Forgeries - Now Vs. Past

I just purchased a Voyageur Stamp Album that has quite a few stamps in it from the 60's and prior - stamps which were purchased in the 50's and 60's. I am wondering if forgeries were more common or less common back then as compared to now. Judging by the album's contents, I would say that this was a knowledgeable stamp collector, but a good forgery is a good forgery that might not be easily detectable. Thank you!

Very few forgeries back then as compared to now.

Thank you!

If you are talking about common stamps, few forgeries, but for some things like Washington-Franklin coils there are a ton of fakes.

And classic issues of the world.

My experience has been that fakes abound in any area with stamps of value. There is always someone willing to alter good stamps in order to try to get a payday. Here are some examples from my area of collecting.

Somehow misplaced vol. I

Not counting the Chinese forever knockoffs.

Hi rturn22, I like your 1c 2c and 3c Parks imperfs. To continue the series, here is my 4c Mesa Verde with OG and fake perfs.


Your 1c is fascinating, I've never seen a reperf that leaves chad fragments remaining. That takes quite a unique talent.

As long as they're are criminals there will always a counterfeit.

There is a difference between forgeries and counterfeits. Forgeries may or may not have been created to cheat people. Many 19th century forgeries were created to fill spaces in albums of rare and scarce stamps because that was how stamps were collected at the time. Fill every space. Those were sold as forgeries for pennies. Only later did dishonest people try to pass them off as genuine.

If you are talking about the Voyageur album, that would be Canada, eh? If you're talking about the Voyager worldwide album, which was a Mystic product, that would be worldwide.

A Voyager could have plenty of forgeries; a Voyageur is less likely to have forgeries.

edited for clarity.