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Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

ONEGLIA FORGERIES, 1906 catalogue, "Datia" to "Fidji"

Return To Catalogue - Oneglia forgeries, introduction, part 1 - Oneglia forgeries, introduction, part 2 - Panelli - Spiotti - Venturini

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Erasmo Oneglia was an Italian forger in the late 19th century from Turin. He is famous for his engraved forgeries, but he also made photo-lithographed forgeries. Many of his forgeries were previously attributed to the forger Angelo Panelli. The engraved Oneglia forgeries are usually 'overinked'. When Oneglia applied a watermark on his forgeries, it is very clearly visible. His watermarks are impressed instead of being real watermarks. Oneglia also collaborated closely with A.Venturini and E.Spiotti. The exact relationships that these forgers had is not clear up to this day.

 

Oneglia forgeries, 1906 catalogue, "Canada" to "Cap Vert"

Datia. N

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1   Série de 4 pieces............................................................................................................................ Fr. 8.--
2   Série de 4 pieces Fr. 6.--

Since these Datia forgeries are marked "N", they were not made by Oneglia, but by another forger (as mentioned in the foreword of his catalogue).

 

Danemark. N

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1851 Armes:
1 1851 2 Rigsb., bleu.................................................................................................................................. Fr. -.50
2   16 Rigbs., gris Fr. -.70
3   16 Rigbs., violet rouge Fr. 1.--
Perché en lignes:

4   16 Rigbs., violet-rouge Fr. 1.--

Since these Denmark forgeries are marked "N", they were not made by Oneglia, but by another forger (as mentioned in the foreword of his catalogue).
I think the above forgeries are indeed those sold by Oneglia based on the fact tha they bear a 4 ring cancel similar to those on other Oneglia forgeries and that the margins are very large.

 

Danube. N

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1   Série de 8 timbres ............................................................................................................................ Fr. 3.--

Since these Danube forgeries are marked "N", they were not made by Oneglia, but by another forger (as mentioned in the foreword of his catalogue).

 

Deux Siciles. *
Royaume de Naples.

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1854 - Trinacrie, cadres divers, gravure en cuivre


1 1854 1/2 grano, rose.............................................................................................................................. Fr. -.40
2   1 grano rose Fr. -.10
3   2 grana, rose Fr. -.10
4   5 grana, rose Fr. -.10
5   10 grana, rose Fr. -.15
6   20 grana, rose Fr. -.40
7   50 grana, rose Fr. -.80
Gouvernement Provisoire.
1860 - Trinacrie, bleu:
8 1860 1/2 tornese Fr. -.50
1860 - Croix de Savoie, remplaçant la Trinacerie (gravure en cuivre)

9 1860 1/2 tornese, bleu Fr. -.50

The book 'The Oneglia Engraved Forgeries' by Robson Lowe & Carl Walske (1996) states the 1854 forgeries were printed in blocks of 6, with 5 grano and 2 grano on top, then 20 grano and 1 grano in the center and 50 grano and 10 grano at the bottom. I have not seen such blocks.


Looks like a very similar forgery, but not engraved?


This forgery has the cancel "TORINO 19 MAGG ?". In the book 'Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Work' from V.E. Tyler, a page from the 'Philatelisten Zeitung 18, 100 (1905)' is reproduced with cancels from Oneglia. Among them is the cancel "TORINO 19 MAGG 63 12 M". The above forgery however, looks more like a Fournier forgery.

 

Deux Siciles. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
Gravure en cuivre, sur papier des vrais timbres de 2 grana évanouis, filigrane et oblitération, vraie (Mondial succès)
 
10 1854 1/2 grano, rose.............................................................................................................................. Fr. 1.50
10bis   5 grano rose Fr. -.50
11   10 grana, rose Fr. 1.--
12   20 grana, rose Fr. 1.50
13   50 grana, rose Fr. 5.--
Gouvernment Provisoire
(Très joli, mondial succès):
1860 - Trinacrie
14 1860 1/2 tornese, bleu Fr. 10.--
1860 - Croix de Savoie
15 1860 1/2 tornese, bleu Fr. 5.--

These 'global succes' forgeries were made on genuine paper obtained from removing (bleaching) the image of a cheap 2 grana stamp and reprinting the desired design on it (very much similar to the way Sperati later made his forgeries).

 

Deux Siciles. *
Gouvermenment Provisoire comme les numeros précédents.

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1860 - Trinacrie:
16 1860 1/2 tornése, bleu.............................................................................................................................. Fr. 15.--
1860 - Croix de Savoie:
17 1860 1/2 tornése, bleu Fr. 10.--
Idem, sur papier commun:
18 1860 1/2 tornése, bleu Trinacrie Fr. 1.50
19   1/2 tornése, bleu Croix de Savoie Fr. 1.--

The book 'The Oneglia Engraved Forgeries' by Robson Lowe & Carl Walske (1996) mentions two types of these blue forgeries; with secret sign "G" in the margins below the "1/2" or without. I am not sure if this difference is what makes this set different from the previous ones?

 

Dominicaine (République). N

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1 1879 Armes - Série de 4 timbres.............................................................................................................. Fr. 1.--

Since these Dominican Republic forgeries are marked "N", they were not made by Oneglia, but by another forger (as mentioned in the foreword of his catalogue).

 

Diego Suarez. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1889 - Timbres des Colonies Françaises avec le chiffre 15 en surcharge violetter oblique:

1 1889 15 sur 1 cent., noir sur bleu ......................................................................................................... Fr. -.40
2   15 sur 5 cent., vert Fr. -.40
3   15 sur 10 cent., noir sur lilas Fr. -.40
4   15 sur 20 cent., brique sur vert Fr. -.40
5   15 sur 20 cent., noir sur rose Fr. -.40
Surcharge renversée.
6   15 sur 1 cent., noir sur bleu Fr. -.80
7   15 sur 5 cent., vert Fr. -.80
8   15 sur 10 cent., noir sur lilas Fr. -.80
9   15 sur 20 cent., brique sur vert Fr. -.80
10   15 sur 20 cent., noir sur rose Fr. -.80
Variétés.
11   15 sur 25 cent., noir sur rose (double surcharge) Fr. 1.--
12   15 sur 25 cent., noir sur rose (surcharge horizontale) Fr. -.80
13   5 sur 10 cent., noir sur lilas (surcharge 5 au lieu de 1) Fr. 1.--
1892 - Timbres des Colonies Françaises de 1881 avec Diego Suarez en surcharge oblique:
14 1892 30 cent., brun Fr. 2.--
15   35 cent., noir sur jaune Fr. 2.--
Surcharge renversée
16   5 cent., vert Fr. 2.--
17   25 cent., noir sur rose Fr. 2.--
18   30 cent., brun Fr. 2.--
Surcharge rouge
19   30 cent., brun Fr. 2.--
20   35 cent., noir sur jaune Fr. 2.--
Timbres Taxe
1892 - Timbres-taxe des Colonies Françaises de 1884-85 avec Diego Suarez en surcharge oblique:
21 1892 30 cent., noir (surcharge renversée) Fr. -.50
22   60 cent., noir Fr. -.40


Presumably Oneglia forgeries of the French Colonies with Diego Suarez cancels "DIEGO SUAREZ 2E/18 JANV 92", which was also used on the above forgeries.


A genuine French Colonies stamp with a forged "DIEGO SUAREZ" overprint and a forged cancel "DIEGO SUAREZ 2E/18 JANV 92" identical to the ones shown above.

 

Égypte. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.

1866 - Ornaments divers:

1 1866 Série de 7 pièces toutes différentes.................................................................................................. Fr. 7.--
1867 - Sphinx, de trois quarts à gauche et Pyramide:
2 1867 Série de 7 pièces toutes différentes... Fr. 2.--
1872 - 75 - 79 - Typo analogue, inscription italienne dans le bas, compris les deux avec valeur en surcharge noir:

3   Série de 14 pièces toutes différentes... Fr. 4.--
Taxe.
1884 - Chiffres dans un rectangle:
4 1884 Série de 5 pièces toutes différentes, rouge Fr. 2.--

1886 - Id.
5 1886 Série de 4 pièces toutes différentes... Fr. 1.--
1888 - Id.
6 1888 Série de 5 pièces toutes différentes, couleurs variés Fr. 3.--
1888 - Taxe:
7   Les 5 piastres gris seul Fr. 2.--
    Toutes les 43 Fr. 16.--

All of these egypt forgeries have a "POSTE EGIZIANE PORTO SAID 3 GEN 78 T1". I am not 100% certain that these are indeed Oneglia forgeries, but they do appear to on the same 'primitivity' level than many of his other forgeries. Also, all of the forgeries listed with the above cancel appear in his 1906 catalogue. And some of the above forgeries appeared in a lot with many other Oneglia forgeries.
In his 1898 pricelist, Oneglia only offers an 'Essai authentique sur papier commun piques 13 neuf, 5 paras, gris-vert' for Fr. 2.--.

 

État de l'Église. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1 1852 7 baiocchi, bleu............................................................................................................................... Fr. -.10
1858 - Timbres grands, couleur sur blanc:
2 1858 50 baiocchi bleu Fr. -.20
3   1 scudo, clair Fr. -.30
(Réimpressions authentiques garanties):
4 1867 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 40 e 80 centimes, la série Fr. -.50
5 1868 Idem, dentelés Fr. -.50
6   1 scudo, clair Fr. 1.50

1) At first sight, it is not immediatelly evident that the 7 Baj forgery was indeed made by Oneglia. However, on page 15 of the book 'The Oneglia Engraved Forgeries' by Robson Lowe & Carl Walske (1996), a letter from Oneglia is shown which has an image of exactly the forgery shown above. It has the "7" very different from a genuine stamp. It has some 'strange' cancels for an Oneglia forgery though. This forgery type is also shown in the Levitsky book ('Roman States Forgeries the Issues of 1852' by F.J. Levitsky), but it is attributed there to the stamp forger Senf (which also does not seem obvious to me).


Part of the Oneglia letter mentioned above with an image of the 7 Baj Papal States forgery reproduced from the Lowe and Walske book

2) I've been told that the above 1 Scudo forgeries were made by Oneglia. They seem to be engraved.
3) The 1867/1868 reprint issues might have been cancelled with the cross cancel of Ferrara (since this cancel is shown in V.Tyler's book 'Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Works' as one of Oneglia's forged cancellations)

 

Éritrée (Colonie d')
Afrique Orientale.

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1893 - Timbres d'Italie, vrais, avec Colonia Eritrea en surcharge imitation:
1 1893 1 cent., vert gris................................................................................................................................. Fr. -.05
2   2 cent., brun-rouge Fr. -.05
3   5 cent., vert Fr. -.05
4   10 cent., carmin Fr. -.05
5   20 cent., jaune Fr. -.05
6   25 cent., bleu Fr. -.10
7   40 cent., brun Fr. -.20
8   45 cent., gris Fr. -.10
9   60 cent., violet Fr. -.20
10   1 lira, brun et orange Fr. -.30
11   5 lire, rouge, brun et bleu Fr. 3.50
1896 - Idem.
12 1896 20 cent., jaune Fr. -.10
13   25 cent., bleu Fr. -.10
14   45 cent., gris Fr. -.10
15   20 cent., jaune Fr. -.05
16   10 cent., rouge Fr. -.05
17   1 cent., olive Fr. -.05
18   2 cent., brun rouge Fr. -.05

In V.Tyler's book 'Philatelic Forgers theirs Lives and Works' a page of the Philatelisten Zeitung 18, page 100 (1905) is reproduced. It has the following Oneglia cancel for Eritrea: "MASSAUA 14 5-94 *(ERITREA)*". I presume this cancel was used on these forgeries.

 

Espagne. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1851 - Effige à droite dans un ovale:
1 1851 2 reales, rose.................................................................................................................................... Fr. 2.--
2   6 reales, bleu Fr. 5.--
1853 - Effige à droite dans un cercle:
3 1853 6 cuartos, carmin Fr. -.10
4   12 cuartos, violet Fr. -.50
5   2 reals, rouge Fr. 1.--
6   5 reals, vert Fr. -.50
7   6 reals, bleu Fr. -.70
Armoires fond blanc.
8 1854 2 cuartos, vert Fr. 1.50
9   1 real, bleu foncé Fr. 1.--
10   1 real, bleu pâle Fr. 1.50
1865 - Effige de Isabelle II; lion et tour aux angles:
11 1865 2 cuartos, rose Fr. -.20
12   4 cuartos, bleu Fr. 1.--
13   12 cuartos, bleu et rose Fr. -.20
14   19 cuartos, brun et rose Fr. -.50
15   1 real, vert Fr. -.30
16   1 real, vert foncé Fr. -.30
17   1 real, lilas Fr. -.30
18   2 real, saumon Fr. -.30
19   2 real, bistre Fr. -.30
Erreur, centre renversé:
20   12 cuartos, bleu et rose Fr. 1.--
21  

Les mêmes dentelés

 
22   2 cuartos, rose Fr. -.20
23   4 cuartos, bleu Fr. -.20
24   12 cuartos, bleu et rose Fr. -.40
25   10 cuartos brun et rose Fr. 1.--
26   1 real, vert Fr. -.50
27   2 real, violet Fr. -.30
28   2 real, saumon Fr. -.30
29   2 real, bistre Fr. -.30
30   12 cuartos, blue et rose Fr. 1.--
31   19 cuartos, brun et rose Fr. 1.50
32   4 cuartos, bleu Fr. 1.50
Timbres de Madrid.
1853 - Écusson couronné
33 1853 1 cuartos, bronze Fr. 1.--
34   3 cuartos, bronze Fr. 2.--
1872-73: N
35   5 cuartos, rose Fr. -.10
36   10 cuartos, lilas Fr. -.50
37   12 cuartos, violet Fr. -.05
38   20 cuartos, lilas Fr. -.40
39   25 cuartos, brun Fr. -.50
40   40 cuartos, bistre Fr. -.10
41   50 cuartos, vert Fr. -.10
42   1 peseta, lilas Fr. -.40
43   4 peseta, brun Fr. -.50
44   10 peseta, vert Fr. 1.50

These forgeries (at least the ones I have seen) are cancelled with a "4" numeral cancel (the so-called Rueda de Carreta type).
The 1862 King Amadeus forgeries appear to be of the same type as the Cuba forgeries in this Ongelia catalogue. These Amadeus forgeries also have the "4" numeral cancel.
The 1 reales green perforated stamp has very wide margins, as often the case in Oneglia forgeries.

 

États Unis d'Amérique.

Number Year Description Price in Fr.

1860 - Gravure en cuivre, très jolie:

1   90 cent, bleu (Washington) ................................................................................. Fr. 1.--

image obtained from a Rumsey auction

2 1860 24 cent., vert et violet (Declar) Fr. 1.--
3   90 cent., carmin et noir (Lincoln) Fr. 1.--
Idem, erreurs, avec centre renversé:
4   24 cent., vert et violet (Declar) Fr. 1.--
5   90 cent., carmin et noir (Lincoln) Fr. 1.--
6 1870 Facsimile, timbres pour journaux, série de 4 timbres Fr. 1.--
7 1873 Facsimile, timbres de service, série de 4 timbres Fr. 1.--
8 1870 Facsimile, timbres pour journaux, série de 24 timbres Fr. 1.--

 

Fernando-Po. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.

1896-98 - Tim. Fiscaux surch.

1 1896-98 5 cent., sur 10 cent., carmin....................................................................................................... Fr. 1.--
2   10 cent., carmin Fr. 1.--
Avec surch. renversée.
3   5 cent., sur 10 cent., carmin Fr. 5.--
4   10 cent. Fr. 6.--
1899 - Dent. 14. N
5 1899 60 cent., noir Fr. 1.--
6   80 cent., brun-lilas Fr. 1.--
7   1 pesos vert Fr. 5.--
8   2 pesos bleu prusse Fr. 5.--

Since the 1899 Fernando Po forgeries are marked "N", they were not made by Oneglia, but by another forger (as mentioned in the foreword of his catalogue).
Since the above 5 c on 10 c is the only forgery I am aware off, I presume this is the forgery Oneglia sold. The overprint is too small and the letters of the overprint don't correspond to a genuine overprint I've seen. Also, the basic stamp appears to have been photolithographed (details all a bit blur) and the crossbar of the "F" of "F DO" is placed too high.

 

Fidji. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.

1871-77 - Cadre variés dent. 12 1/2.

1 1871-77 1 pesos, bleu............................................................................................................................... Fr. -.50
2   3 pesos, vert (note the wrong currency: pesos instead of pence) Fr. -.50
    6 pesos, carmin Fr. 1.--
1872 - Idem, surch.
4 1872 Two cents. sur 1 p. Fr. -.50
5   Siy cents. sur 3 p. Fr. -.50
6   Twelve cents. sur 6 p. Fr. 1.--
1874 - Idem, surch. V. R. floroné sur le T. du 1872

Forgery, '2d' should be red! Forgery!
7 1874 2 cent., sur 1 p. blue Fr. 2.--
8   6 cent., sur 3 p. vert Fr. 5.--
9   12 cent., sur 6 p. carmin Fr. 3.--
10   2 d., sur 6 cent., sur 3 p. Fr. 5.--
11   2 d., sur 6 cent., sur 3 p. (s. rouge) Fr. 5.--
12   2 d. sur 12 cent., sur 6 p. (s. rouge) Fr. 10.--
V. R. plus petit.
13   2 cent., sur 1 p., bleu Fr. 3.--
14   6 cent., sur 3 p., vert Fr. 10.--
15   12 cent., sur 6 p., carmin Fr. 3.--
16   2 d., sur 6 cent., sur 3 p. Fr. 10.--
17   2 d., sur 6 cent., sur 3 p. (s. rouge) Fr. 5.--
18   2 d., sur 12 cent., sur 6 p. (s. rouge) Fr. 8.--
    Série de 18 pièces Fr. 65.--

I've been told these are Mercier forgeries, but I think they are probably made by the forger Oneglia. Oneglia offered these forgeries for the first time in his 1906 catalogue.
In the 1 p forgery, there are too many pearls (65 instead of 55), and the base of the crown is rounded instead of being flat. The 1 p forgery also exists imperforate (without cancel). The "C" is too close to the circle.
In the 3 p forgery, the correct pattern for the circle is used, but the base of the crown is rounded instead of being flat (I've also seen the 3 p forgery without any overprint).
In the 6 p forgery there are pearls in the circle instead of the zig-zag pattern of the genuine stamps (similar to the Spiro forgeries, the Spiro forgeries have 55 pearls, Mercier's forgeries have 56 pearls). I've also seen the 6 p forgery with a 'VR' overprint only.
Although I'm not entirely sure, it looks like these forgeries have the typical bars with "G" cancel as can be found on many other Oneglia forgeries.


Imperforate 1 p forgery and 6 p with "VR" overprint only

 

Oneglia forgeries, 1906 catalogue, "France" to "Gwailor"


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer