I got a request of a collector who is looking to buy this stamp. So first thing I did was checking my collection. This is what I found:
Not so many. Only 5 pieces. After that I checked the literature. Just while Michel lists certain stamp does not mean it really exists. That is what I found:
At the end of the list of the 100r HH monogram overprinted stamps you usually find this stamp. And it has always quite a high price tag, which is an indication hat this stamp is probably rare. Michel list it as number … (I wont list the number, because Michel owns the rights and I have heard they prosecute you if you use them in public.) The Liapin catalog lists this stamp as number 89 with a price tag of 700 Euro. Tchilinghirian and Ceresa list this stamp as part of the 6th issue of the HH monograms Februar to March 1921. Tchilinghirian gives a price of 30/- which is one of the highest I have seen in his catalog. Ceresa gives a price tag of 5 pounds, but this is quite old (I think from around 1980) and Ceresa generally prices all items extremely low for my taste. Catalog values for covers show 20 pounds and at auctions you have to shell out way over 1000 Euro.
At this point we know the stamp with this overprint most likely exists. Next to do is check my stamps.
A weak imprint which is not usual and makes checking the overprint harder. A quick glance shows:
- Second zero raised → check
- Second zero inside smaller → looks that way, kinda hard to tell for sure though
- Both zeros tilt to left → check
- Large space between one and zero → check
- r(uble) wide and not closed → looks that way, kinda hard to tell for sure though
Conclusion: a candidate for a genuine overprint, but needs mot detailed inspection (shape upper part etc.)
This one is easy. It is a fake. Shape of the “1” is wrong. Second zero not smaller, no tilting but most prominent: it is the “p” type of the 100r fakes.
Tchilinghirian lists this as forgery number 167. You can easily see the “r” is closed and looks like a “p”.
That is another “p” type forgery. Nice example.
This again is not so easy. A first glance shows the ink looks strange – especially the zeroes. It does not cover the underground equally, but has like vertical stripes. I made a high resolution scan, rotated the clipping til the “1” was upright and put in some lines and arrows.
Now it looks even more wrong than before. The second zero is above the base line but the shape is wrong. Also the shape of the “r” is missing the ball, the end of the H misses the pointy peak and the thickening of the S is not there.
Sometimes it is very helpful to check on detail against one form a genuine overprint.Now you can see that the “r” is even below the base line!
This is a forgery. I could not assign this to one of the forgery types illustrated by Tchilinghirian.
Again an easy one. This is a forgery. Hollow H, way to thick figures “100”, overall shape simply wrong. Again no assignment to the Tchilinghirian forgery types possible. While two of them show the thick figures, other attributes differ.
Except for one stamp all overprints are fake and that one is not an easy candidate. I got a scan from a fellow collector with his 100r on 7r overprinted stamps. Ten more candidates to examine in detail. The collector I got those from owns one of the largest collections worldwide (as far as known to me). So again that says something about the rarity of those overprint / base stamp combination.
And the “100r” in detail. The resolution of the scan does not allow higher zoom in. At this point we could do with more.
Let us do the checks:
- Second zero raised → check
- Second zero inside smaller → looks that way, also shape looks good, check
- Both zeros tilt to left → looks that way, kinda hard to tell for sure though
- Large space between one and zero → check
- r(uble) wide and not closed → looks that way, kinda hard to tell for sure though
The HH monogram in detail and a genuine one.
It look quite close to the genuine one. Due to the different scanners used and the different resolutions of the scan, it is hard to deliver a final judgement.
Conclusion: a candidate for a genuine overprint, but needs mot detailed inspection.
The second stamp.It is a forgery. Very crude, easy to spot. Probably Tchilinghirian type F171.
The third stamp.First impression: looks good. The detailed comparison again suffers from the insufficient resolution of the scan.
Again a candidate for a genuine overprint.
The fourth stamp.
I can not see anything which definitely says i am fake. Still, on the other hand, nothing safe can be said for the overprint being genuine. Perhaps even with the stamp in my hands it may not be possible to say if it is genuine. Such things happen quite a lot with those hand made overprints.
The 100r in detail. I do not like the shape of the zeros. The ball of the “r” is missing.
The HH monogram does not look good either. Tail not sharp/pointy, H dimensions wrong, shape generally wrong.
This is a forgery.
A crude forgery.
The shape resembles the genuine one somewhat, but not good enough. A forgery.
A forgery.
Here the overprint upright and in detail.
A very ugly forgery.
Without further ado the details. The monogram.
Finally a clear candidate. Now we are talking. Shape and ink are very good. Especially the ink looks typically. The monogram features a very clear impression. Over the years I found that (with a few exceptions) most of the overprints were quite clean and well shaped. They worked very deliberately and took pride in producing good results.
This is the only stamp which would very likely get an positive opinion from me.
Summa sumarum. A very rare overprint indeed. I got information about that the Ashford collection contained two genuine stamps.
If you got this stamp in you collection, please let me know.
PS: I got scans form a collector with 4 more stamps. If I get them in a higher resolution I can say more about it.
I an currently writing Forgery Guide 39 covering the 50 R. and 100 R. HH surcharges.
It has surprised me to find when sorting through my Armenia stock book of about 5000 HP and HH overprints that there are far more genuine copes of the 100R than the 50 R, Types – a 100 spare duplicates of the 100 R. compared to 10 duplicates of he 50 R. available to collectors who need them. I am currently writing up forgery type F40 (100 R.) and have at leastt 60 more different forgeries of the 100 R, to characterise and illustrate in the Forgery Guide No.39. I agree with the forgery types discussed and all have so far been covered in my present work. My e-mail address is available to any collector who wants it, r.ceresa @sky.com
I agree that all but one of these surcharges of the 100 R. HH are forgeries (7 of them listed in my work in progress). I have only one genuine copy of the 7 R. imperf, cancelled Erivan with signatures of BOREK in red plus other signatures besides mine.I have listed this as a counter surcharge along with the 5 R. Romanov which is equally scarce (RR rating). Offers for both invited.
Hello
I have one of the 100 ruble monogram overprints . If you would like some scans or pictures let me Know.
sincerely
William Snyder