THE MODERN FAKE BARBUDA 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES STAMP SOUVENIR SHEET

The Barbuda 1984 Olympic Games Imperforate Souvenir Sheet Forgery
Scott Catalog# 634a Stanley Gibbons# MS734


I discovered quite some time ago that this souvenir sheet as an imperforate is a fake reproduction of the original. I can tell you that real dangerous fakes or some call forgeries have and are being flooded on the market as I write this page in July of 2017.

The only genuine imperforate I have ever found for this souvenir sheet is stuck on a printers presentation folder page or are the master progressive color proofs sold in the final sale of the archive. The asking price for either is hefty! You can see that on the presentation page that the colors do not match genuine perforated souvenir sheets either. This is because it is a presentation proof. The colors were changed for the final printings. Mainly the outer frame colors were lightened. You can see that the pillars and other aspects of the image are the same color as the genuine perforated souvenir sheets.

Barbuda 1984 Olympics Proofs on Presentation Page


These next images of the master color proofs were taken from a different sellers lot on eBay and are slightly enhanced but still proving that the colors are the same as genuine souvenir sheets.

Now here is a master proof cut from the unique press sheet found in the printers archive. Here you can see the colors do match genuine souvenir sheets exactly even though the sellers image is slightly "brightened" compared to the image of a genuine souvenir sheet. you can see the main pillars are gray and so forth.

Barbuda 1984 Olympics Imperforate Souvenir Sheet Master Final Progressive Color Proof Cut from Unique Press Sheet


Barbuda 1984 Olympics Imperforate Souvenir Sheet Master Final Progressive Color Proof Comparison


Barbuda 1984 Olympics Imperforate Souvenir Sheet Master Progressive Color Proofs Cut from Unique Press Sheets


Should you have a genuine imperforate that is not stuck on a presentation card or cut from the unique press sheet, I would love to see it and prove the following statement wrong.

DO NOT BUY MACHINE CUT IMPERFORATE VERSIONS OF THIS SOUVENIR SHEET! THEY ARE FORGERIES!

My research into the printer has enabled me to discover modern fake stamps have been created in 2014!! They are being spread across the world through online auction sites like eBay and Delcampe. Everything about them is fake except for one dangerous fact, perforated forgeries have the correct perf size. The gum type is different than the genuine issues in that it is a different yellowish in color or white. The yellowish gum types very closely resemble the original gum if you do not have an original to compare with. I theorize that forgeries with yellowish gum were created at an earlier date than the many forgeries I have written about in the past few years. I theorize they were "held" until just recently when they were released with many other forgeries. Most of the new forgeries have gum that is white in color and very shiny. This gum type was not used until much later years, long after Format went bankrupt thus proving they were not produced by the Format International Security Printers. Obvious differences will be shown below. So far I have discovered forgeries of the souvenir sheet as imperforates. They are being offered online right now as I write this on July 8, 2017.

I have found documentation that 10,000 were released on the market back in April of 2015.

I have not found if the stamp issue or the perforated version of the souvenir sheet have also been forged but suspect they have. This souvenir sheet is very popular for Olympic Games collectors and many other types of collectors.

I can also tell you that I have discovered that many more "modern" issues for many and other countries are being forged. Mainly varieties and "errors" of the issues which bring in higher profits although normal issues are also being faked in many cases. All are being produced and dispersed by the same source which is known but to this day eludes solid proof. All are dangerous forgeries because the perf sizes are correct. Images shown on auction sites cannot be trusted because they cannot be defined by counting perforations and unless you have a comparable image of the originals they cannot be recognized by the images given by sellers. This includes Audubon Birds issues including inverted frames, Dogs inverts, Flowers inverts, Michael Jackson inverts, and many more.

ANY INFORMATION TO TRACE THE SOURCE OF THESE FORGERIES WILL BE POSTED TO THE PROPER RESOURCES

At present sellers on eBay, Delcampe, Bonanza, and Amazon are offering them. I am sure other sources are now selling them also. A list of these sellers is being compiled and at some point the source may be revealed. At this time unless the sellers stop selling them (which is doubtful) it is up to you as a buyer to refuse to buy them without proper identification. In other words, make the seller send you 1200dpi images of the front and back of the stamps and then compare them with my images. I have posted more pages on the issues I have discovered to be forged and have included an index page listing them with links.

New information is welcome and you may contact me through this website anytime.

A couple years ago I noticed sales of the Barbuda 1984 Olympic Games souvenir sheet being sold as imperforate on eBay from a dealer located in Latvia in lots of five or ten sheets starting bidding at 99c! I noticed just from the image that something was wrong but do not have the ability to buy every forgery this seller is pushing onto the market. Through tracing I found the major lot sold to the Latvian dealer and in the list of issues was the Barbuda 1984 Olympic Games souvenir sheets!
This page is a bit different than the many past pages I have made on these fake reproductions. Namely because I have not purchased the forgeries but instead am using the sellers own image of them and using another legitimate sellers image of a perforated souvenir sheet. I have certain ways to tell if the stamps are the fake reproductions simply by the images given by sellers. Some of these ways I will not disclose to the public because then the forger will know how to cover it up. At this point he and the sellers that are offering this junk appear to be too stupid to even realize how obvious the forgeries are to the trained eye.

This and several other Barbuda souvenir sheets were moved onto the market at the same time in the same lot. Each in same quantities. I think that this fake reproduction probably has the same gum as described on my other pages for these so this part about the gum I am leaving for you to use. Anyone who has purchased these forgeries can come forward if this description is wrong.

The gum is very important to note here. You can compare the original with tons of other original Format produced issues and find it is exactly the same no matter what country it was made for. The fakes are not. Here are the differences.

Here are gum comparisons.

Close up Gum Comparison of a Fake Souvenir Sheet Gum with Original Souvenir Sheet Gum
This gum appears to still be PVA but with a flat appearance compared to original Format gum. The forged souvenir sheets are "curling" much worse than the originals which have a natural "bending" from age and the type of gum Format used.


Color Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet with Original Souvenir Sheet
the following images taken off the eBay lots.

First let us look at the stamps on the souvenir sheets. This one compare's the Torch Bearer and flags. Note the extreme difference in color on the fake stamp. The loss of much of the details.


Other notes:
The fonts on the denomination, country name and description are all bolder on the forgeries. Even the black rings are much bolder!
The torch bearers skin is highlighted in reddish and red-brown on genuine stamps. On forgeries it is brown.
The sky is pale blue on genuine stamps. On the forgeries it is greenish blue.
The rings on the flags are much more intense on genuine stamps. The last ring is red. On the forgeries they are dull and the last ring is almost orange!

These are all easy ways to tell with an untrained eye.

Now here is a section showing the pillars on the souvenir sheets.
Again the same faults as described above.


Other notes:
Pillars are gray on genuine stamps. Greenish on the forgeries.

Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet with the Original Souvenir Sheet
Now that you know what to look for you can see a stunning difference yes?


Which one would you want in your collection? The genuine stamp or a shoddy reproduction of it?

Here is an image of a lot of forgeries being sold on eBay.


You see the main problem is:
Until these fake machine cut imperforates appeared now almost 3 years ago...there were no imperforates for this issue! Can't you smell a rat?

You can now define the forgeries of the Barbuda 1984 Olympic Games souvenir sheet easily and can now possibly avoid being ripped off! Sadly, many have been ripped off already!

Your friend and fellow collector and researcher,
JLowe RETURN TO TOP

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