Q On Bermuda SC 12

Please for help with this stamp I just acquired. What is the significance of the "Three Pence" surcharge on a one shilling stamp? Was there a currency revaluation at the time? Does it mean the price of the stamp was one shilling plus three pence or did a new three pence currency value replace one shilling?

I increased the brightness of the scan for visibility so the color does not reflect that of the actual stamp.

I searched the Forum, Google and Wikipedia and found no specific information except a reference to an out-of print book on the stamps of Bermuda. I'm sure there are experts here in the Forum that can help. Thank you in advance.

Donald

Those "Three Pence" overprints were issued because of a shortage of the regular 3p stamps. Your stamp appears to be Scott #12, cataloged at $975 in the 2009 edition.

Thank you, BeeSee. A simple and straightforward reason, but one wonders why the one shilling stamp was surcharged and not some lesser-valued stamp. Perhaps there was little demand for, and thus a surfeit, of the one shilling.

Donald

Donald, it was quite common to use higher values for surcharges because, yes, they were not used as much and it also prevented postal forgeries. Who would buy a 1sh stamp and fake the overprint at 3p.

DLAMBERT------I believe their is a recorded variety or overprint flaw in this stamp ,its known that the "R" in THREE is a "p",I can not see yours too clearly but it may be the case .

There is no variety P for R. There are two types of the overprint on the 1s.,

R of Three & P of Pence with same fonts.

R of Three & P of Pence with different fonts.

However yours shows an unknown font for the R of Three which does not exist and therefore your example is a forgery.


Pagoda

I can't really come to terms with the cancel situation, either.

My SG Commonwealth lists a third type of overprint, Type 7, which is not an italic font. This one, if it could be anything, would have to be a Type 6a, based on the P.

I tried to blow up the picture to get a better look at the R, but a better scan would help much in seeing what is going on there.

agree with CJD ,that black cancel looks suspect .It looks like it had a reddish cancel original and both overprint and cancel to hide the suspect cancel by washing and then the addition s were added .A clear scan would help.

Please see new scan at 600 dpi instead of original 200 dpi scan.

Fonts of R in Three and of P in Pence look the same to me under magnification, but I am no expert.

Thanks for the help, so far.

Donald

I meant to ask if forgeries of this stamp are common.

Donald

Donald,

re.





yes, and this is one of them,

There is so much wrong with virtually every letter, the design and the placement.

The postmark at the top looks OK whilst the postmark at the base appears to have been added to make it look like it is over the overprint.

Pagoda

Thank you, Pagoda. Try to stay cool down there.

Donald

On 28 Jan, Pagoda wrote: "However your shows an unknown font for the R of Three which does not exist therefore yours is a forgery." See image below.





There is a Bermuda SC 12 for sale on ebay, with a certificate from the Royal Philatelic Society, which appears to me to have the same font for the R in Three as my stamp. See next image.




Comments are welcomed.

My stamp may still be a forgery, based on the apparent red and black cancellations, but it would be interesting to speak to the font issue.

Donald

Donald

DLAMBERT1----Think your right ,if your picture has a certificate attached to it .

dlambert,

The T in Three is not clear in yours.
The H in Three is not clear in yours.
The R in Three are nothing like the other.
The E's in Three are nothing like the other.

The P in Pence is nothing like the other.
The E's in Pence is nothing like the other.
The N in Pence is nothing like the other.
The C of Pence is nothing like the other.

Pagoda