Many Faces of the Die 10 Forgeries

This article published in:

Postal Stationery, Journal of the United Postal Stationery Society, Vol. 50 # 351, NOV-DEC 2006, pgs 170-172

Many Faces of the Die 9 Forgeries

By Bill Lehr

revisions: JUN, 2007

Die 9 (Scott type U12) is the three cent bust of George Washington, star die, from the 1860 Nesbitt printings. Die 9 is printed in red on white laid paper and on buff laid paper. Reprints of Die 9 are known on vertically laid paper only. A genuine Die 9 measures 20 X 24 mm. (except Die 9T8 which is 24.5 mm. tall) and has six-rayed stars; one point of each star appears to touch the inner frame line. Washington has a long throat which measures 2 mm. in length. Washington’s nose is rounded and the forehead has a slight curve. There is a barely discernable bow on the queue. There are three groups of working dies encompassing nine types. The groups are defined by where the back of the bust points in relation to the “G” and the “E” of “POSTAGE”. Working die type one through seven are all in group one (back of the bust points to the “G”). Group two (points between the “G” and the “E”) and group three (points at the “E”) have one type each.

U26T3 U27T5 U27T8

There are two major types of Die 9 forgeries. Type 1 depicts a bust of “George Washington” and six pointed stars. Type 2 depicts a bust of Benjamin Franklin and five pointed stars. Similarities in the busts depicted on Type 1 forgeries of Dies 9, 10, and 11 seem to indicate a common source for these forgeries.

Type 1 forgeries:

Common characteristics

Bust of “George Washington” has a grotesque head (long nose, heavy eyebrows).

Back of the head bulges as if swollen.

Neither star touches the inner oval; left star is close to the outer frame line.

Printed in red on wove paper.

Measures 21 X 25 mm.

The Die 9FGT1 was attributed to Engelhardt Fohl of Dresden by the German philatelic publication Mitteldeutsche Philatelisten – Zeitung in the JUL, 1900 issue. Early literature suggests that a set of the 1860 Nesbitt star die type 1 forgeries was produced for sale to European collectors.

Die 9FGT1-1 (short neck)

Common characteristics of Die 9FGT1-1

The neck measures approximately 1 ½ mm. long.

There is no dot of color in either star.

There is a large bow around the queue.

Front of the bust exhibits an upward hook.

Known both with and without fake cancels.

Sub varieties of the Die 9FGT1-1 can be differentiated by the shape of “Washington’s” nose.

Die 9FGT1-1.1

Die 9FGT1-1.1 Hooked nose. Observed on buff wove paper.

Die 9FGT1-1.2

Die 9FGT1-1.2 Big nose. Observed on white wove paper.

Die 9FGT1-1.3

Die 9FGT1-1.3 Very big nose. Observed on white wove paper.

Die 9FGT1-1.4 Extremely big nose. Not observed. Number reserved.

Die 9FGT1-2 (long neck)

Common characteristics of Die 9FGT1-2

The neck measures approximately 2 mm.

Front of the bust exhibits a minor upward hook.

Top rear of the head is concave.

Nose is arched.

Base of the bust differs from the genuine.

The stars, especially the right star, often have a dot of color inside of the star(s).

Neither star touches the inner oval.

Die 9FGT1-2.1 There is no dot of color in either star. Not observed. Number reserved.

Die 9FGT1-2.2 There is a dot of color in the right star only. Reported. Not observed. Number reserved.

Die 9FGT1-2.3 There is a dot of color in both stars. Not observed. Number reserved.

Type 2 forgeries:

Common characteristics of the Die 9FGT2:

Bust of Benjamin Franklin facing the wrong way (right).

Bottom front of the bust points between “A” and the “G” of “POSTAGE”.

Head is poorly embossed.

Franklin has no lips.

Bottom of the bust touches the inner frame line at the front.

Poorly formed five pointed stars not touching either frame line.

“C” of “CENTS” is small.

“N” of “CENTS” is very wide at the top, narrow at the bottom.

Frame lines are irregular, especially the inner frame line.

Printed on wove paper.

Known with and without fake cancels.

George B. Sloane suggests, in the JUL 2, 1949 issue of Stamps, that the bust may be of Nero rather than of Franklin.

Die 9FGT2-1.1 Not observed. Reserved for printings in red.

Die 9FGT2-1.2

Die 9FGT2-1.2 Printed in magenta. Top of Franklin’s head comes to a small point under the “C” of “CENTS”. “S” of “POSTAGE is connected to the inner frame line. The “E” of “POSTAGE” touches the inner frame line. This variety has the cleanest lettering of the type 2 forgeries. Observed on white.

Die 9FGT2-2.1

Die 9FGT2-2.1 Printed in red. Franklin has a spike on the top of his head. “H” and “R” of “THREE” are joined at the bottom. “T” and “H” of “THREE” touch the inner frame line. The “E” of “CENTS” is connected to both the inner and the outer frame lines. “T” of “CENTS” touches the inner frame line. “S” of “U.S.” touches the inner frame line. The “G” of “POSTAGE” is connected to the inner frame line. The top of the “E” of “POSTAGE” touches the inner frame line. Observed on white.

Die 9FGT2-4

Die 9FGT2-2.2 Printed in magenta. Franklin has a small point or bump on the top of his head. “H” and “R” of “THREE” are joined at the bottom. “T” of “CENTS” is connected to the inner frame line by a line. The “S” of “POSTAGE” is connected to the inner frame line. The top of the “E” of “POSTAGE” touches the inner frame line. Observed on buff.

NOMENCLATURE

Nomenclature for Die 9 forgery identification follows this format:

Die # F(or)G(ery)-Type-Class-Sub-variety

SUMMARY

Properly speaking, forgeries should be referenced to the genuine Die number. Design, ink color and paper color may make it possible to ascribe Scott/UPSS catalog numbers to forgeries. All Die 9 forgeries printed on white paper correspond to UPSS 48/ Scott U26. All Die 9 forgeries printed on buff paper correspond to UPSS 53/ Scott U27.

Additional varieties or paper colors may be waiting to be discovered. The author is interested in examining any additions to the forgeries presented above.

Acknowledgement

My gratitude to collector Steve Dawson for the loan of his collection of U.S. postal stationery forgeries.

Bibliography

In addition to the usual catalogs, the following articles have been of assistance:

Bartels, JM

United States Envelopes - Series of 1860

Stamps

Vol. 28, No. 4, Whole # 359, p 116

Collin, Henry and Calman, Henry L.

A Catalog for Advanced Collectors

American Journal of Philately

Second series, Vol. XII, JUN 1, 1899, pps 247-248

Dickinson, H.S.

Die Making and Notes on 1860 Second Nesbitt Issue

American Philatelist

Vol. 71, No. 6, pps 423-25

Envelope Counterfeits

(reprint from Stamp Journal, Dec. 1909)

Weekly Philatelic Gossip

XXV: 250 1937-38

Haeseler, Rob

Cut Square Forgery Collection Helps Research

Linn's Stamp News

Vol. 73, No. 3732, p 8 2

Hotchner, John M

Who Made Such Crude Fakes of Cut Squares?

Linn's Stamp News

Vol. 74, No. 3779, p 6 2

Kinabrew, J.M., Jr.

Correspondence to Varro Tyler

Re: German? Forgeries of the star dies.

JUN 8, 1977

1860 Types/Forgeries

Pat Paragraphs

No. 39, OCT 1939

Sloane, George B.

Forged U.S. Envelope Issues

Stamps

JUL 2, 1949

Tyler, Varro E.

Focus On Forgeries # 337, Scott U26

Linn’s Stamp News, 2000

Undersander, Dan

Counterfeits of the Star Dies

Postal Stationery

Vol. 42, No. 1, Whole # 39, pps 13-14

Undersander, Dan

USA Envelopes: Counterfeits of Star Dies II

Postal Stationery

Vol. 43, No. 2, Whole # 317, pps 29-31

Undersander, Dan & Starkey, Gary

USA Envelopes: Reprints of the Nesbitt Issues

Postal Stationery

Vol. 44, No. 1, Whole # 322, pps 4-6

Youngblood, Wayne L

Fake Stamps Not Always What They Seem

Linn's Stamp News

Vol. 63, No. 3241, p 44