Another Counterfeit Seller

"hat's why we need the Scott's specialized catalog of counterfeits (or equivalent), including detailed images and comparisons like the ones posted here by serf_tide."

The average collector doesn't want to slog thru the Scott's specialized catalog of counterfeits trying to figure out if they are looking at a real or fake stamp, which isn't even possible when buying online because the images aren't good enough.

Germany is increasingly being flooded with Chinese-made fake stamps in large quantities.



What is new is the method of creating perforation holes. A laser is used to burn the holes from the gummed back of the stamps. This method allows for quick changes in perforation gauge measurements.

I'd assume we are going to see these perforations sooner or later on US stamps as well. A tell tale sign are the burn marks along the edges of the holes.

Sounds like a rather energy intensive way to do it.

Need help from the sharp experienced eyes here. Is this a counterfeit? The pixelation and dull color are from my scanner. The stamp itself has a semiglossy purple-pink color with very smooth color gradients. All the silver lines are shiny. And the back of the stamp has the USPS logo with some barcodes.

The die cutting is off at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal. Those intersections should be consistent in shape across the pane. Compare the upper left to the upper right.

Thanks for pointing that out! I've already reported StampChest.net to the USPIS. Hopefully they can do something about it.

Was directed to this thread. Someone has a mass amount of Harry Potter forevers and I'm considering meeting them tomorrow. My question is this: do modern fakes have the USPS top sheet faked as well? To me it seems to imply they're in fact real, but if (obviously unbeknownst to me because I don't ever buy from places except the post office) fakes come with the sheet when you order a certain amount, they could all be fake. When I see them in person, what tagging should I expect? I have a booklet but now that I'm inspecting it I'm beginning to doubt its validity! If you have a booklet you know to be real, could you upload a picture of the UV tagging? I can't seem to find any examples of it online and Scott says it should be tagged. Also, as per a 2013 post on this very forum, I discovered the micro printed words hidden in the stamps. Another question then is how often do the Chinese correctly copy micro printing?

My Thoughts: What is the asking price for the lot? ORIGINAL issue price? % discount of current postal rate? The cover page alludes to an original 'brick' package from the USPS. Ask the vendor his/her source. Of the original 500 units, how many are available. My booklet shows a bar code of 15645-47110 on the back cover (I believe) The original value in 2013 was 20 stamp booklet $9.40/booklet ($0.47/stamp). I am more on the caution side but the price today is $13.60 face so if legitimate the seller can make a decent profit @$0.55 - $0.60 per stamp ($11-$12 per booklet). The intricacies of printing the booklet says that the items would cost more (relative to the forgeries seen) so if they are asking current face ($13.60) the seller is below catalog & making a profit. I would want to be curious & ask why the items were bought in such a quantity, gifts to Harry Potter Fans, themed event notions gift, bookstore promotion?? (the illustration of a USPS bag & priority box in background 'might' be for legitimacy purposes). Inspect them carefully. look at the sharpness of the illustrations in the overall booklet. Good Luck!!

Can't wait to see the "Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Counterfeits" to get details about how to identify these from the real thing.

I agree the HP booklets appear to be more complicated/expensive to produce than other issues, but their popularity may make it worth that extra expense. The cover page of the brick could be genuine, to make the other stamps look real, or it could easily be faked as well. Sorry can't be of real help.

To the previous poster, "why the items were bought in such a quantity", the answer for this issue could likely be for speculation. Like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, or other earlier issues that have potential collectible interest outside philately, some people may think they are a good investment. Which begs the question, why do you want them?

The Chinese are faking, stamps coins and websites. So do not be surprised if someone fakes an invoice too.

I've handled a lot of Chinese fakes and they are usually really close to the USPS printings. Often the only difference is that the perforations are slightly different: maybe they are a 1/2 gage different, or the peaks and valleys are not as tall. This is most easily seen at the points where the perf cross. here is a photo of one that I have no reason to believe is counterfeit:



The printing will have a different ink pattern seen at a 10X magnification. I don't have a good enough camera to show this

Gone are the days where the microprinting is placed in a random spot. Sometimes the microprinting is more easily read on the counterfeit than the USPS printing. here are a couple of samples from my stamps:




And yes, the tagging can often be very different. Usually the Chinese do all over tagging, whereas the USPS often does a shape. here is my stamps under UV

Oops... That means the booklet I bought from a legitimate dealer was definitely fake because it has zero tagging. I thought maybe because the paper is a little weird that the tagging might be hard to see but yours really sparkle under the light. Ok good to know I really appreciate you guys. Seller is asking $500 for 1000 stamps. Cheap for what it is but not giving it away. He says a family member gave them to him. Theoretically if the grandma bought them on speculation when they came out she paid $460? So maybe she told the grandson not to sell them for less than that? I offered him $400 and he said no he thinks 500 is a good price considering today's rate is 68 cents. If they were fake I'd almost assume he would be more open to negotiating perhaps?

Alub, the microprinting on yours is absolutely impossible to read. Not sure if they look that way in person. The booklet I currently own which I now suspect fake does have surprisingly clear microprinting I can easily make out the words. Ruh roh ...

The cover page alludes to an original 'brick' package from the USPS.
Yes these cardboard covers are known to be Chinese fakes as well.

I once tried to order a reference collection of fake booklet panes from a Chinese vendor. They took the money within minutes and 10 minutes later I got a "we don't ship outside the US" email. Took me two weeks to get the money back...

Dear friends-- I didn't buy the lot. Under UV light not one booklet shone. I almost think perhaps I need a light that reflects a different UV band? Is that a thing? Thank you for your help, especially you Alub-- you saved me a nickel

Usually, longwave UV-light is used to detect fluorescence (mostly optical brightening agents). Detection of phosphorescence requires either a shortwave or longwave lamp, depending on the type of phosphor ink or coating used. Some modern phosphor inks can be detected with both.

Did you mention what type of phosphor lamp you used?

Absolutely. In basic terms there is Short Wave and Long Wave. If I remember correctly, short wave (254 nm) is better for detecting tagging on US stamps and long wave (320-400 nm) is more useful with currency or foreign stamps. Here is an example of a lamp that supports both.

https://www.safepub.com/product/swi...d-shortwave/

If you want to geek out the details, there is much information here,
https://stampsmarter.org/features/T...ng_Home.html