Counterfeit Forever Stamps

This may have been true several years ago. But in recent years, every issue has been counterfeited, with the exceptions of stamps issued through ATMs or in Prestige Booklets. Angel's Trumpet is just one example.

More importantly, it's not simply that each issue has been counterfeited. Some issues exist in several distinct counterfeit varieties, which strongly suggests that they are being produced by multiple counterfeiting operations rather than a single source.

mostly, but not every.

For example, I have not seen the bulk rate star stamps counterfeited.

Nor have I seen any of the other low deminination flower stamps.

"which strongly suggests that they are being produced by multiple counterfeiting operations rather than a single source."

Zero doubt there are multiple counterfeiters.

I just looked up the 2014 songbirds on ebay because I wanted to sell one.

There are 6 different sellers offering 5 booklets of 20 for $18.88-$25 (face $82). Their feedbacks are all 1-144 (all but one 1-34). It is an absolute flood.

Of course it is. People here buy a quantity and then resell them. If you have a few small business owners or other users who pay cash with nothing to leave a trail. One roll might be sold a couple of times and still be very cheap.

[quote]

just looked up the 2014 songbirds on ebay because I wanted to sell one.

There are 6 different sellers offering 5 booklets of 20 for $18.88-$25 (face $82). Their feedbacks are all 1-144 (all but one 1-34). It is an absolute flood

[\quote]


These sellers actually don't bother me as much as the ones selling at seemingly normal prices, like over $19 for a sheet or booklet, but then the stamps turn out to be counterfeit.

These days, I only buy Forever stamps from sellers on my whitelist, or stamps that are still in USPS-sealed packets.

norvic posted this on the Ausie chat board:

"There are very few Chinese fakes [of UK stamps] now on the market. My feeling is that it is no longer Revenue Protection at the Mail Centres catching ones which are used, but more concerted action further up the supply chain in conjunction with Border Force.

If the UK can figure it out, why can't the US?

Are these sheets fake? Stampndealernsaid they came from an estate sale


The sheets have bright border and the stamps are not as golden as my singles as reference.


I have a lighthouse short wave up lamp .

The Lunar New Year 34c block is 100% genuine.

The other sheets are likely CF if under the same short UV lamp, they are much brighter than your genuine ones.

Here are some more to question. Manatee seems real? The microcode has USPS and it seems pretty clear.

I will add a UV pic

Manatees booklet: 100% CF; clear microprint doesn't prove authenticity, and sometimes it's the clue to tell CF.

Sparkling booklet: 100% CF

Pets booklet: can not tell from the provided photo, but again, if it looks brighter than the genuine one under the same UV light, it is likely CF.

100% counterfeit? I would be wary of being that firm based upon a single cellphone UV pic without a known genuine sheet in the same shot, given what automated white balance and level adjustments on cellphones can do to pictures.

By the way, did you buy them on ebay?

If you let me know which seller you bought them from, I can share my thoughts on whether they seem reliable. I can usually spot sellers I'd be cautious about, though it's harder for me to confidently vouch for someone unless they're on my whitelist or the items come in their original sealed packaging.

All the stamps in my pics were purchased as a lot from stampsplanet on ebay

The 32 cent block included. Seller has some red flags in that there are numerous 50% off face listings but also stamp collections etc.

I knew flags etc were common but all different collections said to be from an estate sale seemed better. Many inherited collections can be purchased from individuals but the abundance of forever sheets and booklets now scares me to point of not wanting them….or match with real copies for a counterfeit study.

I was hoping the UV test would be a simpler and more definitive test. Without a known copy I am not 100% confident but suspicious

This seems to be much more wide spread than I expected. N