Forged stamps of Gold Coast

1875. Queen Victoria. One Penny

Genuine vs. Forgeries

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_1p_red_Genuine

Genuine

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_1p_red_Forgery

Forgery

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_1p_Spiro_Forgery

Spiro forgery

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_1p_Torres_illustration

Illustration by Plácido Ramón de Torres: Album ilustrado de sellos de correo, Barcelona 1879. Torres sold illustrations to various dealers/forgers from 1864 onwards, as well as made forgeries himself.

1875. Queen Victoria. Four Pence

Genuine vs. Forgery

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_4p_Genuine

Genuine

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_4p_Spiro_Forgery

Spiro forgery

1875. Queen Victoria. Six Pence

Forgery

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_6p_Spiro_Forgery

Spiro forgery

1889. Queen Victoria. 20 Shillings

Genuine vs. Forgery

Gold_Coast_1889_QV_20sh_Genuine

Genuine

Gold_Coast_1889_QV_20sh_Sperati_Forgery

Sperati forgery

Top of ‘S’ is flat

White dot in the shadow of ‘2’

Break in value box below ‘0’ (not marked with red circle)

Gold_Coast_1889_QV_20sh_Sperati_Forgery2

Sperati forgery

Clever placement of postmark to conceal 2 out of 3 Sperati characteristics

Wrong certificate

Queen Victoria

Spiro produced his forgeries in sheets of 25

Gold_Coast_1875_QV_1d_Spiro-sheet_Forgery
Gold_Coast_1875_QV_4d_Spiro-sheet_Forgery
Gold_Coast_1875_QV_6d_Spiro-sheet_Forgery

Experts

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Links

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  • Filatelia.fi – Details about expertizers of British Colonies

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Literature

For further research

  • 1-20. The first design issues, 1875-91. Spiro Brothers forgery and fraudulent postmark and another forgery: R.C. Agabeg, “The Gold Coast 1775-1902”, The London Philatelist, Vol. 69 (February 1960): 25-31. Spiro Brothers fraudulent postmark on the 1p, 4p, 6p, 1875: The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1661-1947, Vol. II, p.341. The Serrane Guide/ Stamp Forgeries of the World to 1926, p.149 (Yvert 1-20). Forgeries of the 1p,4p,6p values of 1875, genuine and fraudulent postmarks: R.B. Earée, Album Weeds/ How to Detect Forged Stamps (Third Edition)/ How to Detect Forged Stamps (Third Edition), Vol. 1, pp.397,98. Sperati forgeries of the 1⁄2p bister and 1p blue, both of 1983: British Philatelic Association (Publisher), The Work Of Jean De Sperati, p.46 and Plate 9; Robson Lowe, “Sperati and His Craft – XVII”, The Philatelist, Vol. 20 (September 1954): 320-22.
  • 21. 1p on 6p, 1889. Forged surcharge: Robson Lowe (editor), The Gee-Ma Forgeries, p.10. Genuine postmarks: Frank Aretz, Know Your Stamps, Vol. I, p.23.
  • 24. 20sh Queen’s head provisional, 1889. Two Sperati forgeries, one of proof only: British Philatelic Association (Publisher), The Work Of Jean De Sperati, pp.46,47 and Plate 9. Sperati forgery: Robson Lowe, “Sperati and His Craft –III”, The Philatelist, Vol. 19 (July 1953): 247-51, continued at Vol. 20 (October 1953): 2-4.
  • 37a. 1p on 6p, 1901 (“ONE“ missing). Fakes: Scott Classic Specialized Catalog.
  • Five Madame Joseph fraudulent postmarks, MY 28/92 to 1944. Derek Worboys and Roger B. West, Madame Joseph Forged Postmarks, p.56.
  • 19th century revenue cancellations: Edwin Mueller, “from the Philatelic Consultant” column,Mercury Stamp Journal, Vol. 2, Whole No.16 (December 1950): 88.

Source: The Tedesco Index

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