Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 2

E. Carlo Usigli Forgeries

Return To Catalogue - Papal States, 1867 issue, reprints - Romagna

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Usigli was a stamp forger from Florence (Italy). More on Usigli can be found in "Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Works" by V.E.Tyler.
According to https://peoplepill.com/people/carlo-usigli, Elia Carlo Usigli was born on March 16, 1812 in Correggio and died in Florence, April 3, 1894. He apparently was a chess player, a publicist and book dealer in Florence.

Romagna

Usigli obtained the plates of the stamps of Romagna (together with genuine obliterators). He made private reprints and essays (see below) with these and with retouched plates. He sold the plates to a certain Bonasi, who sold them again to the stamp dealer Moens in Belgium.

Usigli reprint in green of all values in a minisheet. I've also seen similar sheetlets printed on lilac and blue paper.

"Saggio" essays made of Romagna by Usigli:

These are 'essays' printed by Usigli ment for the stamp dealer Moens. The central part of the design is often broken and badly printed. The word 'Saggio' is printed at the bottom. My personal copies are printed on rather thick ribbed paper.

Papal States

In 1878 (according to Tyler), Usigli obtained the printing plates of the 1867 issue of the Papal States (Roman States). He made 'essays' and reprints out of these (see examples below). See also 'Handbuch der Neudrucke' by Paul Ohrt, 1912, pages 200-202.

'Essay' strips of the Papal States, made by Usigli:

'Usigli's essay strips', in the first strip the last two columns are missing, in the second strip the first two columns are missing

Usigli reprints of the Papal States:

Usigli reprints. Apparently Usigli did not make reprints of the 5 c and 10 c values (see Tyler).

Sardinia (Sardinian horses)

The postal stationary of Sardinia are the first postal stationary to be issued in the world. Forgeries were made of these duty covers in 1875 by Usigli using the original plates (see Tyler). I have no further information or images available.

I've been told that these are Usigli reprints of the 1853 issue of Sardinia. I have no further information.

Parma

V.E.Tyler in his book "Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Works' mentions that the Usigli made a photo-mechanical forgery of the 1857 25 c value of Parma in vermilion on ribbed paper. He also made tete-beche pairs.

This might be the tete-beche forgeries which the Tyler book mentions. I am not sure however.

Other suspected Usigli products

Could this be an forged Usigli essay for Modena? The bottom part is missing and the word "Saggio" is added to the text (reduced size). I've also seen this 'essay' on other colors of paper (green, lilac, brown, yellow, white). Some sources say that these are Usigli reprints (Usigli was a printer who also reprinted Papal States stamps). They do indeed look very similar to the Romagne Usigli reprints, where the word "Saggio" is also printed at the bottom.