RUMANIA 1872-1903

Return To Catalogue - Rumania - Cancels on stamps of Rumania

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For issues before 1872 click here.

1872 King Carol I, Inscription 'ROMANIA'

  1 1/2 b green
  1 1/2 b black (1879)
  3 b green
  5 b brown
  5 b green (1879)
  10 b blue
  10 b red (1879)
  15 b brown
  15 b red (1879)
  25 b orange
  25 b blue (1879)
  30 b red (1878)
  50 b red
  50 b yellow (1879)

Some stamps were printed in Paris, they have perforation 14 x 13 1/2. Other with more defective perforations and printing were printed locally (11 to 13 1/2.). Errors exist: 5 b red and 5 b blue (the red misprint has even been reprinted).

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

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

Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps.

In the above forgery, there is a white line below the neck which is much clearer visible than in the genuine stamps.

Forgery(?):

The above forgery has the cancel 'GALATI 4/9', however, it is NOT similar to the one that can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries' (see below, the letters and numbers are completely different).

(Fournier forged cancels, reduced sizes)

I've also seen forgeries of the misprints 5 b red and 5 b blue.

Forgery of the 5 b blue misprint.

1880 King Charles, 'POSTA ROMANA' curved at the top

  15 b brown
  25 b blue

These stamps exist with various perforations.

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

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

1885 King Carol, flying eagle at the top of the stamp (Vulturi, or eagle issue)

  1 1/2 b black
  1 1/2 b black on blue
  3 b olive on blue
  3 b violet
  5 b geeen on green
  5 b green
  10 b red on yellow
  10 b red
  15 b brown
  15 b brown on brown
  25 b blue
  25 b blue on yellow
  50 b brown on yellow

These stamps exist with watermark.

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

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

Fournier has made forgeries of these stamps. They can be recognized by inspecting the left bottom, in the genuine stamps, the second inner white line is curved (it follows the value shield). In the Fournier forgeries, this line is continuing towards the bottom of the stamp.

(Left genuine, right forgery)

Page from a Fournier Album.

At least one other forger has made forgeries of this series, I don't have any further information, see http://www.romaniastamps.com for more information.

1890 King Carol, inscription 'ROMANIA', value in 4 corners

  1 1/2 b red 
  3 b violet
  5 b green
  10 b red
  15 b brown
  25 b blue
  50 b orange

These stamps exist without and with watermark ('Arms' or 'P.R'), with various perforations.

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

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

I've seen several of these stamps with perfins. Perfins were first introduced on Rumanian stamps in 1892. I've seen 'U' for 'Universul Cotidian' (Bukarest) on the values 1 1/2 b, 3 b and 15 b. I've also seen 'Schiel' on a 15 b stamp (Bratia Schiel; a paper factory in Brasov). Furthermore 'S&C.' (Schenker & Co, a transportation company in Bukarest) on 5 b and 50 b.

Most likely a forgery.

1891 25 years of reign of King Carol, inscription 'JUBILEUL' etc.

  1 1/2 b red
  3 b violet
  5 b green
  10 b red
  15 b brown

These stamps were only valid for postage from 22 to 24 Mai of 1891.

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

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

Forgeries:

Above a page from a Fournier Album. In the forged 'BUCURESCI 23 MAI 91' cancel, there is always a break in the outer circle between the 'I' and the cross (see also the Serrane guide). In my view, in the 'BUCURESCI 22 MAI 91' a similar break can be found in the outer circle between the 'C' and the 'I' of 'BUCURESCI'.

(Reduced size, Fournier forgeries)

The ornament between 'ROMANIA' and 'JUBILEUL' is different from the genuine stamps in the above forgeries.

1893 King Carol, larger size, different frames

  1 b (BANI) brown
  1 b (BAN) brown (1902?)
  1 b black (1903)
  1 1/2 b black
  1 1/2 b yellow (1911)
  3 b brown
  5 b blue
  5 b green (1899)
  10 b green
  10 b red (1899)
  15 b red
  15 b black (1899)
  15 b grey (1902?)
  15 b violet (1903)
  25 b violet
  25 b blue (1899)
  40 b green (1898)
  40 b brown (1918)
  50 b orange
  50 b red (1918)
  1 L brown and red
  1 L green and black (1903)
  1 L green (1918)
  2 L orange and brown
  2 L brown and black (1903)
  2 L orange (1918)

These stamps exist without watermark, or with watermarks 'PR' or 'part of large arms'. An error exists 25 b blue (the blue of the 5 b stamp).

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

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

I have seen forgeries of the 1 L green and black and the 2 L brown and black. More information on a forgery of the 2 L brown and black can be found at http://home.no.net/bhb1/ro-f02e.htm. The forgery described there has the 'O' of 'DOI' more slanting to the right than in the genuine stamps (this can easily be observed).

1903 Large stamps, mailcoach with horses, issued for the opening of a new post office in Bucharest

  1 b brown
  3 b brown
  5 b green
  10 b red
  15 b black
  25 b blue
  40 b green
  50 b orange

These stamps have perforation 14 x 13 1/2.

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

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

Non issued stamp of this serie? reduced size

There are two different kinds of forgeries of these stamps. They are quite deceptive. More info on these forgeries can be found at: http://home.no.net/bhb1/ro-f03e.htm.

Example of a forgery of the 10 b

I presume that this is a genuine stamp.

Distinguishing characteristics of the most common forgery; the backside of the hat is not attached to the hat itself (see red arrow) and the hoof of the horse does not touch the beam in front of it. Tyler in 'Focus on Forgeries' says that this forgery is more common than the genuine stamps and that it was probably prepared by the Paris printer E.Cote, who was also involved in some reprints of the 1903 Haiti issue.

These forgeries exists imperforate, example of an imperforate 50 b forgery.

1903 Large stamps, King Carol in upper part of stamp, new postal building in the middle and mailcoach below

  15 b black
  25 b blue
  40 b green
  50 b orange
  1 L brown
  2 L orange
  5 L lilac

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

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

These stamps are known to have been forged; for a description of these forgeries see: http://home.no.net/bhb1/ro-f07e.htm. In the original stamps, there is a blotch in the line below the 'R' of 'ROMANIA'. The forgeries don't have this blotch.

Forgeries

For later issues of Rumania, click here.

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