Anthony's Fake Fraud Counterfeit 315's And 321's...

Margins are only a part of the story. Shade, impression, paper, and cancel date (if available) are also very important. Margins are actually better in some ways for proving fakes then guaranteeing genuineness.

I do agree supporting questionable dealers hurts the hobby. To me it is a willingness to turn a blind eye to what is really going on. I think if more people had standards then we would force bad dealers to change their ways.

For those that might be reading this post in the future, this is one of the stamps that ttreen and revcollector were discussing.

It should be noted that, whether the $10 Charter Party is trimmed or is genuine, the stamp is described as "FVF."

But there is an obvious big tear in the left margin, a nick in the right margin, some creases, and who knows what else.

These undescribed faults assuredly makes this stamp trash.

Jim

It's a fake beyond question. The faults only elevate it.

Easy. Start with the bottom left corner and on the right margin the very top of it... See the remnants of perf holes?

ttreen,

Here is the #17 run through the retroReveal channel inspector. Dont ask me how it works, I just know that it works very nicely. The cleaned pen cancel is easy to see.

ttreen,

I ran the $10 Charter Party stamp through retroReveal and I believe the date of usage is either 1866 or 67. Too late for an imperf. Any time you see margins such as on this stamp, you should pass on it. Another thing about this stamp that is worthy of mention are the odd blotches of ink either side of the "10". That ink has been added to obscure major faults. Altered stamps frequently have one thing in common with other altered stamps. They were junk to begin with and the faker had nothing to lose.

This is exactly the sort of useful information based on actual examples that this thread needed, which was the point of my asking for it, in the first place. Thanks very much for all this helpful information.

Part of the problem was that the initial post was made without evidence, apparently on the assumption that any reader would have read other threads and already know all this. I hadn't, and I expect that goes for others, as well. So, I asked for evidence. I appreciate the thoughtful responses which are impressive, to say the least. That's how a thread ought to work. Evidence should lead to conclusions. That's not the way the thread started, though, which is why I imagine a few people starting objecting to what they thought was starting to look like a witch hunt against a few sellers. Now I understand better, and it's the evidence that makes the claim convincing.

Comments like Rodgcam:'s point readers in the right direction by being helpful without being condescendingt: "DrewM - You[r] passion on the topic is admirable. However, it may be a bit misplaced. If you use the search function you will find first person accounts that detail why many people, including myself, feel as they do about Anthony's. The "bad guys" are not the good people of this forum but rather they are the unscrupulous sellers that are legion on ebay. Giving those sellers the benefit of the doubt is why they are able to bilk people for such a long time without repercussions."

However, some still don't know how to behave in a forum-- Disi123: "DrewM... apparently, you haven't learned a whole lot about what goes on in this business in your 60 years... it's not a question of "think"... it's a matter of known fact..." *Sigh*

Also, is "retroReveal channel inspector" a real thing?

Any good graphics application has a 'split color channel' function or tool; this is how RetroReveal works. Every color image is made up of pixels and each pixel is assigned a specific color. A computer can easily classify those pixels into one a handful of color models. For example, the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) model or a CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and key or black) model.

If you run an image through a RGB channel splitter the application will divide the original images into a number of new images; a 'Red' channel, a 'Green' channel, and a 'Blue' channel. In the Red channel only pixels which are red or one of the red shades are shown. Green channel shows the greenish pixels, the Blue channel shows the blueish pixels. The app then coverts these separate channels images into inverted grey scale to make the deltas 'pop' and presto, you can see things which were previously hard to see when all the channels were combined.

Here is the original image split into CMYK channels (note file name at top of each channel image).



It is VERY important to note that this process does NOT add new information to an image, it is splitting the existing large amount of image data into smaller amounts of separate image data. This is a legitimate use of a graphic application toolset.

But this is the opposite of some of the other graphic application tools that can be used where the computer ADDS new information to the image by using algorithms to 'guess' or fill in missing information. There are some hobbyists who do not understand this critical difference and think that graphic apps can, for example, 'look under cancel'. We should be very leery of any graphics application function which ADDS new information to an image. But splitting channels does not ADD new information so it is a useful tool.

Buying and selling online brought with it a new requirement to understand digital images. In my opinion having a basic understanding of imaging technology is part of the new landscape of being a good dealer or informed buyer. It is part of making the transition from an 'old school' hobbyist to one who can successfully navigate the current selling venues and media. This is why explaining these technical topics to folks is important even when notable philatelic 'scholars' take cheap shots at anyone who they classify as a 'geek'.

http://www.stampsmarter.com/feature..._Images.html

Hobbyists today need to know more than just how to use tongs, soak stamps, or mount a stamp. For example, virtually no one goes to the local library anymore; instead they need to be proficient at online searching. These new digital skills are the key to being a successful hobbyist in this day and age. It is too bad that we do not see more technical education in the philatelic publications.
Don

Excellent addition to the post, 51studebaker.

Do you folks have a "Go To", seller on ebay that you know you can trust? I have purchased large lots from sellers there and when I receive them there not always not as described. I hate to mention the seller's, but it's happened more than once.

The evidence has been known for years... sorry you're just too new to the forum (and the subject) to know... the post was a repeat of many prior, both on the subject items, (and) of the seller... (and) as posted to the attention of those whom are already knowledgeable of the subject matter and the faker(s) whom participate in this type of behavior...

When somebody is shure about the autheticity of his stamps, sell his items "in extension". That is, that you buy a stamp and pay 150$, but the bussines dont finish untill somebody, that you agree before, authetify this stamp, you only need to pay 10-20$ more and if the dictamen is ok, the bussines is right, if is not ok, the buyer return the stamp and take his money.
Remember, allways buy stamps "in extension".
Other way, is that the stam have a dictamen or certificate.
And the last one is that the owner send you a good scanner, and you send to some experts that give you a 90% about the authetification of the stamp.

I am wondering how the OP can defend his own listings?

I bristle at the suggestion that all tough stamps need to be expertized but if anybody is going to sell them without a cert they better know what they are doing and get it right. The 518b listing is really quite alarming.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCOTT-518b-...AOSwwptZ0JPb

The 220b, cap on right "2" variety has been discussed at length on this forum. The actual existence if a true cap variety on the right "2" is highly questionable and for good reason. There probably is no such thing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCOTT-220-2...AOSwCcdZz-N4