Faked cover made in Livorno in the 1890's.
Return To Catalogue - Romagna (Italy) - Italy
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Currency: 100 Bajocchi = 1 Scudo
Forged cancels on genuine stamps exist (these are usually very difficult to detect).
Faked cover made in Livorno in the 1890's.
Besides reprint-forgeries (which are the most common forgeries of Romagne), other forgeries exist. Example:
(Left forgery, right genuine)
2 b and 20 b forgeries, made by the same forger.
A comparison with a genuine stamp shows that in the above forgeries, the lettering is spaced differently (for example the 'O' of 'FRANCO' is too far from the top right ornament). The '6' is also too thin. The '2' in the 2 b and 20 b are totally different from the genuine stamps.
Other forgeries with very ragged letters and only one dot behind
'BAI', also the '6' in the 6 b value is too small
(A forgery with different lettering, for example the 'P' of
'POSTALE' and a very weird cancel. The top of the '5' in the 5 b
value is incorrect).
Other forgeries with the lettering different (for example the
almost closed central part of the 'O' of 'FRANCO' and the large
upper serif and missing lower serif of the 'C' of this word) and
the top of the '5' incorrect in the 5 b value. Also the 'P' and
'O' of 'POSTALE' are touching.
(Forgery of the 8 b, made by the same forger, reduced size)
In this forgery the '8' is of a wrong type (compare with a genuine stamp).
The next two forgeries have the upper downstroke of the 'F' of 'FRANCO' too small. The ornaments in the corners are not nicely done; for example in the upper right corner the ornament seems to be slanting upwards. There are many more differences with the genuine stamps (see for example the lettering):
Some forgeries with very clumsy and too large corner ornaments; also note the 'hook' at the '1' in the 1/2 b and 1 b values. The ':' behind 'BAI' is not placed vertically, but slanting instead. The '2' in the 2 b value is also different from the genuine stamps:
Another set of forgeries:
Note the crude lettering and the corner ornaments. Also the dots
behind 'BAI' are round instead of squarish.
Forgery of the 1 b with the '1' different. There is also no serif
to the bottom of the 'C' of 'FRANCO'.
Forgery with the ':' behind 'BAI' placed too high.
Very primitive forgeries with the lettering and the corner ornaments different, but also the central numbers do not correspond to the genuine ones:
Some other primitive forgeries:
(Some other primitive forgeries)
(The 'A' of 'ROMAGNE' should have a flat top, in this forgery it
is pointed)
Forgery with the 'B' of 'BAI' almost touches the inner frame line
to the left of it.
Forgery with the '8' totally different from a genuine stamp. Next
to it a 20 bai forgery made by the same forger. Note the deformed
corner circles.
Forgery with no bottom serif to the 'C' of 'FRANCO'
Forgery of the 4 b in color blue. The '4' has a too long left
part.
Two forgeries with very badly done corner ornaments.
Fournier also made some forgeries of these stamps. I've been told that the headstroke of the 'F' of 'FRANCO' is too short in these forgeries. Also, in the right upper corner, the genuine stamps always have a white space in between the central circle and the upper right circle. In the Fournier forgeries these circles are perfect circles. In 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' pictures of these forgeries can be found in sheets of 4x5, when they originate from this album they have the overprint 'FAUX'. Fournier offers these forgeries as 2nd choice forgeries for 2 Swiss Francs (all 9 values together). Fournier forgeries exist uncancelled and cancelled.
In my opinion, the following distinghuishing
characteristics are valid for the individual values:
1/2 b: '2' has a small smudge at the lower left
4 b: Top left part of the '4' is slanting to far to the left
20 b: '0' is slanting to the left
This is probably a Fournier forgery with a "MASSA"
cancel (the cancel is also forged and is not 'found alone'
according to Roman States Forgeries, the Issue of 1867-1868 by
F.J.Levitsky and Rev. F.A. Jenkins). Next to it a 1 Bai Fournier
forgery and a 20 Bai forgery with the cancel "FAENZA 20 DIC
59" (the year was apparently added later, since it does not
appear on the next scan with Fournier forged cancels).
Some of the above mentioned forged Fournier cancels as listed
under Romagna in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'. I
believe the 'CESANA' cancel is misspelt and should be 'CESENA'.
The above forged cancels are (the year was
prabably added in a later stage in the four circular cancels):
"RAVENNA 5 APR" in a double circle
"FAENZA 20 DIC" in a double circle (with year added
later? See image above)
"FORLI 6 MAG." in a double circle
"RIMINI 17 NOV" in a double circle
"MASSA" in a straight line
"MEDICINA" in a straight line
"CESANA" in a straight line
A genuine 'CESENA' cancel not spelled as 'CESANA'
Part of a 'Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' which shows
two sheets of forged Romagne stamps; apparently Fournier also
used the grid cancel as shown above on his forgeries. Uncancelled
Fournier forgeries can also be found in the Fournier Album.
This stamp has a 'RIMINI 17 NOV 59' in a double circle cancel. It
very much resembles a Fournier forgery, however a certificate of
genuineness was issued by the Briefmarkenprufstelle Basel'
(Arlesheim) in 2006. Possibly, Fournier added the year '59' in
the cancel before applying it (the cancel in the Fournier Album
of Philatelic Forgeries does not have a year).