With these surcharged issues I have to be very careful when showing "original" stamps for comparison. The stamps I show in this gallery fulfil the given criteria for original surcharges, but I have very few samples to compare, and it is necessary to be very cautious with these stamps. In addition to the "classic" forgeries I show here, some very good imitations are said to be made in the 60's and 70's by the Bulgarian communist government to earn foreign cash. Thus, I suggest you use the pictures in this gallery mostly as illustration of the originality criteria rather than illustrations of truly original surcharges....

The following criteria are valid for ORIGINAL issues of Mi 21 (Sc 19/21B):

1. Height of surcharge is 7 3/4 mm (outer edge)
2. Narrow inside of the number, even width
3. The back arcs are not in line
4. Deep cut to the middle of the vertical part
5. Upper external line ends on level with the end of the middle part
6. Front arcs are in line
7. Horizontal end with sharp edges
8. Vertical end with sharp edges

Forgery	Original?
	- This forgery is much better than the example above, but it can still be identified by the sloping end of the upper arc...

Forgery

Original?

The following criteria are given for ORIGINAL issues of Mi 22 (Sc 20/21C):

1. Height of surcharge is 7 1/2 mm
2. Broad, edged top of head
3. The outer line ends deeper, with sharp corner. Not in line with the shadow
4. Short vertical end
5. Inner line connected to the end of the arc
6. Horizontal end of arc; sharp edges

Forgery	Original?
	- and here is a red surcharge forged as black variant.

Mi 23 / Sc 21/21D

Forgery

Original?

The following criteria are given for ORIGINAL issues of Mi 23 (Sc 21/21D):

1. Height of surcharge is 12 1/2 mm
2. Edged top of number "1"
3. Curved head of "5" with edged end
4. Vertical inside of arc
5. Foot of "1" arcing upwards
6. Edged ends on head of "1" and on neck and arc of "5"

Forgery	Original?

Mi 24 / Sc 22

Forgery

Original?

The following criteria are given for ORIGINAL issues of Mi 24 (Sc 22):

1. Height of surcharge is 12 1/2 mm
2. Curved underside of head with edged end on "5"
3. Thicker vertikal part of "0"
4. Edged end of arc of "5"

Forgery	Original?

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Sources:

• Billig's grosses Handbuch der Faelschungen, Part 34, Vienna, 1937
• F. Serrane: The Serrane Guide, APS 1998

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