United States Confederate States Scott #6 Used New York Forgery

Item Specifics

Country

United States

Catalog Number

6

Stamp Type

General Issue

Condition

Used

Stamp Format

Single

Year of Issue

1857

Item Description

United States (U.S.) Confederate States Scott #6 Used light blue Jefferson Davis. Please note: Another very common counterfeit which is found frequently in collections and in dealer's stock is the New York Counterfeit of the CSA #6 stamp. This stamp is very commonly mistaken for the real stamp by collectors and dealers alike. To fully understand the story behind the New York Counterfeits one must first be aware of the story behind the Altered Plates as the two are tied together. If you have not already reviewed the Altered Plates story above, then please do so now as it will help you to understand these counterfeits.

These counterfeits were made in the 19th Century not long after the end of the war with the apparent express purpose of deceiving collectors. They were made in New York City, hence the name "New York Counterfeit." Someone apparently got their hands on a flawless section of the 5c to 10c Altered Plate that had recently been broken up. A print was made from this section and the value tablet was redrawn back to the original "FIVE CENTS." Apparently some sort of a photographic technique with which I am not familiar was used to combine the print with the redrawn value tablet and used to construct a new printing plate of 100 subjects. A large quantity of these counterfeits were then printed.

But these counterfeiters made some mistakes. The counterfeits are actually very easy to tell from the originals. But you have to be aware of their existence and also know what to look for. The counterfeits have a somewhat flat appearance with a very distinctive blue-green color. The original CSA #6 stamps were never printed in a blue-green color but are all a uniform blue or light blue color. There is a somewhat cloudy appearance to the design of the counterfeit and a sleepy look to the portrait with nearly closed eyes. Also, the hair of the portrait appears mostly solid while the original has distinct lines in the hair. But the easiest to see characteristic other than the sickly blue-green color is the mistake that was made in redoing the value tablet. The crossbars of the "F" and the "E" of "FIVE" are distinctly shorter than the originals. Beware the New York Counterfeits as they have no significant value except as a reference item.

Harris Philatelic Exchange is a 35+ year member of APS and registered part time dealer.

Seller Information

Seller

hpestamps (6538)

Registered Since

12/25/2006

Feedback

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Store

Harris Philatelic Exchange

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Item Location

California, United States

Ships To

Worldwide

Returns Accepted

Yes

Returns Policy

Must request approval for return within 10 days of payment.