Forged Stamps of Australia

1913. Kangaroo. One Penny “Double Print”

Forgeries

Australia_Kangaroo_1d_Double_Print_Forgery1

“Double Print” forgery

Australia_Kangaroo_1d_Double_Print_Forgery2

“Double Print” forgery

Australia_Kangaroo_1d_Double_Print_Opinion

1930 letter from Verne, Collins, with comments by Rosenblum & others giving their opinions as to whether this is a genuine flaw or a forgery.

1914. Maurice Guillaux First Aerial Flight 16th July 1914

Forgery

Australia_1914_Maurice_Guillaux_Forged_Cover

Forged Cover using genuine stamp and postmark

1913-1934. Kangaroo. Five Pence

Genuine vs. Reperforated

Australia_1913_Kangaroo_5d_genuine

Genuine

Australia_1913_Kangaroo_5d_repaired

Watch out for repaired stamps on eBay

This one was sold by “job-459”

(alias of the infamous “Sydney forger”)

Australia_1913_Kangaroo_5d_faulty

Original faulty stamp before the reperforation

bought by “jobs-459” from another eBay seller

1913-1934. Kangaroo. Two Shillings

Genuine vs. Reperforated

Australia_Kangaroo_2s_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_Kangaroo_2s_Reperforated

Genuine – Reperforated

1913-1934. Kangaroo. Five Shillings

Forgery

Australia_Kangaroo_10s_Fake_Albany_WA_Postmark

Genuine with bogus Albany (WA) cds

1913-1934. Kangaroo. Ten Shillings

Genuine vs. Reperforated

Australia_Kangaroo_10s_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_Kangaroo_10s_Reperforated

Genuine – Reperforated at the top & right

Genuine with fake ‘GPO MELBOURNE’ cto

1913-1934. Kangaroo. Two Pounds

Genuine vs. Forgeries

Australia_Kangaroo_2dollar_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_Kangaroo_2dollar_Sperati_Forgery

Sperati forgery

It was produced by fading-out the design of a low denomination Roo stamp then photolithographically printing the desired £2 value thus retaining a genuine watermark and postmark. Unit L50 was used by Sperati.

Many of the shading lines often do not touch the coastline, as they do in the originals. A white scratch from the map to above the right arm of the “U” of “Pounds”. The four dots forming the shading lines inside “O” of “Two” are weak.

Australia_Kangaroo_2dollar_Specimen_Genuine

Genuine Specimen

australia_kangaroo_2dollar_genuine_reperforated1

Genuine – Reperforated bottom-left corner

australia_kangaroo_2dollar_genuine_reperforated2

Genuine – Reperforated

Australia_Kangaroo_2dollar_Sperati_Forgery2

Sperati forgery with genuine ‘AYR – Queensland” postmark

Australia_Kangaroo_2dollar_Sperati_Forgery3

Sperati forgery

Ex Arthur Gray Collection lot #290 which sold for US$2,300 (AU$3,197 at the time) in 2004

Australia_Kangaroo_2dollar_Sperati_Forgery4

Sperati forgery with genuine Queensland machine cancel

Sperati forgery with genuine Boulia Queensland postmark

Australia_Kangaroo_2pound_Sperati_Sunburst_Cachet

Forgery signed “Jean de Sperati”. Reverse ‘sunburst’ cachet in bright yellow and BPA ‘SPERATI/”50″/REPRODUCTION’ handstamp, BW #55cc. RPSL Certificate (1971)

Kangaroos. Bogus postmarks

Australia_Loose_Ship_Letter_Bogus_Postmark

Bogus “Loose Ship Letter” postmark sold by E-bay seller “longjo5”, one of 100+ handles this fraudster from Sydney has used over the years.

Australia_Loose_Ship_Letter_Bogus_Postmark_source

Genuine stamps unused

1915-1936. King George V. 2 Pence

Genuine vs. Forgery

Australia_KGV_2p_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_KGV_2p_Postal_Forgery

Postal forgery

1930. Sturt

Forgery

Australia_1930_Sturt_with_forgery_of_the_manuscript_endorsement

Forgery of the manuscript endorsement “2d/paid/pm/LHI” on genuine stamp

1932. Sydney Harbor Bridge. 2 Penny

Genuine vs. Forgery

Australia_1932_Sydney-Harbor-Bridge_2d_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_1932_Sydney-Harbor-Bridge_2d_Postal_Forgery

Postal forgery

1937. Coronation. 1 Pound

Genuine vs. Forgery

Australia_1pound_Specimen_Genuine

Genuine. Ceremuga certificate

Australia_1pound_Specimen_Forgery

Forged overprint on genuine stamp. Ceremuga certificate 

1949. Arms

Forgery

BW #270x with faked ‘O’ for ‘C’ in the ‘SPECIMEN’ overprint (as BW #270xc)

1950’s

Forgeries

Dangerous forgeries created by placing trimmed and shaved real stamps on new backing paper. Originally sent from Canada to Australia in the late 1950s and reported in the AM as a forgery. They went into hiding for over 50 years and were bought back into Australia from an Italian dealer.

Australia_1950s_Forgeries_trimmed_Genuine1

Forgeries

Australia_1950s_Forgeries_trimmed_Genuine2

Forgeries

Australia_1950s_Forgeries_trimmed_Genuine3

Forgeries

1965. Sir John Monash. 5d

Forgery

Australia_1965_5d_Sir_John_Monash_variety_Forgery

Forgery of missing ‘AUSTRALIA’ & value on piece tied by Kogarah postmark.

Ceremuga Certificate (2002). 

1970. Captain Cook Bicentenary

Bogus

Australia_1970_Captain_Cook_Sheet_Bogus_Perforations

Bogus perforations made by ‘Orlo-Smith’, an Melbourne stamp-dealer

Australia_1970_Captain_Cook_Sheet_Unauthorized_ANPEX1

Unauthorised ‘ANPEX’ overprint

Unauthorised ‘ANPEX’ overprint

1978. Famous Australian Aviators

Forgery

Australia_1978_Famous_Australian_Aviators_Postal_Forgery

Postal forgery

According to ACSC: “It is believed the sheets were produced in Holland, and that they were intended to defraud Australia Post under the stamp re-purchase scheme then in operation.”

Kangaroo. Perfin OS

Forgeries

Australia_1913_Roo_1d_OS-perfin_Forgery

Forged ‘inverted’ OS perfin sold by the infamous “Sydney-forger” on eBay

Australia_Kangaroo_4d_Forged_OS_perfin

Bogus Perf Large ‘OS’ purporting to be ACSC #15ba

Australia_Kangaroo_1pound_Forged_OS_perfin

Bogus Perf ‘OS’ purporting to be BW #52b

Kangaroo. Surcharged OS

Forgeries

Australia_Kangaroo_6p_OS_Genuine

Forgery

Australia_Kangaroo_6p_OS_Inverted_Forgery

Forgery

Kingford Smith’s Surcharged OS

Genuine vs. Forgeries

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_2d_OS_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_2d_OS_Reperforated

Reperforated on 3 sides

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_2d_OS_Forgery1

Forgery

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_2d_OS_Forgery2

Forgery

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_3d_OS_Genuine

Genuine

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_3d_OS_Forgery1

Forgery

Australia_Kingford_Smiths_3d_OS_Forgery2

Forgery

1946. Surcharged ‘B.C.O.F. Japan 1946’

Genuine vs. Forgeries

australia_1946_elizabeth_1d_proof_bcof_genuine

Genuine proof

australia_1946_elizabeth_1d_bcof-japan_forgery

Forged overprint on genuine stamp

australia_1946_lyrebird_1sh_bcof-japan_forgery

Forged overprint on genuine stamp

Australia_1946_Kangaroo_2sh_BCOF-Japan_Forgery

Forged overprint on genuine stamp

Cinderella. Murray Line. Nine Pence

Forgery

Australia_Cinderella_Murray_Line_Forgery

Forgery

Experts

Get certificates from these experts

Links

Recommended resources

  • Filatelia.fi – Details about expertizers of Australia
  • Stampboards has many threads about forgeries being offered on eBay by various sellers

Know any relevant websites? Please contact me!

Literature

For further research

  • 13-15. High values, Kangaroo Series, 1913. Cancellation of Specimen: The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1661-1947, Vol. IV, p.309. See “15” below for more citations.
  • 15. £2 value of the Kangaroo series, 1913. Sperati forgery and fraudulent cancellation: British Philatelic Association (Publisher), The Work Of Jean De Sperati, p.31 and Plate 1. Sperati forgery: Robson Lowe, “Sperati and His Craft – VIII”, The Philatelist, Vol. 20 (December 1953): 66,67. Cancellation of Sperati forgery: The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1661-1947, Vol. IV, p.348.
  • 71. 2p. red regular issue of 1930. H.S. Elderfield postal forgery: L.N. and M. Williams, “Postal Forgeries”, The Stamp Lover, Vol. 36 (January-February 1944): 114,15,23; with cancellation information: The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1661-1947, Vol. IV, p.319.
  • 116. 2p. red regular issue, 1930. H.G. Leslie Fletcher, Postal Forgeries of the World, pp.14,15. Irish Sweepstakes postal forgery: Leslie Fletcher, “Irish Sweepstakes: Australian Forgeries”, Stamp Magazine (U.K.), Vol. 38 (March 1972): 60-63, continued at Vol.39 (February 1973): 56,57. The 1932 postal forgery, Thomas L. Belknap, “Australia’s 1932 Forgeries” (republished from “Australian Commonwealth Chit Chat”), The S.P.A. Journal, Vol. 30 (December 1967): 257-59. Elderfield postal forgery: D.K. Walters, “The Truth About The Sydney Postal Forgeries Of 1932”, The London Philatelist, Vol. 56 (November 1947): 201-6; corrected and supplemented by the author, with testimony of J.R.W. Purves concerning plating flaws of the forgeries, in “New Light On The Sydney Postal Forgeries Of 1932”, Philately from Australia, Vol. 1 (September 1949): 69-76, continued at (December 1949): 109-115 . Elderfield postal forgery: L.N.& M. Williams, “Forgeries – but not for Collectors”, Stamp Review, Vol. 3 (January 1939): 180-82, at p.180; Anon., “Australian Forgery Case” (from Australian Stamp Monthly), Stamp Collecting, Vol. 38 (June 25, 1932): 293, more at (August 9, 1932): 424, and at (September 17, 1932): 558.
  • 130,33. 2p Sydney Harbor Bridge stamps, 1932. Jackson/Elderfield postal forgery: H.G. Leslie Fletcher, Postal Forgeries of the World, pp.12,13. Postal forgeries: Leslie Fletcher, “Irish Sweepstakes: Australian Forgeries”, Stamp Magazine (U.K.), Vol. 38 (March 1972): 60-63, continued at Vol. 39 (February 1973): 56,57, and at (March 1972): 60-63. The 1932 postal forgery of engraved stamp (130): The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1661- 1947, Vol. IV, p.323; Thomas L. Belknap, “Australia’s 1932 Forgeries” (republished from “Australian Commonwealth Chit Chat”), The S.P.A. Journal, Vol. 30 (December 1967): 257- 59; F.A.E. Collas, “The Australian Stamp Forgeries of 1932”, Stamp Collecting, Vol. 133 (May 24, 1979): 943,45, continued at (May 31, 1979): 1039,41, at p.945. Anon., “The Sydney Bridge Forgery”, The West – End Philatelist, Vol. 37 (May-June 1947): 50, Addenda on p.142 of the November-December 1947 issue. Elderfield postal forgeries (critical of the West-End Philatelist article, on non-expertizing points): D.K. Walters, “The Truth About The Sydney Postal Forgeries Of 1932”, The London Philatelist, Vol. 56 (November 1947): 201-6; (corrected and supplemented by the author, with testimony of J.R.W. Purves concerning plating flaws of the forgeries, in “New Light On The Sydney Postal Forgeries Of 1932”, Philately from Australia, Vol. 1 (September 1949): 69-76), continued at.(December 1949): 109-115 , at pp.201-6.
  • 141. 1sh, green, 1932. Imitation by French Stamp Printing Works: Anon., “Australian Stamp Imitated”, Mekeel’s Weekly Stamp News, Vol. 53 (June 19, 1939): 300.
  • 151. 1sh Geo.V on charger “Anzac”, 1935. The 1sh perf. 131⁄2 x 121⁄2 is a plate proof: Scott Classic Specialized Catalog.
  • 188, 90. 21⁄2p on 2p and 51⁄2p on 5p, 1941. Forged surcharge. Robson Lowe (editor), The Gee-Ma Forgeries, p.9. Surcharge on wrong stamp: The Encyclopedia of British Empire Postage Stamps 1661-1947, Vol. IV, p.330.
  • 393a. Fake made by chemically removing gold overlay from a used 393: Mercer Bristow, “More than Gold is missing on would-be error”, Stamp Collector, Vol. 72 (June 1, 1998): 12.
  • Three Madame Joseph fraudulent postmarks, 19th century, 1931,1942. Derek Worboys and Roger B. West, Madame Joseph Forged Postmarks, p.26.
  • Modern CTO cancellations: P.F. Marsden, letter to the Editor, The London Philatelist, Vol. 104 (March 1995): 60.
  • M1-M7. Military stamps, 1946-47. Forged overprint. W.P. Fletcher, “Forged B.C.O.F. Overprints”, Japanese Philately, Vol. 15 (April 1960): 59,60. Arthur P. Silvester, “The B.C.O.F. Overprints on Australia”, American Philatelist, Vol. 64 (October 1950): 33-37. Robson Lowe (editor), The Gee-Ma Forgeries, p.9.
  • CO1. Overprinted Airpost Official Stamp, 1931. Alden C. Johnson, Forgeries Old and New, Vol. 1, p.1.
  • OA1-OA15. Perforated large “OS”, Official stamps, 1913. Forged “OS”: F.I.P. Commission for the Fight against Forgeries, Note, Flash #39 (March 1992): 21.
  • O1-O14. OS overprinted Official stamps, 1932-33. Forged overprint. N.J. Sheppard, “Comment On A Spate Of Forged Overprints On Australian Stamps – Part 1: The OS Forgeries”, Bulletin of the Australian Commonwealth Collectors Club of New South Wales (Sydney, NSW Australia), Vol.38, No.1 (February, 1999): 1-36. Alden C. Johnson, Forgeries Old and New, Vol. 2, p.1.
  • O10a. Forged overprint: Krzysztof (Chris) Ceremuga, “Australia: The Story Of SG O126a”, Fakes Forgeries Experts journal, No.5 (May 2002): 18-29.

Source: The Tedesco Index

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