Fake Cancel?

From another post someone mentions a fake cancel. So my question is how can you tell a fake cancel from a real cancel. A side by side picture/scan comparison would be helpful.

Some clues, and some lists.
Clues can be strength of ink on a older issue,
clarity, sharp lines on circular of the CDS.
Very hard to explain, they just look odd for some reason.

Printed lists of identified fakes such as these:





New (US) Law on Forged Postmarks

Collectors should hail with gladness the interest
the Federal Government is taking in the efforts to
curb faking of stamps which is aimed at defrauding
collectors.

The secret service has promised to go after the
perforation fakers, and recently a law was enacted
by Congress at the urging of Post Master General
Farley, making it a crime to "forge or counterfeit
any postmarking stamp or impression thereof, with
intent to appear that such impression is a genuine
postmarks, or shall make or knowingly use or sell,
or have in possession with intent to appear that
such impression is a genuine postmark, or shall
make or knowingly use or sell, or have in possession
with intent to use or sell, any forged or counter-
feiting stamp die, plate," etc. The penalty is
$1,000 fine or imprisonment for five years, or both.

The Federal authorities are well equipped to cope
with malefactors defrauding the government through
counterfeiting and kindred mischief, but in the past,
as a general rule, they could not be relied upon to
work up any enthusiasm to go after the thieves who
have been preying upon stamp collecting.

However, it now appears that Uncle Sam is much
interested, and a new order is at hand.

We fervently hope so!


- George B. Sloane
Sloane's Column
Stamps
October 12, 1935

Rod, I think that is because most fakes are created with rubber stamps, while the genuine cancels are from steel handstamps. At a glance they may look fine, but close examination shows a difference.

There are quite a few fake Tuvalu cancels out there, and all I have seen are rubber stamp copies of steel.

Couldn't agree more BeeSee,
A couple of years ago, a guy was selling
facsimile cancellers on ebay, I captured the image
but unable to locate it right now.
He had a huge plastic bag filled with rubber CDS's
ink pads all sorts of things.
Under the weight of such evidence, you kinda give up,
There's no sense in worrying about it anymore,
you deal with your own collection,
and let the rest just spin on :)

rod.. would be nice to see that still in effect.

rod,
Nice examples of fake cancels. The problem though, is that they look to real. Most of the real one's I see are all smudged. I guess that the attempt to make them look to real is itself a dead give away.

In the last year here in the USA there were two horrendous cancels that are more like blotches of black ink. One was for the 2010 census telling us to return them. That is if you could read it. And the other cancel is the one for rescued cats and dogs. Very bad cancels, where you could hardly read the message.

This is true! Many fakes are done with rubber stamps.
Since I collect Germany as well as Revenues, I will use them as an example. During WW2 all canceling devices were made of steel. Under magnification they will have nice sharp edges. They might be blurry but the edges will still be sharp. You also need to know your dates and locations. During the war many cancelers were brought home as war souvenirs. So the strike might be correct but the location may be wrong.
Example if a stamp had a cancel dated before it was issued. Or the date on the cancel is before the location was Occupied. These are just a few things to look for.

This just crossed my path.
Cancel is dated one day before the day of issue.
Looks real to me but I don't have a lot of these to compare to.
Canada 1908 Scott #103 Quebec Tercentenary, Cartier's arrival

The worst fake cancels are the ones actually printed on the stamps when the stamps are produced - like many of the DDR early definitives and officials.

Or the "Western Sahara" stamps, which are quite bogus (the country is recognised by many countries, part of the former Spanish Sahara, but I doubt any of their many stamps are ever seen within a thousand miles of the place) - but at least they tend to be rather well designed, so I'm willing to have them in my collection.

Here is a good article regarding forged postmarks

http://www.filatelia.fi/forgeries/blum.html


In another case again from Germany, apparently in the early nineties it involved genuine (obsolete) steel cancelling devices which were sold by The German Post Office for scrap by the thousands and lo and behold eventually turned up on ebay.

Regarding the Quebec Tercentenary issue - I have one reference (Glenn Hansen 2nd Edition The Guidebook and Catalogue of Canadaian Stamps) that actually gives the date of Issue as July 13. All my other sources do give July 16 as the proper date. It's not all that uncommon to have stamps cancelled either accidentally or on purpose before the official date of issue as Post Offices were in possession of the stamps prior to that date.

The cancel looks legitimate to me as I have often seen the Quebec Canada used for Quebec City at that time period.

The infamous "Madame Joseph" forged postmarks were produced using five different types of cancellers.

1. Fifty two different zincograph cancellers. Basically printers' blocks.

2. Seventy three different copper-coated zincographs. Very similar to above.

3. Three hundred and eleven hand-carved wooden postmarks. Seventy six are dated May 1935 and used on KGV Jubilee issues and to fake Jubilee covers.

4. One lead canceller for the Cook Islands.

5. One rubber canceller for Seiyun (Aden) which is probably genuine, but used for nefarious purposes.

The Madame Joseph cancels were used to "improve" toned, hinged or stamps otherwise less-valuable in mint condition - as well as to produce fake covers.


The postmark on a stamp or cover often tells a story - but who can say if it speaks the truth?

backroads, thank you.

plateflaw, the copper-coated zincograph cancels, similar to above, do you mean the Quebec cancel on the Quebec Tercentenary stamp I posted?
Just clarifying so I can pass the info along to the owner in case.

Amazing information Plateflaw !

Thanks for the GREAT question and better ... as ususal... answer. You guys rock.

Madame Joseph produced one fake cancel for Canada. A small single ring circular date stamp

KINGSTON.ONT
AUG 17
3-PM
1909

It was of zincograph manufacture