US Fakes And Forgeries

Starting to add U.S. material to my fakes and forgery collection .I really have little interest in U.S. stuff over the past 60 years ,so over the next 50 or so scans I'll proable screw a few up here .

floortrader, what do you mean screw them up, you are not thinking about cutting them up are you!

Dave

No .....I got a few dozen Washington -Franklin Coils that I plan to put up but not sure how to show a fake with a real one ,I will work it out some how but may mess it up to start .

New addition ,not exactly a fake but a interesting addition .

Are you showing this cover because the military cancel is fake? Can you show us the authentic cancel?

No , all I have is a picture from a auction catalog ,maybe someone who knows more about it can help. U.S. POSTAL HISTORY isn't my thing .If I get any of it, it is usually donated to the Historical Societies of the town its from ,just send a few 1840's and 1850's covers and stuff to some town in Michigan ,they were stampless covers with letters inside .I take a tax deduction with the THANK YOU letters I receive .

I do not understand the point of showing an item that you do not own? But showing the fake 534B is excellent. While it is not widely published, expert services will not certify 20th century imperfs that measure less than 21.5mm x 25mm as genuine. While there are only a few that collectors need to be concerned about due to their value (including 315, 533 and 534B), it is prudent to try to remember these measurements to avoid buying a better stamp that no expert service will certify!

Bill, I had an appraisal done at the recent ASDA NYC bourse. And I wanted to know if there is a good reference text that explains how to identify fakes? I thought I had a MOG US #124, only to find it had been scrubbed to delete the "X" pen cancel, ironed to eliminate the grill, and re-gummed. Yikes!

Floortrader -
US postal history is MY thing!
Donations as you mentioned are often appreciated by historical societies and similar organizations; but more often may be relegated to a box in their basement.
It might be to your advantage to research or ask around about such things that you do not want. A collector may purchase them at a price higher than you may have imagined.
Old letters may have some significant historical contents and could be not only cherished but showcased and shared with many, many other people.
For a stunning example of keeping rather than donating, google
'Floyd Risvold sale.'

What was the purpose to throw out a insulting comment about ownership of that cover . Yes I own it .....

Maybe I misunderstood you, but I took that to mean that you did not own it - I don't know how else to take that comment? I did not mean to insult you and apologize if I did, but you sure made your comments confusing!

floortrader - There is no insulting comment in Mr. Weiss' response. I suspect he likely misunderstood your response, as I did. It sure read that you did not own the cover.


After a careful re-read of the whole thread, I believe that you meant that you do not own a copy of the authentic cancel.

If you can, please post a scan/photo of the authentic example. I would sure appreciate seeing it as I too am building a reference collection with both actual and digital examples.

I am looking forward to posting some of my fakes here this weekend, once I am home and can scan them.

Interesting question! It just so happens that I am currently working on an article (which may turn into a book until it is finished) on exactly this subject - identifying all of the raw material that is used to make fake U.S. stamps - up to 1938 and including much "Back of Book" material.

Some of this information can be found in some other books - for example the book "United States Coil Stamps, 1908-1938" has a matrix which shows readers all the different raw material to make fake coils (up to 1917 I think) and the Schmid book "The Experts Book" has some, etc. But all of the information has not ever been brought together in one book. This one does. I think it will prove to be very useful.

As an expertizer I get to see a LOT of the type of stamp you describe - which appears to be a certain stamp, but in fact it is actually a different stamp altered to appear as the better stamp. These fake stamps can be made from another stamp, a proof, a specimen, an essay, a reproduction (photographic or computer-generated), etc. The article/book will be profusely illustrated. I hope to be able to give my APS Summer Seminar class a taste of it in June by giving them the introductory text and the pages for the 5c-10c 1847 Issue and 1875 Special Printings. Many collectors will be surpised just how many different types of "raw" or "base" material there is which can be used to make a fake.

Further information will be available as the article/book progresses.

There are some of the handstamps on Siegel's site,

http://www.siegelauctions.com/lot_g...lledfrom=lkp

Pagoda

Bill!

I can not wait to receive a copy of your new book, I know it will be chock-o-block full of great information. Please keep me posted as to when they will go to print and you can put me down for two copies.

Ron

Another fake MILITARY PRISON cover , with a explanation of the prison .