::: PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT - Forgeries :::

Back to Provisional Government Issue.

From the day the Provisional Government overprints were released to the public on May 20, 1893, collectors created a buying frenzy. Forgers were quick to enter the scene. Some forgeries are easy to notice but others are quite good. The identity of forgers of this issue has been elusive. Dealers would accuse other dealers of generating them, perhaps out of competitive jealousy. Stories of overprint plates being discovered here or there attracted attention in the philatelic press of the day. However, no solid evidence pins responsibility for any of these forgeries on anyone. Personally, I suspect Brewster Kenyon of complicity in making at least some of them. He produced an early and well known treatise on Hawaiian stamps, but also was a recognized philatelic rogue who forged stamps of several countries.

Meyer and Harris lists overprint forgeries from number 501 to 532 in their detailed list. I have not seen them all.

A quick key to a forgery lies in the first "i" of the word "Provisional." To create enough space between the "i" and the "s" the printer knocked off the right foot of each "i" to make the genuine overprints. Forgers overlooked this detail. Meyer and Harris record a forgery of Scott No. 65 (MH #532 in the list of forgeries) with a correct defective "i" on the old orange stamps (Scott No. 31a). I have not seen this forgery. A couple of easy marks of it are described: the period is half-way up the vertical stroke of the "T" and the "3" is aligned with the right end of the top stroke of the "T". If anyone has an example of this forgery, please send me an image or an E-mail (scott312@earthlink.net). A participant on this site sent me an image of a different fake Scott No. 65 with a broken first "i" and it is imaged below. Otherwise, all of the forgeries I have seen have the incorrect full foot on the first "i".

genuine "i" from proof of first printing	"i" from fake of Scott No. 53

Another mistake of the forgers was their failure to notice the alignment of rows within the overprint itself. In the genuine overprint frame, "1893" is placed further to the right in each column. This alignment in more or less identical fashion carried through each of the ten rows of stamps. Thus, in the left column, "1893" is beneath the center of the "G" but in the right column, "1893" is beneath the gap between the "G" and the "O." Forgers made their rows uniform throughout the sheets they produced. This test is useful if you are examining a horizontal multiple.

Horizontal row from proof of first printing Note how "1893" shifts to the right in relation to "GOVT."

Genuine overprints were produced on a press using movable type. As with the Numeral issue, movable type made "bite" marks in the paper so indentations from the type can be noticed on the back of a genuine stamp. Because of the thickness of the paper, these indentations can sometimes be hard to detect. Also, the presence of bite marks is not a sure sign of a genuine overprint because some fakes were produced by typography - whether movable type or a cast is uncertain - leaving bite marks.

Back showing bite marks of a genuine overprint

Other letters or numbers often were misshapen. Frequently the "P," "al," "G," "O," "T," "8" and "9" are the wrong shapes. For comparisons, here are examples of these letters and numbers from the genuine proof sheet. It is important to recognize there are minor variations among the genuine stamps because movable type was used. However, the misshapen forgeries fail to match a genuine stamp from any position. For comparison, here are details of the various characters in a genuine overprint.

Proof impression of Position 41 4th printing

The word "Provisional" should measure just about 17mm. "GOVT." measures almost 9mm. "1893" measures right at 6mm. Top to bottom (dots above the "i's" to beneath "1893") the overprint measures 8mm. Significant variations (1mm or more) from these measurements will raise a red flag calling for close inspection.

GALLERY OF FORGED OVERPRINTS

London Electrotypes:

So-called London Forgeries or London Electrotypes came to light by August, 1894, when E. W. Holdsworth wrote about them in Stanley Gibbons Monthly Journal. Whether they actually emanated in London was never proven. Some writers claimed they were from the "West" and an advertisement by Brewster Kenyon (a proven faker) in Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News in December, 1893 described several "varieties" known only among the London Forgeries. In any event, the London Forgeries were all of Scott No. 53 and are quite common today. C. W. Richards defaced many of them with a star paper punch.

Detail from a large block of "no period" forgeries of Scott No. 53. The star punch used by Richards is seen here. Whether by accident or intent, fading caused some stamps to turn "pale mauve." Genuine overprints on "pale mauve" stamps may have resulted from fading.

Details:

The ink is too red in these fakes

Back of a London Forgery showing counterfeit marks and Richards's star punch; the London Forgeries have no bite marks

The first "i" always has a full right foot

Other Forgeries:

Some of these forgeries are more dangerous than others, but all have the full foot on the "i."

Missing period Scott No. 53b Detail

Bogus missing period for Scott No. 55 Detail

Scott No. 56 Detail

Study 1: Printing and Printing States

Study 2: Quantities

Study 3: Loose Type Flaws

Study 4: Printer's Errors - Inverts and Doubles

Back to Provisional Government Issue.

Copyright © 1999 - 2004 POST OFFICE IN PARADISE. All rights reserved.