Cuba 1862 - Guerra Type 5 POSTAL FORGERY on a SFL.
A ½ Real de Plata Fuerte POSTAL FORGERY on SFL (no contents) from Havana to Manzanillo. Stamp cancelled with "Parrilla de 12 lineas finas" (12 fine lines grill). This is a much better than average strike of this scarcer cancel. A HABANA - 21 AGO (18)62 cds applied partially over the left margin of the cover also ties the stamp to the cover. There is a second, larger cds applied lightly over the lower left corner that also ties the stamp to the cover. This is very probably a Manzanillo receiving CDS but it is not very clear. This Postal Forgery is listed in the book "ESTUDIO SOBRE LA PRIMERA EMISION POSTAL DE ANTILLAS ESPAÑOLAS by José Luis Guerra Aguiar as Type 5. Type 5 is listed by Guerra as having been in use from September to December 1862, but this cover is postmarked at Havana on August 21, 1862, ten days earlier than the earliest known use, so this could be a new, unreported earliest known use for this forgery. These postal forgeries are found used, off cover from time to time, but are very rare on cover and even more so in this great condition.