(Image obtained from a Siegel auction)
Return To Catalogue - United States locals overview - City Mail Free Stamp to Cummings - Faunce's to Hall & Mill's - United States
Note: on my website many of the
pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.
City Mail Free Stamp to Cummings
(Image obtained from a Siegel auction)
This stamp was issued in 1847 in Buffalo, with a design of a man riding a horse: 2 c black on red. Only 1 (maybe 2) stamps are known.
Forgery
(Genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)
Of this stamp only a dozen stamps have survived, it was issued in 1856. The inscription is "DAVIS'S Penny Post BALT.". Only this black stamp was issued. Some erroneous stamps exists with "Pennq" instead of "Penny", example:
("Pennq" error, image obtained from a Siegel auction)
I believe the above label "For the POST OFFICE CITY DESPATCH
POST T. DAVIS.", is abogus issue. Another label made by the
same forger, but now with inscription "T.WALTER" also
exists.
(Genuine, reduced size, image obtained from a Siegel auction)
There are only 4 genuine stamps known of this stamp (according to the Siegel auction), with 3 on cover. They were issued in 1854 in the colour black on grey.
Forgeries of this stamp (even in wrong colour):
Two other forgeries, closely resembling each other.
In the above design was issued (1 c) pink and (1 c) blue (both issued in 1879 in New York).
(Douglas City Dispatch 251 Broadway)
In the above design with inscription "DOUGLAS CITY DISPATCH 251 BROADWAY" exist: 1 c red, 1 c orange and 1 c blue. These stamps ought to be perforated, but imperforate stamps exist (remainders) and are not very expensive.
Genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction
Only a 1 c black was issued in 1846 in New York, all other colours are probably forgeries (the above one is genuine). The stamp exists printed on white or grey paper. The value was not indicated on the stamp, the text reads "DUPUY & SCHENCK PENNY POST". The cancellation is a pencancel (as above) or "PAID" in red colour. This company also had another cancel "DUPUY & SCHENCK PENNY POST" (two lines), which was not used to cancel the stamps, but was placed elsewhere on the envelope. Note that the above stamp has an extra thin outline as the outer border. All forgeries I've seen don't have this line originally. However, sometimes these lines are added on a forgery (and even pasted on a letter). Also note the special shape of the '&' in the genuine stamp (different from the forgeries).
Examples of forgeries:
Forgeries made by Hussey(?). The 6th stamp has a black blotch at
the left top of the beehive.
Forgeries made by Hussey or Scott
The above forgeries can easily be recognized by the absence of the second thin outer frameline (however, this has sometimes been added). I've been told it was made by Scott, but other sources say it was made by Hussey (or made by Woods for Hussey). This forgery only exists in black on grey color. The opening of the beehive is not tall enough (in the genuine stamp, it reaches beyond the first segment).
Forgeries made by S.Allan Taylor; also
no second outer frameline. The "K" of
"SCHENK" is very close or touching the outer right
frameline.
(A more recent forgery in wrong color)
Another bogus design has the word "BOSTON" instead of the words "PENNY POST." I've only seen it in the color black on orange.
(Genuine, image obtained from a Siegel auction)
The above stamp (circular design with no ornaments) was issued in 1848 in Philadelphia. It is extremely rare (4 stamps are known according to the Siegel auction). The other stamps of the Eagle Post are relatively more common.
Another circular design was issued with triangular ornaments all around the circle:
Forgery; I've also seen it in the colors black on blue. Note that
the "8" is very close to the lines in front of it and
the "0" very close to the lines behind it.
Another forgery?
(Genuine)
Two stamps were issued in the above design: blue on blue and red on blue (both 1850).
Forgeries exist, among them forgeries made by J.W.Scott, Hussey, S.A.Taylor, Moens and another unknown forger. I do not know the distinguishing characteristics.
Possibly Hussey forgeries, reduced sizes.
Forged 'Eagle post' on the front and 'Post Office Despatch' stamp
on the backside of the stamp, proving that these two forgeries
were made by the same forger.
Violet(?) and brown on yellow, bogus colour. Possibly Taylor
forgeries, the word 'PAID' is written much lower than in the
genuine stamp.
Another forgery in black.
Label? inscription 'EAGLE CITY POST, Letters &c. served four
times daily, from Adams' Express, 80 Chestnut St. by the
proprietor, formerly of the American Mail Company. I know that
forgeries of these labels exist (among them one made by the
forger Hussey).
Eagle City forgeries; I've also seen a 'TWO CENTS' black on red
in the same design and a 1 c black on green.
(Genuine)
(Genuine, reduced sizes, 23 and 18 Av. images obtained from a
Siegel auction)
The genuine stamps should be black on green (issued somewhere in the early 1850's); two types exist: with frameline around the stamp and inscription "23 Av.D." and without frameline and inscription "18 Ave.D.". There are many forgeries (at least 9? diffferent types), among them forgeries made by Taylor and Scott. The stamps below are probably reprints or forgeries:
I have seen the above type in black on white, black on yellow,
black on blue and black on lilac. There are two breaks in the
upper frame line in many copies I've seen. However it does exist
without these breaks. It is believed that these forgeries
originate from the forger Taylor. Also
note the white 'circle' around the '23'.
I've also seen forgeries with the "18 Ave. D." inscription, but with the ship in a rectangular pattern of chains, instead of the ellipse. This forgery exists in many bogus colors: yellow, red, violet, green, black on yellow and black on green:
Sorry, no image of a genuine stamp available
Forgeries exist of this stamp:
Taylor forgery
I've also seen a forgery in red with a solid circular disk in front of '23' and behind 'P.O.' instead of the star-like patterns.
bogus design made by S.Allan Taylor
(Empire City Dispatch Co. 23 Dey Street New York)
This stamp was issued in 1881 and is not very rare unused (it was almost immediatly forbidden by the government, according to the Scott specialized catalogue). I do not know if used stamps exist.
Image obtained from a Siegel auction
(Genuine stamp, reduced size, image obtained from a Siegel
auction)
The only stamp that was prepared (but probably never used) had the colour black on red (issued in 1856). This stamp is very rare. There is a flag with "SX" at the top of the ship. The shape of the '2' is very peculiur and different on the forgeries.
The following stamps are all forgeries:
Note the 'SX' below the ship in this forgery, made by Hussey, Type I of this forgery
This forgery was produced around 1862. Four
sub-types of this particular forgery exist, since they were
printed in strips of four stamps, in which each stamp was
slightly different.
In Type I, there is a break in the frameline above the first 'E'
of 'LETTER' and there is a black dot above the 'E' of 'EXPRESS'.
In Type II, the frameline above 'LET' is bend. In Type III, there
is a break in the upper frameline above the first 'E' of 'LETTER'
(as in Type I) and a short line above the 'S' of 'SX'. Finally,
in Type IV, there is again a break in the frameline above the
first 'E' of 'LETTER' as in Types I and III, there is also a
curved line above the 'X' of 'ESSEX'.
This forgery only exists in black on red. Don't confuse this
forgery with the fifth forgery.
First Taylor forgery, sorry about the small size of the image.
I know that the forger Taylor also made two sets of forgeries of this stamp. In the first Taylor forgery, the water is not going down all the way to the bottom of the ellipse. This forgery exist in black, black on green, black on lilac, red on blue.
Note the slanting 'S' in 'CTS'. Around the stamp, a second frameline can be found, which is not present in the genuine stamps. It also exists in black on blue.
Fourth forgery
There is a flag with the letters 'SX' on top of the ship (as in the genuine stamp), but the '2' is much larger than the word 'CTS' in this forgery. This forgery seems to exist in the color black on red and black. The water does go all the way to the bottom of the ellipse.
There is a very thin flag on top of the ship which extends all the way to and touches the left side of the ellipse.
(Note the 'SX' below the ship in this forgery)
Another forgery with 'SX' at the bottom exists. The bow does not touch the ellipse in this forgery. Futhermore, the '2' has an upwards hook at the lower right end. This forgery only exists in black on red. Don't confuse this forgery with the first forgery.
