Engraved Stamps The Golden Age !!

I can understand why some world wide collectors stop at 1900 or 1940..the beautiful engraved stamps of Waterlow and sons, De la Rue and Perkins Bacon and many others..the workmanship..before the modern mass production printers..you have to admire the early stamps !!

I know what you mean Phil. I catch myself sitting here for hours looking at my early engraved and I am just amazed at the workmanship and detail that is put into each and every one. Todays modern print just doesn't have the attraction that the old ones do.

Modern Technology! Read a story about some counterfeiters in LA using regular computer printers to make $20 , $50, $100 notes, something like $6 Million worth.

How did they get caught?

They took their printer cartridges back to the store for a refund of empties!

the Feds waited for them to take their trash to the curb on trash day ( In Calif), when you move the can from your property to the curb, no warrant is needed to dive for the bad bills they cut up.

They had huge numbers of hair spray cans ( all men)in the trash. They used it to spray on the bills to make crispier and to prevent the "pens" from registering.

Lastly , they used some $20 at their favorite fast food places, which just happened to have video taping.

But the article said that the bills have been found in every state, including Hi. and AK. At least they were environmentally friendly

Jim

Guys

I to love the early engraved stamps. I also love searching for and examining all the varieties do to re engraving

Rick a few years ago I was selling hundreds of the Guatemala Waterlows to a fellow in England at 25 cents apiece and better..he is attempting to plate the original sheets of the set..i stopped selling them to him..they are not stamps you are going to find 50 or a hundred of a kind in a glassine somewhere..they do not show up in that kind of volume..gosh they are a hundred and six years old now !

I appreciate the early engravings-beautiful detail work--but gosh, it sure can be mind bogling to figure out which type a particular stamp is--I have to use the really fancy magnifiers sometimes. And the type can make a big difference in values.
Gussyboy1

Gussy ! of course I have to use the magnifying glass !!

Without a doubt, IMHO, the most beautiful stamps of any country come from their engraved issues. I watched one of those "How Things are Made" shows about engraving and the process is absolutely amazing. The engravers were every bit as talented as Picasso or any other such artist.

Oh wow......a thread for Guatemala freaks.....

Everybody knows that Perkins is a breakfast joint

Thats it Bob has lost his mind...nothing will bother him anymore !!

From working on Dutch semi postals, the past three days !!

Imagine two countries, The Netherlands, and Belgium have issued more
semi postals than regular issue stamps

Hey Bob

This may sound silly

What's a semi postal I have lots of dutch stamps and I may have some.

I could look it up I supose but I like to keep you older getlemen on your toes

Dianne

Here's all you ever wanted to know about semi-postals:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-postal

and a German example:

Ever notice that when the communists swept over Eastern Europe, the semi-postals of the affected countries pretty much dried up. Little room for charity under circumstances where, except for the privileged in power, the government was screwing everyone equally.

Beware of of Greeks liberals bearing gifts. It's your life that they want in exchange.