Doug, I can't find this in Gibbons. So one may have to consider this may be a forgery.
This may be a good starting point, which is part of a thread on WA forgeries:
WA Swans; a basic guide on how to pick a forgery the easy way
Definite forgery -- even if you aren't sure if the color may be from a proof, in this case the quick test is to look at the bottoms of the "W". On genuine they are both flat. In your example, the left is clearly pointed. Also, the tablet for "POSTAGE" appears solid in your example, which is another indication of forgery. In the genuine, there is a mark to the left of the "P" which looks little bit like a sideways "w".
I didn't go check to see which of the many forgeries it might be. My guess is that it is likely one of the Spiro or Fournier forgeries. Maybe someone can check?
Nice useful link, Ningpo. There are so many Western Australia forgeries out there, so that provided additional info. Thanks!
Since 1840 there have been around 600,000 or a little bit higher stamps issued. Of those, the APS states that about 40,000 have been counterfeited and/or forged. That 40,000 includes a large number of common, minimal valued stamps.
Does not seem to exist in the Scott catalogue as far as I could see. I also checked my Palo album of Australian States, just as an additional check, and there is no place for it. There are some 1860 imperforate stamps with that design, but they start at 2 pence.
e
Doug,
If you do create such a page, I think it would be worthwhile posting it here. Although some of us don't collect Australian material, it would be interesting and useful to see how you identified it was a forgery (ignoring the fact that it wasn't listed).
I wonder why everyone thinks this is a forgery.
As the stamp was never issued imperf in this colour why would anyone bother to make a forgery.
Regards
Frank
I believe it is SG 25 (Orange-Vermilion)
I believe SG25 is a 2d stamp. The forgery shown in the original post is 1d.
Forgers make mistakes, get careless, or simply missed a detail. That helps us to identify forgeries.
The mistakes can run the entire spectrum of the production: wrong paper, wrong perforation, missing watermark, design discrepancies, wrong printing method, wrong area/period of use cancels... and even wrong color. The forger isn't trying to fool the experts; the forger is just trying to make the stamp believable to an unsuspecting buyer. Sometimes a forger takes shortcuts by using one denomination as a model, not realizing/caring that there may be very minor design/color differences among the denominations
Incorrect color can be a little trickier because you have to rule out trial color/proofs.
In this case, the design discrepancies characteristic of known forgeries are sufficient to show it is definitely a forgery, without having to check for trial color/proofs.
"I believe SG25 is a 2d stamp. The forgery shown in the original post is 1d."
Could this be a cut square from a postcard or envelope? Some of the margins are kinda wide....
TuskenRaider
It is a known forgery. Doug correctly identified it as a Spiro/Fournier forgery as I had originally guessed. It has all the distinguishing characteristics of the known forgery, of which I only mentioned a couple, and it has none of the distinguishing characteristics of the genuine. While normally it is wise to consider cut squares, the design discrepancies are sufficient to prove it is a forgery -- the wide margins are another characteristic of that forgery.
It is a forgery of the perforated 1d rose issued in 1861.
Let's face it. A perfect Forgery is an oxymoron. If it were perfect no one could possibly recognise it as a forgery.
Like the perfect murder. No one even knows it has been committed
( Got away with it again, Sherlock....)
Malcolm
" Of those, the APS states that about 40,000 have been counterfeited and/or forged"
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Doug, I can't find this in Gibbons. So one may have to consider this may be a forgery.
This may be a good starting point, which is part of a thread on WA forgeries:
WA Swans; a basic guide on how to pick a forgery the easy way
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Definite forgery -- even if you aren't sure if the color may be from a proof, in this case the quick test is to look at the bottoms of the "W". On genuine they are both flat. In your example, the left is clearly pointed. Also, the tablet for "POSTAGE" appears solid in your example, which is another indication of forgery. In the genuine, there is a mark to the left of the "P" which looks little bit like a sideways "w".
I didn't go check to see which of the many forgeries it might be. My guess is that it is likely one of the Spiro or Fournier forgeries. Maybe someone can check?
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Nice useful link, Ningpo. There are so many Western Australia forgeries out there, so that provided additional info. Thanks!
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Since 1840 there have been around 600,000 or a little bit higher stamps issued. Of those, the APS states that about 40,000 have been counterfeited and/or forged. That 40,000 includes a large number of common, minimal valued stamps.
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Does not seem to exist in the Scott catalogue as far as I could see. I also checked my Palo album of Australian States, just as an additional check, and there is no place for it. There are some 1860 imperforate stamps with that design, but they start at 2 pence.
e
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Doug,
If you do create such a page, I think it would be worthwhile posting it here. Although some of us don't collect Australian material, it would be interesting and useful to see how you identified it was a forgery (ignoring the fact that it wasn't listed).
re: Western Australia Help Needed
I wonder why everyone thinks this is a forgery.
As the stamp was never issued imperf in this colour why would anyone bother to make a forgery.
Regards
Frank
re: Western Australia Help Needed
I believe it is SG 25 (Orange-Vermilion)
re: Western Australia Help Needed
I believe SG25 is a 2d stamp. The forgery shown in the original post is 1d.
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Forgers make mistakes, get careless, or simply missed a detail. That helps us to identify forgeries.
The mistakes can run the entire spectrum of the production: wrong paper, wrong perforation, missing watermark, design discrepancies, wrong printing method, wrong area/period of use cancels... and even wrong color. The forger isn't trying to fool the experts; the forger is just trying to make the stamp believable to an unsuspecting buyer. Sometimes a forger takes shortcuts by using one denomination as a model, not realizing/caring that there may be very minor design/color differences among the denominations
Incorrect color can be a little trickier because you have to rule out trial color/proofs.
In this case, the design discrepancies characteristic of known forgeries are sufficient to show it is definitely a forgery, without having to check for trial color/proofs.
re: Western Australia Help Needed
"I believe SG25 is a 2d stamp. The forgery shown in the original post is 1d."
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Could this be a cut square from a postcard or envelope? Some of the margins are kinda wide....
TuskenRaider
re: Western Australia Help Needed
It is a known forgery. Doug correctly identified it as a Spiro/Fournier forgery as I had originally guessed. It has all the distinguishing characteristics of the known forgery, of which I only mentioned a couple, and it has none of the distinguishing characteristics of the genuine. While normally it is wise to consider cut squares, the design discrepancies are sufficient to prove it is a forgery -- the wide margins are another characteristic of that forgery.
It is a forgery of the perforated 1d rose issued in 1861.
re: Western Australia Help Needed
Let's face it. A perfect Forgery is an oxymoron. If it were perfect no one could possibly recognise it as a forgery.
Like the perfect murder. No one even knows it has been committed
( Got away with it again, Sherlock....)
Malcolm
re: Western Australia Help Needed
" Of those, the APS states that about 40,000 have been counterfeited and/or forged"