More Counterfeits And Experiences With Them

Many years ago I was offered the opportunity to fill in for 2 weeks in a stamp and coin shop as the resident stamp-dealer for the official resident stamp-dealer who was a close friend of mine who wanted to go on vacation. Luckily, the hours would not interfere with my regular job. I would be compensated full rate and under the table.

After 2 or 3 days on the job I was offered by a woman, obviously of Spanish or South American heritage and who had some poise and was adequately dressed but neither slightly cheaply or a little well-to- do so as not to indicate anything amiss, a collection of flight covers from around the world. While they were of the right era, incorporated the very stamps that would have been used on such covers and were presented in a nice album of acid free paper and clear page protectors, they did not match anything listed in the Airmail Catalog. The flight dates and cities just didn't quite match what was on record. In fact, the covers appeared to be hybrids between what was known and what could be new discoveries. We all know there are always possibilities for new discoveries, but we can't assume that any unlisted item is an authentic discovery.

My direction of affable conversation with her was objective and non-accusatory. This avoids the customer aggressively claiming authenticiy rather than assuredly as she continued to do. Her replies were repetitvely that they were authentic and I was obliged to purchase, which I eventually noticed this obligation being pushed upon me. But having traveled, and also having had some exposure here in Ameerica to people from other nations, I know that this can be a part of their make-up, whereas it is not necessarily a part of the American style.

This person would neither submit the collection through her own efforts for expertization (which might have resulted in fake expertization certificates) or allow me to submit the covers to my sources for expertization. Customers always feared they would not get them back.

One indicator of these being counterfeit covers was that under a glass, the portion of the cancels on the envelopes was sharp, clear, black as should be expected from the die of a cancel. But the portion of the cancel on the stamps, while the letters were the same size and font style, was fuzzy, purplish as if inked with a felt tip pen by a draftsman. It was too well done I thought to be done by hand, so it must have been done by a privately made canceller. Not using the proper alloys and annealing technique, the proper ink formula and pressure upon the cover I felt resulted in what I saw. I refused her offer and she asked why. It was only then then I tactfully told her that in my opinion (and I had one of our coin people look at them also who had some peripheral experience in stamps and in consultation could relate their experiences with coin, paper currency and forged documents to stamps once he was given the background. He told me in an aside off of the floor that he believed I was correct, and I was handling the situation well) that the covers did not bear out to any valid research as to authenticity, outside of independent expertization, to which she was not agreeable. By telling someone why only after I refused and they ask why I was not interested is tactful and avoids insult from being otherwise forward.

She reciprocated by announcing that she was going to take them to another dealer. Upon which I replied that she was entiltled to a second opinion, and subsequent to that if the collection was real, we would match or better the other dealer's offer. Of course, I knew who it was that she was going to consult. But as if I didn't know, I referred her to a colleague of mine as a third option. Of course, when she left the store and was in her car, I phoned the dealer that I knew she was headed for. Since within the hour he confirmed my suspicions, he was the other dealer which she announced but did not identify that she was going to consult. BlankPage

Very interesting story. I've always wondered why anyone would go to such extremes to sell counterfeits. But I suppose in this generation when authorities can catch people trying to use color copiers and scanners to reproduce official looking documents (or even currency), anything is possible.

This may be treading down a different path, but I've always wondered what happens to the old postmark stamps that all post offices replace every now and then. Are they somehow officially destroyed or could they be kept by a postal clerk or found in the trash to the point where someone could retreive it and use it for unauthorized activity outside of official postal channels? Just wondering, as it could bbe yet another means for a seemingly authentic postmark to be affixed to a counterfeit cover.

Good point on old postmark stamps/cancellers other post office franking devices. Aside from being destroyed, such devices are carelessly kept by postal employees or sold by them, and can be retrieved from the "destruct" bin. No different than error coins getting out into the world, and there was a big stink about that here in Philadelphia about 5 years ago. So the mint started "waffling" error coins. But even those get out, and some errors get out before they are waffled.

As to stamps, I think the risk of obsolete/worn postal cancelling/franking devices getting away from the postal authorities is greater among countries with not good economy, that still have primitive social infrastructures, and combines with certain time periods. You are less likely to find this going on I would say in Switzerland, Great Britain, Denamrk, the United States. When you begin to find exchange rates of 1 Euro to 1500 of some national currency, 1 US Dollar to 1500 of some national currency, there is growing risk. Also, it would be more prevalent 1900 to 1945 than today. Someone with access to a toolshop wouldn't have much difficulty in making something.

As to photographic reproduction, This incident with the flight covers happened thirty years ago, before color copiers came around. Also machine-- and hand-rendered frankings on an envelope create an impression into the paper, however slight, by the applied pressure. Also the ink takes to paper in a certain way. This could not be done by a photocopier. I have a nice Fiume censored cover mounted in my album, which I used a copier to copy the reverse. You really can't tell the difference at first look. And I have thought of copying some nice covers out of auction catalogs to put in my album.

As for the counterfeiters, to some of them it is an art. They are obsessesd with their work, because they are in denial of all the attendant realities, two of which are not only is it illegal, but also why not use a copier? Lastly, South America has long been known as a source of excellent fogeries. BlankPage.