FFE Journal - Fakes Forgeries Experts
Articles from FFE #9
FFE #9
The Litzmannstadt/Lodz ghetto fabrications
Class: PH
Heinz-Erwin Jungjohann
In a short presentation some fabrications of the Litzmannstadt/Lodz ghetto-post are described. These are in circulation at the moment, but the article warns against purchasing.
FFE #9
The philatelic manipulations of Viktor Indra
Class: TR
Andrew Cronin
The late Viktor Indra was a Czech postal historian, who had an interest in receiving self-addressed and franked envelopes and postcards from out-of-the-way countries and territories in the period from the 1930s until well into the 1980s. The article shows examples of the mail he received from the Tuvan Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic and from the Carpatho-Ukraine in the transition period of 1944-1945, when that former Czech province was being liberated by the Soviet Army in World War II. He thus received extremely interesting postal history usages from both Tuva and the Carpatho-Ukraine and it is greatly to be regretted that Mr. Indra had a most unfortunate tendency to "improve upon" the envelopes and postcards he received, by later adding or modifying registration labels and cachets, as well as inserting addresses on mail that never went through the Post. The information set out in the article by Andrew Cronin FRPSL, TM, will help postal historians to separate out the items, which had been manipulated by Mr. Indra
FFE #9
Four Austrian military postal letters dated 1866, all to good to be true
Class: PH
Lorenzo Carra
The Author, narrates one of his early acquisitions, which didn't convince him totally even then, and proceeds to tell about later experiences with some letters, supposedly written during the Italian 3°War of Indipendence 1866, from the Austian Military Post, a question on which the Author deals thoroughly in his esteemed publication, "1866 La Liberazione del Veneto." Certain letters, stamped "K.K FELD POST EXPOS N.4", have resulted in being false. L.C. documents and motivates his considerations regarding the various methods of counterfeiting. Due to this experience, which has taught the Author much, fearing that more of these false letters made in the 40,s or50,s should come onto the market,he has forwarned collectors that at certain prices things can be, too good to be true!
FFE #9
The scientific microscope for fighting forgeries in philately
Class: Other
Prof. Dr. U.E. Klein
Scientific light- and UV-microscopes with magnification more than 400 times are new tools for examining the highly varying micro-composition and pigment-microstructures of printer's dyes on stamps and dye mixtures of post markers. Illumination coming from the back side of the objects and transversing the paper is the secret. Examining the structures and not functional behaviour of printer's dyes is the aim of this technique. Examples of newly discriminated excellent forgeries are given. Keywords: Transmission microscopy, Overprint forgeries, Microstructure of printer's dyes
FFE #9
Detecting fakes by checking the postal rate
Class: TR
James Van der Linden
The overview concerns the basic information on conservation and artifact restoration of philatelic items to restore the cover to the state it was in when sent, and how far can one go i.e. what is legitimate as against improvements for gain of money. Furthermore is mentioned the list of possibilities of restoration, some tolerated, some bordering on forgeries. The conclusion deals with other forms of protection e.g. sunshine damage in exhibition rooms, and supplementary added inscriptions on the covers. Key words: Paper conservation - artifact restoration - original state of covers.
FFE #9
The counterfeits of the first Hellenic Olympic issues 1896-1900/01-1906
Class: TR
Michalis E. Tsironis
Presentation on the counterfeits of the Hellenic Olympic issues 1896-1900/01-1906. Specific importance and research on the 1906 issue, especially on the ΣΤΑΔΙΟΝ (ON ~ 1.2 mm) and ΣΤΑΔΙΟ Ν (ON ~ 2.2 mm) postmarks. Keywords: 1906, Olympic Games, Counterfeits, Forgeries
FFE #9
Postage dues and fakes
Class: PH
Michèle Chauvet
A lot of forgeries can be identified if philatelists have a little knwoledge about postal history. About a french postage due stamp, one caracteristic example: from a very ordinary letter somebody has made a wonderful, but impossible one. Keys words : French Postage due - forgery
FFE #9
Some Brazilian fakes and forgeries
Class: TR
Paulo Comelli
The article deals with fakes with Swedish cancellation marls and the use of Normal Swedish cancellations for manipulative purposes. During more than 30 years, I have served as an expert-member of the Philatelic Expert-committee in Sweden. The committee works on a mandate from the board of the Swedish Philatelic Federation. As an expert, I have documented manipulations and false use of Swedish postal cancels. In this article, I will publish some of the results from this documentation Keywords: Normal-cancellation 59, Normal-cancellation 60, Normal-cancellation 61, Normal-cancellation 59G
FFE #9
Fakes with Swedish cancellation marks & the use of normal Swedish cancellations for manipulative purposes
Class: TR
Roland Frahm
The article deals with fakes with Swedish cancellation marls and the use of Normal Swedish cancellations for manipulative purposes. During more than 30 years, I have served as an expert-member of the Philatelic Expert-committee in Sweden. The committee works on a mandate from the board of the Swedish Philatelic Federation. As an expert, I have documented manipulations and false use of Swedish postal cancels. In this article, I will publish some of the results from this documentation. Keywords: Normal-cancellation 59, Normal-cancellation 60, Normal-cancellation 61, Normal-cancellation 59G
FFE #9
New studies of Oneglia/Panelli engraved forgeries
Class: TR
Carl Walske
Panelli's finishing touches on Oneglia's engraved forgeries can sometimes be detected by the perforations, cancellations, surcharges and even gum. Panelli apparently acquired a fairly large portion of the Oneglia stock in an unfinished state, but lacked Oneglia's tools for finishing the forgeries. New and different ones were used. In a few cases the perforation can be used to identify lithographed forgeries as having been made by Oneglia. Key words: Oneglia and Panelli Revisited
FFE #9
A cover that started a career in expertizing
Class: PH
Robert P. Odenweller
A cover from the Burrus sale of 43 years ago was combined with a stamp from the same sale by a Parisian dealer and offered for sale only a few years later by a different dealer in London. Anomalies in rate and cancellations raised suspicions that proved it fake. The analysis involved led to an interest in the whole process of expertizing, which has continued to this day. Key words: New Zealand via Marseilles David Feldman
FFE #9
Circumstantial evidence can help authenticate one-of-a-kind items
Class: PH
Fred F. Gregory
Unique items present difficult challenges for expert examiners asked to determine authenticity. This article explores how circumstantial evidence can be used to confirm findings based on physical evidence to arrive at a confident decision. A unique local cover sent in 1864 from one island to another in Hawaii was authenticated using other examples from the same correspondence, examples of handwriting, postal practices gleaned from the examination of other covers and physical evidence consistent with authenticity. Keywords: Hawaii; Honolulu; Bishop; Gulick; postmarks
FFE #9
The desirable authenticity of manufacture
Class: TR
Morten Johan Linstrup
Philatelists tend to scorn and avoid manufactured items. This article purpose to show that there may be a real place in philately for certain such objects. Two cases are presented. Firstly, in traditional philately, a manufactured - but clearly genuine - setting may lend credibility to a difficult stamp, the authenticity of which may otherwise be tricky to ascertain (Figure 1). Secondly, within postal history, a manufactured context may even be needed (sic) to properly tell right from wrong when observance of postal regulations was lax.
FFE #9
Expertizing the 15th example of the Sutherland stamp
Class: TR
Dr. Kauzuyuki Inoue MD
What are Sutherland Stamps? "Sutherland" is a name of a Yokohama-based company carrying mail and passengers with stage coach service between Yokohama and Tokyo in 1871, just before the inauguration of the Japanese Governmental Postal System. The company issued two kinds of local stamps: 1/2 Boo and 1 Boo. This time, the 15th example of Sutherland stamp was discovered and sold in an auction in November 2003. It was submitted to the Philatelic Museum for expertizing prior to the Auction, and our Expert Committee reached the conclusion that the stamp is genuine and it was recognized as the 15th example of the Sutherland stamp or the 8th example of the 1/2 Boo stamp. We introduce optical analysis by computer for our expertizing procedure. Key words: James Wilson Sutherland, Sutherland & Company, Philatelic Museum Expert Committee, Japan Philatelic Society Foundation scanner
FFE #9
An attractive use of British postal stationery in Beyrout?
Class: TR
Alan Huggins
The article provides a warning to collectors to double-check cancellations to ensure they are consistent with use of both adhesive stamps and postal stationery. In the case illustrated replacement stamp has been added to British registration envelope used in Beirut.
FFE #9
1948 Israel's first coins 3 mils perforated 10X10 fakes
Class: TR
Yacov Tsachor
1948 Israel's First Coins - 3 mils perforated 10x10 Fakes: The article gives details about the printing and the sale of the #1 - 3 mils perforated 10x10. 540 tabbed stamps were issues of which only appx. 100 assumed to have survived, making it one of Israel's rarest stamp. The vast majority of the stamps offered on the market are Fakes. Shown are all the known types of the Fakes.
FFE #9
Conservation, preservation and restoration. C P R. In philately how far?
Class: TR
John C West
A postal stationery post card issued in 1901 which since that time has been affixed to a page in an official collection. The illustration shows the browning effect of the high acidic level in the post card and its transfer to an adjoining page. The British Library, Philatelic Collections: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection.
FFE #9
How to look after your collection - a basic guide
Class: TR
David R Beech
The article treats forgeries, created by adding or replacing stamps on covers, to make them more attractive i.e. more expensive. The replacements of defected or inexpensive stamps or adding's to upgrade stampless covers, are illustrated. The range of the shown, commented forgeries starts with Belgium with further examples of Germany and the United States. The given advice concerns a profound knowledge of the use and sense of transit markings, routes and rates of the area of specialisation. Key words: faked covers by adding's or replacements.
FFE #9
Large Hermes heads: Counterfeits of the so-called mixed frankings or combination covers
Class: PH
Wolfgang Bauer & Michael Tseriotis
Combination Covers are those with stamps of two or more countries and so fare not common at all. Greece was the only country in Europe using normal Large Hermes Head stamps as postage dues - other countries mark only the open amount on the coverfront. A lot of fakes were produced since long time to please the other collectors and the own pocket. Because of the complicated rates and regulations fakes were mostly accepted as correct! In this postal historian research is at the first time shown which Combination Covers are correct and why and which are faked or produced.
FFE #9
Forgeries to deceive the canadian post office part 2
Class: Other
Richard Gratton
This is the second part of an article started with FFE #8 on postal forgeries to defraud the Canadian Post Office. All know forgeries are described and technical information is given to permit the reader to understand the basic differences between the genuine stamps and forgeries. Two recent forgeries are described and show how extremely competent forgers can reproduce almost exactly self adhesive postage stamp (including fluorescent tagging). Key words: Postal forgeries
FFE #9
The Helsingør letter with NK 1,3 and 5 is manipulated
Class: TR
Finn Aune
"Combination cover with Norway no.1 and Oscar was manipulated. The cover, which represent the quite common 15 sk postage to Denmark, was regarded as unique because of the combined franking with Norway no.1 together with other stamps. Despite the fact that the cover has been well known for decades and has been shown as highlights in exhibition collections, it has now been discovered to be a fake. It is the expert of Norwegian philately, Finn Aune, who through thorough investigation has detected and proved that the Norway no.1 had never belonged to the cover at all. It is very rare that long time recognized showpieces of this kind later proves itself to be manipulated. At this moment there is only known one genuine combination cover with Norway no.1 (together 8 sk Oscar) and one piece (together with 4 sk Oscar)."