Batum #1-6

[Tim_Balm]

David and I started to have a brief email discussion about these issues when I thought I'd like to move the discussion to this forum.

In a recent issue of Scott Stamp Monthly (March 2003), there was an article on packet-filler forgeries.  In this article was a discussion of the Batum "tree issues" -- Sc#1-6, 13-20, 57-65.

The SSM article states there are 2 type of forgeries of the Sc#1-6 series.  Besides describing gum and paper differences, the SSM article states the following about design differences.  "a dead giveaway on the kopeck denominations [Sc#1-3] is the number of pearls above the right-hand denomination table.  Genuine copies have 6 pearls, while both counterfeit types have seven."  This is consistent with bot The Serrane Guide and our very own FICC newsletter (vol 7, issue 2, p5).

For the ruble stamps [Sc#4-6], the SSM article states the key points to check are "the K and A of the first word of the top inscription and the upper right corner of the outer frame line.  On genuine copies, the K and A are joined, and the corner is clearly defined and square.  On type 2 forgeries, there is a space between the K and A, while on type 1 forgeries there is a small upword projection on the corner."  This is very different from Serrane which only addresses forgeries in general rather than ther being 2 types.  Serrane states "#4: eight round pearls above the the figure on the left [genuine copies have 8 irregular pearls]; #5: the letters B and A are touching [they do not touch in the genuine]; #6: the letters T and Y are not touching [they touch in the genuine]."

Does anyone else have information on the Batum 1-6 forgeries?  For instance, the FICC newsletter discusses the tree branches are angled in the genuine kopeck values, but upright in the forgeries.  Is there more in the reference where that came from?

Happy sifting and sorting...

[numones]

I have read again the First Issues article (Volume 7, Issue 2, page 5) mentioned by Tim above.  The scans and some of the text came from me.  I probably got the information from Frank Aretz booklets "Know Your Stamps".  He does mention another test which is difficult to describe with words only.  The upper line of the tulip under the second "A" of "Batumckar" is curved on the genuine copies.  His observation was that on all of the forgeries this line was straight.  

In general it seems that some of the tests given to separate the good from the bad, are not consistent for all the examples of certain stamps that I have encountered.  This is true of the "tulip" test, as well as the tests for the ruble values, Batum #4-6, cited in the Scott Stamp Monthly article Tim mentioned.  Maybe more practice is needed.    

[Denikin]

The Good News is, Dr. Ray Ceresa's Handbook Series documents everything known about Russian Civil War era stamps & their forgeries.  The one you'd want is Volume IV, parts 13/16, dealing entirely with Batum.  It's available from Trevor Pateman (Google search his name for URL) in England.

Bad News: it'll set you back $60.00  Printing lengthy treatises on obscure issues of limited general interest costs a lot of money      

[Jesper]

The even better news ( ) is that the APRL have the books:

Ceresa, R.J. The postage stamps of Russia, 1917-1923
Go learn something ;-)

[Tim_Balm]

Great!  I have had great success checking things out of the APRL.  Ginny is a great help.  If you explain what you want and why you want it, she goes way out of her way to make sure you get everything they have.  Hopefully, time will free up over the summer for me and I get the research in.