Inverted Jenny On Ebay? Fake: Removed From Ebay!

Thanks wt1 and Russ!

There have been several fake inverted Jennys (both mint and used) that have sold on ebay in recent years. A few of them were actually pretty well done. The people selling these aren't interested in getting several thousands dollars for one of them. They're quite happy getting trying to get $100 each for the several dozen they have. Most of them get sold for under $100, but that's still a lot more than the $1 that they might normally be worth as simple reproductions.

Interesting story about the Jenny - thanks for posting it

EDIT: nevermind...lol I just seen the scans on ebay..

You know if someone was to ask the seller for a scan of the back then you could certainly lay to rest any suspicions you may have. If it's one of the lost one it would certainly have the penciled on number (unless the burglar erased it and even then there would be a tell-tale mark), or the cut marks, etc...

Here is a genuine (upright) jenny with the fake. The perfs seem damn close to correct.

If I was going to buy one of those then I would get something like this - http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-1918-2...em45f934084b it says "I look good but I'm a copy.." (assuming it could talk lol)

@ BeeSee - the perfs might look close but the paper don't, the ink don't and like someone else pointed out, the cancel goes as far into the paper as the stamp's print does.

I_Love_Stamps, it is a bad scan so paper is hard to tell. Most of the sellers other scans are similarly bad. Oh sure I am sure it is fake.

Interestingly, the sellers return policy states:

7 days
Money back
Buyer pays return shipping
We accept returns when quality does meet the discription


Being such a high profile stamp the seller would not have a chance against a complaint by the buyer - it make one wonder what the seller is trying to accomplish.

This stamp usually goes for at least $100,000. If I were to sell one on ebay, I don't think I would mail it for $4.00, economy shipping. To protect my interest, I would also want it insured.

I think the seller is just leaving it vague to play the role of the "ignorance is bliss" and" here is one hell of a deal if you think it's real". After all it did get this thread started.

Or the "You should know better and do your own research and if you don't then it's my gain!"

As we all agree this is a fake (and history has it that fake copies were produced steadily when the error was first discovered), I just wonder how much a fake is worth in the market. If someone were to bid up to $40 or so for this example, is that not a reasonable price for a stamp that would fill an everlasting void in someone's airmail collection, even if it is fake?

I seem to recall another thread on SCF about fakes and forgeries, suggesting that some of them can go for reasonably high prices. I think the issue is that the seller needs to disclose the fact that it is a bogus issue in his ebay listing, as he seems to be willing to accept whatever the market will bear.

I sent the seller an email asking him if the stam was real or fake, and got this reply back:

Hello, I don't know about this.I am not expert.I found in an album with some stamps errors.
Thank you for the interested.
--Georgios

So it sounds like the seller is "pleading ignorance". While the Inverted Jenny error is known around the world, since the seller (and presumably the item) is located in Greece, could it be reasonable to assume that the seller is not truly familiar with the story surrounding the error, or the significance of the extreme rarity of a genuine stamp, that we know so well in the United States?

Just trying to give the listing some means of credibility. Based on the comments earlier in this thread, it sounds like the seller has many other stamp-related items on ebay and is simply posting them for whatever value he can get; with no attention or care to even attempt to identify the real from the fake.

I have contacted ebay to look into this. At the very least it is deceptive, at the other end it is fraud. Regardless, I think ebay needs to look into it.

Nice way to make a somewhat confusing hobby more confusing!