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)

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

Recommended resources

  • 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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