Guatemala

1881 Issue 2c inverted Quetzal

Sperati Sperati used two clichés to print his 1881 inverted Quetzal reproductions. He used genuine stamp paper. While the genuine is engraved, the reproductions were produced by photo-lithography. A 5c has also been reported but not seen. Negatives for a new 20c denomination and a second type of Quetzal in the Paris Museum were first reported in Sperati II, pages 100-101.

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1881 Issue 2c inverted Quetzal

1. original is finely engraved while the forgery is lithographed and lacks the fine detail

2. the numerals have rougher edges than the genuine

(image of genuine stamp courtesy R.A. Siegel)

1881 Issue 20c Quetzal (Sperati II)
only from Paris Museum negative

1. the "O" of "UNION" has a colored diagonal in the upper half

2. the "S" of "POSTAL" has a dot in its diagonal, toward the right

3. the numerals have rougher edges than the genuine

1. there are two colored dots in the white space above the eye

2. there is a blob of color near the lowest tail feather

additional information from Sperati I:  Plate 129    Guatemala Text
additional information from Sperati II:    Guatemala Text

Richard Frajola (May 9, 2020)