Intact Fournier Forgeries Album Being Auctioned

Lot 1567 from the upcoming Raritan Stamps auction:




https://stampauctionnetwork.com/RT/rt8979.cfm#356

Notice ---it doesn't say intact or complete as issued .What is missing ?

Siegel has sold four of these and this is a typical description:

Fournier Forgery Album. No. 183, containing approximately 3,000 items comprising unused and used singles, multiples and many surcharges and cancels, appears to be complete except for six empty spaces, pages in blue binder with "Album De Fac-Similés Edité Par L'Union Philatélique de Genève" embossed in gold on front cover, slight cover wear mostly along edges, but this does not affect the spine or the integrity of the pages, also incl. purchase letter to Mr. Grandvoinnet dated 1929 and a few extra pieces mounted in the back of the album

VERY FINE. A DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE FOURNIER FORGERY ALBUM. ONLY 480 ALBUMS WERE MADE.

According to Varro Tyler's Philatelic Forgers, Their Lives and Works, Fournier, unlike many of his contemporary forgers, did not seek to defraud the public. He described his material as facsimiles and promoted it to collectors who could not afford to purchase genuine items and to uneducated collectors as a preventive measure against being deceived by dishonest stamp dealers.

When Fournier died in 1917, one of his employees, Charles Hirschburger, unsuccessfully tried to continue the business. When Hirschburger died in 1927, L'Union Philatélique de Genève purchased the Fournier stock, which weighed over 800 pounds, from Hirschburger's widow. The Union then marked the forgeries with "FAUX" handstamps on the front and/or "Facsimile" on the reverse, and employed students from the Geneva School of Arts and Crafts to mount representative selections of the forgeries in 480 albums. Whatever was not placed into one of the books was burned to ashes.

Because Fournier made forgeries from such a wide variety of countries, many of the 480 books have either been divided into country references or have had many items removed. Very few remain intact or have the degree of completeness of this book.


https://siegelauctions.com/lot_grd..../2023&symbol[]=++++++++&lotclass=All&syear=All&pfoper=All&pseoper=All&pfgrade=&psegrade=&gandor=or&keyword=&catselect=eq&pscolumn=default&pssortby=&sortord=DESC&photo=&calledfrom=lkp

Note that each volume states that between four and nine spaces are empty. Other than that the quantity of 3,000 +/- seems to indicate it is about the most complete you are going to get your hands on.

Thanks Rogdcam ,This volume #183 sold for $2600 at the last auction, 2018 at Siegal and now they are trying to get above $5,000 for it ,if it doesn't sell than they may offer it as a private sale . Maybe I should leave a email with the firm around the previous sale price ,I will watch it .Thanks

Good luck Floortrader.

Another copy popped up on SAN;

https://stampauctionnetwork.com/CO/...303.cfm#1022

It doesn't say how complete either.

This is a fascinating thread.

I have a single Crete page from one of these albums and this is the first time that I've seen any others.

Thanks for sharing these links!


I guess there are several possible questions as to an album's completeness:

- are all the original pages present?

- have any items been removed?

- were any items not available for this particular album when it was assembled from the remaining stock?

I raise the last point as my Crete page includes one printed space which has been stamped "MANQUE" (probably in this case relating to a missing print of a forged postmark).

I assume this was applied when the album was assembled, suggesting to me that earlier albums in the series may have been more complete.

There is no such thing as complete . As these albums were being put together different stamps were put into them at different times ,so even "complete" albums are different from each other.

Thanks floortrader.

The shame will be someone bidding and winning it to take it apart to sell it in section . I believe too many copies have already disappeared to that type of buying .

Looks like RARITAN STAMPS , is trying it again this is album #170, ,they had it listed a year ago and that was posted here . We discussed it at that time ,see all the above posting .

With no bids at a opening of $5,000 a year ago and now they got it again for May 18-20,2022 auction .At $5,000

If they opened it lower maybe someone will bid or establish a buy price . The last 4 "complete " albums all sold under the range they are estimating .