Fictitious Reference Collection; Fakes
- Front. Blue handstamp. Wrong color. The genuine examples are a much darker blue, almost indigo. This one is a milky bluish.
- Front. Blue handstamp. The “&” is not correct versus genuine examples. This example has the top tail straight outward. Genuine examples have the top tail curving upward.
- Front. Blue handstamp. The “Aug 4” date is shifted to the right a few millimeters versus genuine examples.
- Front. Blue handstamp. The ink is somewhat “watery” versus the oilier inks used in genuine examples.
- Front. General. There is no indication of a rate charged by the pony express. Genuine examples usually have a pencil notation “5.00” denoting the $5 per half ounce rate in effect at this time.
- Reverse. Black handstamp. The ink color is wrong. It should be carmine, as the pony express station agent in St. Joseph had begun using carmine ink on Aug 16, 1860 based on genuine examples.
- Reverse. Black handstamp. The “Aug 16” date slug is rotated clockwise about 10-15 degrees. Genuine examples do not show this rotation on ANY date.
- Reverse. Black handstamp. The only genuine example of an Aug 16 (1860) St. Joseph running pony handstamp has a manuscript “1 am” in front of the Aug 16 date slug, indicating that the pony arrived from the west shortly after midnight on Aug 16. The cover is question should also have had such a notation, as the station agent at St. Joseph surely would not have applied such a notation to only one cover.
Submitted by: Ken Stach WCS #1244
Posted: November 3, 2020
A Swift and Co. Express cover was recently up for auction (see scan above), but withdrawn when found to have had a fraudulent address added. The cover was previously auctioned in 2007 (see scan below) and it was unaddressed at that time. This cover could come up for auction again.
Submitted by: Scott Prior WCS #1505
Posted: September 23, 2017
This Hunter’s hand stamp is a counterfeit, probably added to this Tandler correspondence cover by Georges Carion about 1890-1900. See Thomas (2013) page 440, (2017) page 471, for a comparison of the original vs. the counterfeit hand stamps. This cover was recently offered on eBay.
Submitted by: Scott Prior WCS #1505
Posted: September 23, 2017
Catalog #: | WCS-BP-001 |
Description: | A government envelope with a Wells, Fargo & co. printed frank. A red 25 cent Wells Fargo Pony Express stamp has been added. Addressed to Roseburg, Oregon and canceled with a Wells Fargo San Francisco hand stamp. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1861 3 cent pink, U35 (buff) #93 |
Frank: | Wells Fargo type-E in black applied top center |
Stamp: | 1864 Wells Fargo 25 red, sc# 143L9 |
Handstamp: | Wells Fargo type 11-4, San Francisco/SEP 22 |
Address: | Marks & Co./Roseburg/Oregon |
Manuscript: | Asha Marks/San Francisco/Sept 21 62 |
Conclusion: | # 143L9 is genuine. |
# 143L9 has been added to cover.
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This envelope and stamp was donated to the Society from the Basil C. Pearce estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of fictitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. | |
Reference | Gamett, J. M. Nevada Express, 2002, pp. 29 -58. |
Scott, Specialized Catalogue of United State Stamps, 2003 Thorp, P. H. Thorp-Bartels Catalogue of United States Stamped Envelopes, Century Edition, 1954, pp. 39 – 45. Leutzinger, J. F. The Handstamps of Wells, Fargo & Co., 1993, p. 191. |
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Org 04 April 2003 Rev 01 March 2004 Rev 02 September 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-BP-002 |
Description: | A government envelope with a Bamber and Blake hand stamp on the front of the envelope and a Bamber hand stamp applied to the back. Addressed to San Francisco, California. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1854 3 cent red, U10 (buff) #15 |
Handstamp: | Bamber, BAM-101/black, top left front Bamber, BAM-403/black, centered back Blake, BAK-800/blue, top right front |
Address: | San Francisco, California |
Manuscript: | “Mk 70” applied to back of envelope |
Conclusion: | The Blake hand stamp is a fake applied by Georges Carion as part of the Tandler correspondence. |
The fabricator of this cover would have you believe the cover was transported by Blake from Weaverville, down the Sacramento River and landed in the east bay where it was passed to Bamber to carry it across the Bay to San Francisco. A genuine usage from Blake would have passed to Wells Fargo at Shasta for passage down the River and across the bay to San Francisco. Wells Fargo would have delivered the cover within the city. The use of the Blake and Bamber hand stamps over lap in time, but only for a few months at most. Without the fake Blake hand stamp this envelope is a great example of Bamber carrying an envelope from an east bay source to destination within the city of San Francisco without the assistance of Wells Fargo. The catalog numbers applied to the Bamber and Blake hand stamps are part of an ongoing effort by the Society to assign numbers to each express mark. This listing will be released in the future. This envelope was donated to the Society from the Basil C. Pearce estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of factitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. Org 04 March 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-HS-003-1 |
Description: | A government 1887 series envelope with a Central National Bank of Dallas, Texas. corner card. Addressed to El Paso National Bank, El Paso, Texas. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1887 2 cent green, U311 (white) |
Post Mark: | Dallas, Texas June 5, 1890 |
Stamp: | 1864 Wells Fargo 25 red, sc# 143L9 |
Receiving Mark: | El Paso, Texas June 7, 1890 |
Corner Card: | The Central National Bank/Dallas, Texas |
Address: | El Paso Nat’l Bank/El Paso/Tex |
Hand Stamp: | Purple oval with Steamship inside |
Conclusion: | The oval hand stamp is a fake and was fictitiously added to inherence the fictitiously added to inherence the value of the cover for fraudulent sale. The envelope and all other marks are of period and genuine. Seven (7) examples of this type of mark are currently in the Fictitious Collection. They are labeled WCS-HS-003-1 through WSC-HS-003-7.
All covers addressed to El Paso, Texas, during the 1888 to 1893 period that carry any of the below listed colored express mark are considered to be fake. This group of marks may consist of several hundred covers. This group of fakes has been refereed to as the El Paso National Bank Fakes as examples are addressed to the Bank or a person associated with the Bank. All examples have been applied with rubber hand stamp. Known examples consist of, but may not be limited, to the following. |
This envelope was donated to the Society from the Henry Spelman estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of fictitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. Org 04 March 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-HS-003-6 |
Description: | A government 1887 series envelope with a Central National Bank of Commerce in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Mo. corner card. Addressed to El Paso National Bank, El Paso, Texas. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1887 2 cent green, U311 (white) |
Post Mark: | Saint Louis, Mo. Aug 8, 1890 6 PM |
Stamp: | 1864 Wells Fargo 25 red, sc# 143L9 |
Receiving Mark: | El Paso, Texas Aug 11, 1890 1 PM |
Corner Card: | The National Bank of Commerce in Saint Louis/Saint Louis, Mo. |
Address: | El Paso Nat’l Bank/El Paso/Tex |
Hand Stamp: | Purple oval with Steamship inside |
Conclusion: | The oval hand stamp is a fake and was fictitiously added to inherence the value of the cover for fraudulent sale. The envelope and all other marks are of period and genuine. Seven (7) examples of this type of mark are currently in the Fictitious Collection. They are labeled WCS-HS-003-1 through WSC-HS-003-7.
All covers addressed to El Paso, Texas, during the 1888 to 1893 period that carry any of the below listed colored express mark are considered to be fake. This group of marks may consist of several hundred covers. This group of fakes has been refereed to as the El Paso National Bank Fakes as examples are addressed to the Bank or a person associated with the Bank. All examples have been applied with rubber hand stamp. Known examples consist of, but may not be limited, to the following. |
This envelope was donated to the Society from the Henry Spelman estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of fictitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. Org 12 September 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-HS-004-1 |
Description: | A government 1887 series envelope addressed to El Paso National Bank, El Paso, Texas. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1887 1 cent blue, U300 (manila) |
Post Mark: | San Francisco, Cal. Mar 27, 188X 6AM |
Receiving Mark: | None |
Corner Card: | None |
Address: | El Paso National Bank/El Paso, Tex |
Hand Stamp: | Red rectangle with NACO/ARIZONA/TRANSIT inside |
Conclusion: | The rectangular hand stamp is a fake and was fictitiously added to inherence the value of the cover for fraudulent sale. The envelope and all other marks are of period and genuine. Two (2) examples of this type of mark are currently in the Fictitious Collection. They are labeled WCS-HS-004-1 and WSC-HS-004-2.
All covers addressed to El Paso, Texas, during the 1888 to 1893 period that carry any of the below listed colored express mark are considered to be fake. This group of marks may consist of several hundred covers. This group of fakes are refereed to as the El Paso National Bank Fakes. All examples are addressed to the Bank or a person associated with the Bank. All examples have been applied with rubber hand stamp. Known examples consist of, but may not be limited, to the following. |
This envelope was donated to the Society from the Henry Spelman estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of fictitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. Org 12 September 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-HS-005-1 |
Description: | A government 1887 series envelope addressed to the El Paso National Bank, El Paso, Texas. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1887 2 cent green, U312 (amber) |
Post Mark: | Dallas, TX. March 10, 1891 8 PM |
Receiving Mark: | El Paso, Texas March 21, 1891 2:30PM (Most likely March 12) |
Corner Card: | The Bankers & Merchants National Bank/Dallas, Texas |
Address: | El Paso Natl Bk/El Paso/ Texas |
Hand Stamp: | Purple straight line Pacific Express Co |
Conclusion: | The straight line hand stamp is a fake and was fictitiously added to inherence the value of the cover for fraudulent sale. The envelope and all other marks are of period and genuine.
All covers addressed to El Paso, Texas, during the 1888 to 1893 period that carry any of the below listed colored express mark are considered to be fake. This group of marks may consist of several hundred covers. This group of fakes are refereed to as the El Paso National Bank Fakes. All examples are addressed to the Bank or a person associated with the Bank. All examples have been applied with rubber hand stamp. Known examples consist of, but may not be limited, to the following. |
This envelope was donated to the Society from the Henry Spelman estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of fictitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. Org 14 September 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-HS-006-1 |
Description: | A government 1887 series envelope addressed to the E. B. Bronson, El Paso, Texas. |
Image: | |
Envelope: | 1887 2 cent green, U311 (white) |
Post Mark: | Fort Worth, TX. November 22, 1890 7 PM |
Receiving Mark: | El Paso, Texas November 24, 1890 1 PM |
Corner Card: | Nov 22, 1890/C. H. Silliman/Fort Worth, Texas (Hand Stamp) |
Address: | E. B. Bronson, Esq./El Paso/ Texas |
Hand Stamp: | Purple oval, frame split on left with FORWARDED BY/GREAT WESTERN/EXPRESS inside the oval |
Conclusion: | The oval hand stamp is a fake and was fictitiously added to inherence the value of the cover for fraudulent sale. The envelope and all other marks are of period and genuine.
This hand stamp is found with a split in the oval frame line. This split can be found on the left side of the oval or the right side of the oval. All covers addressed to El Paso, Texas, during the 1888 to 1893 period that carry any of the below listed colored express mark are considered to be fake. This group of marks may consist of several hundred covers. This group of fakes are refereed to as the El Paso National Bank Fakes. All examples are addressed to the Bank or a person associated with the Bank. All examples have been applied with rubber hand stamp. Known examples consist of, but may not be limited, to the following. |
Org 26 September 2004 |
Catalog #: | WCS-BP-007 | ||||
Description: | A buff colored envelope with blue Wells Fargo, Stockton and a black Hunter, Mud Springs hand stamp on the front of the envelope. Addressed to Tandler & Co. in San Francisco. | ||||
Image: | |||||
Envelope: | Plain buff colored | ||||
Hand Stamp: | Wells Fargo/Stockton, top right Hunter/Mud Springs, bottom left |
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Conclusion: | The Hunter hand stamp is a fake applied by Georges Carion. This is a Wells Fargo Stockton to San Francisco carried cover that has a fake Hunter hand stamp applied. | ||||
The routing of this cover is wrong and the applied hand stamp has differences when compared to a know good example. The fabricator of this cover would have you believe the cover was transported by Hunter from Mud Springs inEl Dorado County down to Stockton and from that point carried by Wells Fargo to San Francisco. A genuine Hunter carried cover would have passed this cover to Wells Fargo at Sacramento. | |||||
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This envelope was donated to the Society from the Basil C. Pearce estate and is part of the Western Cover Society Collection of fictitious material that has been permanently removed from circulation as part of the Society’s effort to prevent fraudulent sales. Org, 20 May, 2006 |