19-11-2023 15:46 Forged stamps of Hannover - The Spud Papers | Stampforgeries of the World

FORGED STAMPS OF HANNOVER

“The Spud Papers”
by Atlee, Pemberton & Earée

1850-51. COAT OF ARMS

1 Ggr, 1/30, 1/15 & 1/10 Thaler

GENUINE
T he 1 G.GR. blue has for watermark a
kind of “Oxford frame.” All the
others have a wreath of oak leaves,
usually very plain and distinct. The gum
on all the stamps of this issue is of a dark
rose tint. There is a stop after the word
KIN on the 1 G.GR. This is a mistake on
the engraver’s part; but it is fortunate for
us, as it affords one test for the detection
of the forgeries, which have no such
stop. The head of the unicorn is tolerably
well-shaped, except that he need not
have opened his mouth quite so much;
and there is a little dot to represent the
nostril. The crown on the head of the lion
resembles a baron’s coronet; his tongue
is curled upwards at the end, and his
mane comes well up over his cheeks,
nearly to his eyes. The harp in the royal
FORGED
Lithographed. No watermark, white gum.
No stop after BIN in the I G.GR. Head of
unicorn like the open beak of an eagle. No
dot for nostril. The crown on the lion’s
head is of an indescribable shape; it is
something like a crescent laid flat, with one
horn longer than the other. His tongue
ends in a knob curling slightly downwards,
and there is no mane on the cheeks. The
harp has only two strings when any are
visible at all, but in most copies the
instrument is merely a blotch. The point at
the top of the shield of value just touches
the motto-scroll above it, but is not
covered by it. Thin inner line of frame often
so blotched as to touch the outer one.
Being lithographed, there is no trace of
embossing on any of the stamps. Printed in
sheets of 25, and sometimes postmarked

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arms has four strings. The shield with an imitation of the genuine postmark,
containing the figures of value has a but without the central date-figures.
point in the center of the top, which is
partially covered by the motto-scroll. The
thin inner-line of frame never touches
the thick outer one in any part. In good
specimens, the figures of value on the
shield are slightly embossed, owing to
the pressure of the die. There are other
minor differences; but these are the
chief.

1853. VALUE & CROWN

3 Pfennige. Rose

GENUINE
Typographed (?) on white wove paper,
backed with rose-colored gum. 32
vertical lines in central oval. Design very
distinct, and very little hidden by the
burele pattern. There are 4 of the vertical
lines between outside of oval and H of
HANNOVER. The letters of value (EIN
DRITTET SILBF.RGROSCHEN) are small,
and do not nearly fill up the space
between the boundary lines of the scroll.
None of the letters run into one another.
Printed in deep dull carmine.
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FORGED
Lithographed, on very badly made white
wove paper, un- gummed, no watermark.
There are only 29 lines in the central oval.
The whole of the design is very much
blotched, the letters frequently run into
each other, the first E of SILBERGROSCHEN
has a flaw at the top -(visible in all copies),
and the burele pattern is so heavy and
coarse that the design of the stamp is
almost hidden by it. The H of HANNOVER
touches the third line of the central oval.
The letters of value are large, and almost
touch the scroll at top and bottom. Printed
in dirty rose-pink, and postmarked with
HANNOVER in double circle, but no date.
This stamp is not calculated to deceive; the
absence of the rose gum, and the number
of the lines (29 instead of 32) in central
oval, afford a ready means of detection.
The paper on which the forgeries are
printed looks as though bones, and old
iron, and tarred ropes, and all kinds of
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19-11-2023 15:46 Forged stamps of Hannover - The Spud Papers | Stampforgeries of the World
rubbish, had been ground up to make the
pulp, besides the old rags which are
ordinarily used for that purpose.
1859-61 KING GEORGE V
1, 2, 3 & 10 Groschen
GENUINE
These stamps, though not marvels of art,
are, nevertheless, very carefully engraved
The fine lines behind the king’s head are
perfectly distinct, and never run into
each other, though so close together. The
pearls round the head are large, and
close together (there are 88 of them, but
unfortunately, there are the same
number in the forgeries, so this is no
test), and the king’s nose is strongly
aquiline, with a line of shading from the
eye nearly to the point. Outside the
circle, between it and the border, there
are two of the vertical lines of the
groundwork to be seen on the left hand
side, and one on the right. The lettering is
moderately clear. Rose gum.
1863. VALUE & CROWN
3 Pfennige. Green
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FORGED
Lines of groundwork have a ragged look.
Pearls round the head very small, and
apparently a little distance apart. The king’s
nose is rather snub, and only a slight touch
of shading by the eyebrow. Between the
outer circle and the outer line, there is only
one of the vertical groundworklines to be
seen on either side. The lettering is blotchy,
and looks as if it had “run”. The gum is
white. In these stamps, I have found it
exceedingly difficult to give such tests as
will enable a collector, possessing only one
specimen, to decide at once whether that
specimen is genuine or forged; for, though
there are many differences between the
genuine stamps and their imitations, I
must, in justice to the forgers, say that
these differences are very slight. The
forgeries just described comprise both the
yellow and the bistre 3 Groschen.
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GENUINE
Lithographed, and rather blotched; 32
lines in the oval. The legend on the scroll
is often almost unreadable. Rose gum on
the unperforated copies; when the gum
is white, the stamps are perforated en
arc.
FORGED
The great mistake of the forgers has here
been to lithograph their stamps too well;
so that the forgeries look better than the
genuine specimens. As before, the chief
test is, that there are only 30 lines in the
oval. Imperforate, with white gum.

1864. COACH HORN

1/2 Groschen. Black

GENUINE
10 small pearls and 1 large one outside
the crown to right; and 9 small and 1
large to the left. Inside the wide mouth of
the posthorn are 17 lines of shading. The
jewels round the lower rim of the crown
are oval. The paper is creamy white.
FORGED
11 small pearls and 1 large one outside the
top of crown to each side. Inside the
mouth of the post-horn there are only 13
lines of shading. The jewels round the rim
of the crown are round. Paper very chalky
white.

Country Index
Hannover

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