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| Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1 |
Return To Catalogue - Ceres type stamps - Ceres type Sperati forgeries, part 1 - Ceres type, Sperati forgeries, part 3 (Bordeaux) - Ceres type forgeries, part 1 - Ceres type forgeries, part 2 - France overview - Sperati forgeries
Note: on my website many of the
pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the catalogue;
contact me if you want to purchase it.
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.
For Sperati forgeries of other values of the 1849 issue click here, here for Bordeaux issue forgeries.
Sperati made Reproduction 'A' to 'G' of the 1 F value. Some of them in several colors as they can be found in the genuine stamps. Some of these forgeries exist on letters, complete with forged cancels.
Sperati Reproduction 'A' forgery of the 1 F value. All the above
images are guaranteed Sperati forgeries, they all have the
'SPERATI REPRODUCTION' mark of the British Philatelic Association
on the backside.
Distinguishing characteristics of Reproduction 'A'.
This forgery, type A of the 1 F value, is extremely deceptive. It exists in several colors and with different cancels. The distinguishing characteristics are (often badly visible): there is a white dot in the internal left part of the 'O' of 'POSTES'. Sometimes a break can be found in the extreme left of the lower frameline. Pairs of these reproductions can also be found (often referred to as Sperati type B). The numeral cancels '805', '1792' and '3472' on some of the above forgeries were probably also forged by Sperati. Sperati also made a 'die-proof' in black of this forgery. He also made tete-beche pairs of type 'A' (often referred to as Reproduction 'B', sorry no image available yet).
Sperati Reproduction 'A' on an envelope, the cancel 'PARIS 22
JUIN 49 (60)' is also forged by Sperati. The backside of this
envelope shows Jean de Sperati's signature and the violet
'SPERATI REPRODUCTION' seal of the British Philatelic
Association.
Zoom-in of the Reproduction 'A' of the above envelope.
A similar forged letter can be found at http://www.seymourfamily.com/rfrajola/Sperati/sfrance.htm. There, an additional forged cancel 'BORDEAUX 26 OCT. 59 (32)' was added to the letter.
Many cancels can be found on
Reproductions 'A' and 'B':
Towncancels:
'BLETTERANS 1 MARS 1849 38'
'BOYNES 21 OCT. 1850 (43)'
'CREPY 10 JANV. 1849 (58)''CHARTRES 5 JANV. 1849'
'EPINAL 29 DEC 49 (82)'
'LA LOUPE 5 JANV. 1849 (27)'
'LE DORAT 20 AOUT 1849'
'ORLEANS 2 JANV 1849 (23)'
Grill cancel
Mute Paris Star Cancel
Continuous grill cancel
'OR' cancel in a small circle
Various numeral cancels: '166', '481', '805', '854', '1675',
'1730', '1792', '1818', '1896', '2199', '2250', '2273', '2642',
'2733', '2962', '3317', '3273', '3383', '3472'. Some of these
cancels might be genuine cancels, since Sperati sometimes used
bleached out genuine stamps to print his forgeries on, with the
genuine cancel remaining intact.
Other cancels might exist
Front page of an auction catalogue of Robson Lowe with Sperati
forgeries (1972), with an envelope with two 1 F Ceres stamps,
send to Bavaria. It bears three 'ORLEANS 2 JANV 1849 (23)' forged
cancels. The cancel 'ERLANGEN 10 1' is also forged.
Reproduction 'C' of the 1 F value in two different colors. This
forgery is always cancelled with the Paris Star cancel.
'Proof' of this cancel, reduced size
Type C reproduction of the 1 F Sperati forgery can be easily distinguished due to the fact that always the same cancel was used. This cancel is always placed at the same position. Often parts of another stamp to the left and/or right can be found in this type C forgery. A white dot can be found in front of the first 'S' of 'POSTES'.
(Sperati forgery of the 1 F stamp, 'Reproduction D'; it always
has the same cancel)
'Proof' of the constant cancel used on 'Reproduction D' of the 1
F value.
The above Sperati forgery is often referred to as 'Reproduction D', the star cancellation is always the same and located in the same position for every forgery (this is an easy way to detect this forgery). Sperati produced this forgery in a pair (the other stamp not shown here). Other distinguishing characteristics are: there is a white dot behind the 'B' of 'REPUB' and white dots before and after the 'R' of 'FRANC'. There is also a white dot between the 'O' and 'S' of 'POSTES'. I've also seen this forgery as a die-proof with the cancel extended towards the right hand side of the die-proof.
Sperati forgery, Reproduction 'E'; a pair of 1 F stamps with
constant cancel and a single stamp in orange shade.
The above pair of Sperati forgeries is referred to as Reproduction 'E'. The cancel is always on the same position (an easy way to recognize this forgery). Sometimes parts of stamps above this pair are still visible (as in http://www.seymourfamily.com/rfrajola/Sperati/FRA09a_300.jpg, but not in the above example). I've also seen single stamps of this forgery and forgeries of this type in orange colors (see second image). A die-proof exists of the right hand side forgery, where the cancel (as mentioned always in the same position) has been extended on the proof at the left hand side (this forgery is often referred to as Reproduction 'F').
Sperati cancel used on 1 F Ceres forgeries (reproduction F)
Reproduction Type F, die proof of the 1 F with cancel.
Sperati forgery type G of the 1 F value
Sperati's type G of the 1 F was only issued in the orange Vervelle shade. The design is rather blur on this forgery. A minor white spot can be discovered below the 'U' of the word 'REPUB'. Otherwise, this forgery is very deceptive.
For more forgeries of the Ceres type (1849-1875), forgeries, part 1, Ceres type forgeries, part 2.
