Laid paper

 

Front
 
Back
Fig. 1: front
 

Fig. 1b: back

(Images from "Catalogo Vaccari" ed. 2000/01)

To explain the "mystery" of this stamp I will rely again to the great master Emilio Diena and to its work "Regno Lombardo Veneto - la prima e la seconda emissione".
I will reproduce in the whole what he observed and issued eliminating only those data that the past years indeed changed (for instance the extreme dates of use) or that are not directly connected to this work. I hope that the reader will not consider this simple transposition as an oversimplification but my personal trial to explain better the genesis of this stamp could only create confusion. I will limit myself to say that, to these days, this variety is known only on the 15 centesimi handmade paper of the third type and is unknown as new. The oldest date of use is August 24th 1852 and the most recent one is May 10th 1853; It's known used only in Battaglia, Bergamo, Brescia, Chiari, Cremona, Lonato, Milano, Padova, Treviso e Verona. Only one couple used in known (some catalogue lists two couples) and no one multiple.
Pay attention not to confuse this piece, (very rare, less than 100 pieces known) with the pieces printed on ribbed paper (see specific paragraph).
I point out that there are other stamps showing this characteristic (15c. second and third type and 30c. second type) in no so evident way (Diena himself defined these as "Slightly vergé"): they are quite less rare.

Emilio Diena wrote "The Lombardy-Venetia 15 centesimi variety, first issue, on handmade paper, vertically laid, was made public for the first time in the symposium of November 11th 1880 of the Société Francaise de Timbrologie, by being presented by the secretary Dr. Legrand, a sample over an entire letter, sent in communication by my late lamented brother Carlo. In giving back the sample, Dr. Legrand used the words "franchement vergé", to point out that the paper of that stamp indeed had a "laid patter" very evident either by examining its surface or looking at it in transparency; while this does not appear in samples that, even showing, let's say, small waives in vertical sense at the surface, they do not show up at all in transparency. It's appropriate to add that the typical variety, printed in vivid red, not only shows the vertical laid pattern but very often also an horizontal line ("vergella", in french "pontuseau"), produced too by the shape of the equipment used for the paper fabrication. In addition to that, it looks to me that I noted in some sample some small residual of a letter or a sign in watermark (may be a manufacturing logo). The paper surface slightly waiving is due to the metallic wires of the chassis where the paper paste was laid down during the manufacturing.
How to explain the existence of stamps on laid paper? It looks probable that, having found in some package of paper that some sheet was missing, or taken off because of defects, the number has been completed by using few others of laid paper, that were handy during the checking operation. We said specifically "few others" because the rarity of this variety is evidence that a very small number of sheets was printed.
The Verona cancellation (two circles, one inside the other, with ornament) is the most common on this stamp.
It comes out that the stamp was used in the territory of five Postal Administrations. In this fact it seems to me to see the evidence of the proposed hypothesis, of the addition of one or few sheets to complete the quantity in the pack, let's say better, of several packs: in fact if the addition was made only in one pack we may think that the varieties were found used in the Offices under the same Postal Administration, or at the most, under two Administrations. This variety is unknown in new stamps. I'm aware of only one used couple, that horizontal one in the collection of the late lamented Mr. Henry J. Duveen.
To conclude it's obvious to say that the rarity of this stamp tempted several times the forgers, that counterfeited common samples, presenting them as on laid paper: it's a patient work and by sure not easy, that, for our luck, cannot resist to a deep analysis." (Fig. 2).

False
Fig. 2:
a falsification very known in the community of collectors
Obtained probably with a ribbed box wood cylinder
The stamp is genuine, the cancellation is genuine and the ribbing is false...

I cannot add anything to what said by Diena other than the laid paper has around 20/22 vertical lines in the area of the stamp drawing (about 1,3 millimeters between two lines) and that the same kind of paper can be found used to produce fiscal documents.


Catalogued color shades (as per Sassone)

Red (typical color)
Pale red