If It Seems To Good To Be True...

Backroads,

There was a discussion about the Memphis confederate postmaster provisional in another thread. That thread has been deleted because of other issues.

Your stamp (top stamp in your post) is an Upham forgery. Yours is a different forgery from the Type 2 forgery that was in the deleted thread.

For reference, see

http://home.comcast.net/~kr.baker/c...kes/56x2.htm

Backroads, some stamps very much like your confederates are for sale on e-bay from a seller in England.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...TRK:MEWAX:IT

I've been in contact with him already, and sent him some web info regarding forgeries. He's very nicely put a note on his sale that these are what they are. It's good to see some honest sellers.
On the other hand, the forgeries themselves can be quite collectable.

Thanks both for the info. With that one link, I can put some sort of definitive note beside the one of them at least.

Yes, I agree that forgeries are an interesting sideline all by themselves. I have a little more knowledge with some of the early provincial issues of Canada, but there, it's often forged cancellations that are more often the problem to collectors.

Confederate Stamps are a real minefield. I've been told that without a legible postmark, or very good scan to avoid the item. Some people do collect the fakes and forgeries for a tool of comparison.

Backroads,

The Memphis, Mobile, Nashville and New Orleans are all Samuel C. Upham Facsimiles. He printed his facsimiles between May 1862 and sometime in 1863. He made 15 different.

The 5-cent green and red that look the same are believed to be the fakes Francois Fournier was selling. No name to go with the others. Great fakes. I will try to get a scan of the 15 Upham facsimiles to post. They are often listed on ebay as genuine.