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ONEGLIA FORGERIES, 1906 catalogue, "Luxembourg" to "Mauritius"

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, "Hambourg" to "Joniennes"

Luxembourg.

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1859-63 - Essai authentique neuf: .


I've been told that this is a non issued 12 1/2 c red, possibly the essai that Onaglia is offering here?

1 1859-63 12 1/2 cent., rose ...................................................................................................................... Fr. 2.--

 

Levant Anglaise. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1892 - Timbre de 1/2 penny vermillon vrai de 1887-92 avec surcharge
40 Paras imitation et timbre d'oblitération imitation.
1 1892 40 Paras 1/2 penny, vermillon .......................................................................................................... Fr. 1.--

 

Las Bela. N

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1 1897-98 Série de 3 timbres..................................................................................................................... Fr. 1.--

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

 

Levant Russes. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.

1864 - Compagnie Russe de Navigation, aigle et cors (grand timbre)


1 1864 6 Kop., bleu ...................................................................................................................... Fr. 3.--
3   6 Kop., bleu foncé Fr. 3.--
1865 - Vaisseau, lettres blanches:
3 1865 10 Paras, brun et bleu Fr. 5.--
4   5 Pias, bleu et rouge Fr. 5.--
1866 - Même genre, letttres de couleur, fond burelé horizontalement:
5 1866 10 Paras, brun et bleu Fr. 1.--
6   5 Piast., bleu et rouge Fr. 1.--
1867 - Même genre, fond burelé verticalement
7 1867 10 Paras, rose et bleu Fr. 1.--
8   5 Piast., bleu et rouge Fr. 2.--
9   La série de 8 pièces Fr. 20.--

Most of the Oneglia Russian Levant forgeries bear the bars with "1" cancel. In the book 'Philatelic forgers, their Lives and Works' by V.Tyler, a copied page of the 'Philatelisten Zeitung 18 page 100, 1905' is reproduced with a forged Oneglia 6 lines cancel as on the second 6 k forgery shown above. This lines cancel might have been used on forgeries of the Italian States as well (Tuscany and Modena).


Another Oneglia forgery with a numeral "3" in dots cancel. A very similar cancel should exist on a forgery of a 5 c postage due stamp of Netherlands Indies (see under Indes Néerlandaises).

 

Lubeck. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1859 - Fil. petits fleurs.

The cancel reads "LUBECR BAHNHOP" instead of "LUBECK BAHNHOF"; note the clear 'flowers' impressed watermark
1 1859 1/2 s., lilas ...................................................................................................... Fr. 2.--
2   1 s., orange Fr. 2.--
3   2 s. brun Fr. 2.--
4   2 1/2 s. rose Fr. 2.--
5   4 s., vert Fr. 1.50
Erreur:
6   2 1/2 s., brun Fr. 10.--
1862 - Idem, sans filigrane.
7 1862 1/2 s., lilas Fr. 2.--
8   1 s., jaune Fr. 2.--
1863 - Impression en relief. - Percé en lignes.

9 1863 1.2 s, vert Fr. -.50
10   1 s., rouge orange Fr. 1.--
11   2 s., rose Fr. -.50
12   2 1/2 s., outremer Fr. 3.--
13   4 s., bistre Fr. -.80
    Tous les 13 Fr. 25.--

I believe the above forgeries of Lubeck were made by Oneglia, since as far as I know, only Oneglia applied forged impressed watermarks. The last letters of the cancels are wrong "LUBECR BAHNHOP" instead of "LUBECK BAHNHOF". Also note that the small patterns of the ellipes are slightly different from the genuine stamps in the 1863 issue.

 

Madagascar. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.
1896 - Timbres de France du 1877-84, vrais, avec valeur, dans un ovale en surcharge,
imitation et timbres d'oblitération:
1 1896 5 sur 1 cent., noir sur azur ............................................................................................................... Fr. 1.--
2   15 sur 2 cent., brun Fr. 1.--
3   25 sur 3 cent., gris Fr. 1.--
4   25 sur 4 cent., violet brun Fr. 1.--
5   25 sur 40 cent., vermillon Fr. 1.--

 

Mauritius. *

Number Year Description Price in Fr.

1847 - Légende Post-Office, gravure en cuivre très joli:

.

1 1847 1 p., vermillon Fr. 5.--
2   2 p., bleu Fr. 5.--

1848 - Légende Post-Paid, différents types:



3   1 p., vermillon sur blanc Fr. 3.--
4   2 p., bleu sur blanc Fr. 3.--
5   1 p., vermillon sur azuré Fr. 3.--
6   2 p., bleu sur azuré Fr. 3.--
1859 - Diffèrents types:


11   2 p., bleu Fr. 3.--
12   2 p., bleu Fr. 1.50
13   2 p., bleu (gravure usé) Fr. 1.50
1847 - Post-Office
14   1 penny, rouge en litographie Fr. -.20
1859 - Différents types en litographie sur papier vergé:

15   1 p., vermillon Fr. 1.50
16   2 p., bleu Fr. 1.50
17   La série complète de ces 15 jolies imitations Fr. 30.--
1849 - Déesse assise << Mauritius >> dans le bas, sur azuré (gravure en cuivre)
Oneglia forgeries
1) See comments below
18   Sans valeur, rouge-brun Fr. -.40
19 1858 Sans valeur, bleu Fr. -.10
20   Sans valeur, vert Fr. -.40
21   Sans valeur, vermillon Fr. -.20

All these Oneglia Mauritius forgeries have either the bar with "1" cancel or the bars with "G" cancel.


Here an Oneglia forgery with an additional red sun(?) cancel.

1) The seated Britannia issue exists in at least 2 versions (and possibly even 3?), differing in the position of the staff of Brittania with respect to the first "U" of "MAURITIUS", either pointing to the left leg of this letter in version 1 or the right leg in version 2 (or in between in version 3). In the Lowe and Walske book version 1 is shown on the 4th row of stamps on page 59, while version 3 are the three forgeries at the bottom row. On page 98 a single forgery of version 2 is shown.


Version 1 with the staff of Brittania pointing to the right leg of the first "U" of "MAURITIUS". Also Version 2 with the staff pointing to the left leg of this "U". It bears a 3-ring concentric circles cancel that I have not seen on any other Oneglia forgery. Finally Version 3 with the staff pointing exactly to the center of the "U".

 

Oneglia forgeries, 1906 catalogue, "Majunga" to "Malacca"


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer