Riverside Stamps
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Methods of verifying used Nebr./Kans. overprints.
There are four steps to checking a suspect Nebr. Overprint (same goes for the Kans. Overprint):
The perforations of the suspect are 11 X 10 ½ which make the suspect the correct rotary press issue. The presence of a gum breaker or breakers cannot be determined for the suspect. If any were present they have been pressed out or are hidden by the hinge remain or creases. The color of a genuine overprinted stamp is a dark dull blue while the color of Type I and Type III gum breaker stamps is a light blue. Below is an image of a Type I, Type II and Type III gum breaker stamps with the suspect below them. As can be seen the top middle stamp (Type II) is slightly darker than the outside stamps. The suspects color closely matches the top middle stamps color. Lastly is an examination of the suspects overprint in comparison to a known genuine example. All of the literature I have read states that in genuine overprints the letters will be on the same level. What I have not seen but suspect is true is that the overprint will be parallel with the image frame of the stamp. I believe this to be true because of the way the stamps were manufactured in one step from a roll of blank paper until after the overprint was applied. The plates used to print the stamp were made to exacting standards of quality resulting in perfectly square images and I have no doubt that the electro-plates used to apply the overprints were also made to those same exacting quality standards. Below is an image if a known genuine overprint showing that it is parallel to the image frame.
Not only is the overprint parallel with the image frame but the letters of the overprint are also on the same plane. The suspect on the other hand has an overprint that is not parallel with the image frame and the letters are not in the same plane with the “e” and “b” slightly higher than the “N” and “r”.
A direct comparison of each letter in the suspect to the same letters in the known genuine example shows there are noticeable differences.
Another thing that I noticed when looking close at the letters is that the top of the “N”, “b”, “r” and the period are impressed into the paper as illustrated by the images below.
The indentations on the front are also seen as bumps on the back of the stamp.
In conclusion I can state with absolute certainty that the suspect overprint is a fake. Since most of the ink in the suspect overprint is around the outside edges I suspect that it was a typewriter that was used to make the suspect overprint though a metal hand stamp is also a possibility. Reference material used: used:
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