4 c as in the above forgery. Also, the signature is
missing. The cancel (parallel bars) looks bogus to me.
The lettering is very badly done in this forgery. The ornaments
are quite different from any genuine pattern. This forgery has an
outer frameline.
The corner designs should not have flowers as in the above
forgeries. The signature in the center also does not resemble the
genuine signature. There are at least two different types of the
4 c (as shown above, note for example the position of the 'T' of
'CENTS'). There shouldn't be any outer guidelines in the stamps.
The 1 c has a 'Fournier' cancel.
Same forgery as above,1 c value, reduced size. All stamps with
manual inscription 'Nor Bor' are forgeries (source: http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19438&view=next)
Some 'Nor Bor' forgeries. The ovals at the right hand side are
all pointing downwards towards the left. No genuine type has such
an arrangement. The cancel applied to these forgeries appears to
be some square consisting of lines with numbers 'A03'? in the
center.
Some other 'Nor Bor' forgeries.
Some badly done forgeries. In my opinion, in the left hand
pattern, the halfmoons in the pearls are pointing to the right,
in the genuine stamps, they point to the right. The last forgery
was found in the Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries.
I presume that these are two more deceptive forgeries of the 2 c
value. Note the strange signature in the center. The third stamp
was offered on a Sandafayre auction as being genuine though....
Another forgery of the 4 c value.
The 'hearts and pearls' border was never used for the 2 c
value....
Rather deceptive forgery, the oval next to the 'ST' of 'POSTAGE'
is quite different from the rest. This is probably the second
forgery of Type II of Album Weeds.
Forgery with the text too large.
Some forged minisheets (reduced sizes). Genuine stamps were
printed in sheets of 24.