THE MODERN FAKE MONTSERRAT 1986 60TH BIRTHDAY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAMP ISSUES

Montserrat 1986 60th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II Inverted Frame Error Forgery Set
Scott# 600-603 Stanley Gibbons# 677-680

Montserrat 1986 60th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II Fake Imperforate Souvenir Sheet
Scott# 604 Stanley Gibbons# MS681

I have recently discovered that modern fake stamps of this issue are being flooded onto the market. I can tell you that real dangerous fakes or some call forgeries are being flooded on the market as I write this page in July of 2015.
All of the stamps shown above are fakes!

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, they have the correct perf size. The gum type is different in it being 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 complete sets of fake inverts of the Montserrat 1986 60th Birthday issue. I have also discovered forgeries of the Imperforate souvenir sheet as well. All are being offered online right now as I write this on July 11, 2015.

UPDATE 2016

I recently purchased from these same dealers imperforate strips of 5 of this issue. Again, forgeries produced by the same source. Same characteristics as described below. Here is an image of what I got.


END UPDATE

I can also tell you that I have discovered that many more "modern" issues for Tuvalu 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 by the same source which is unknown at present. 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.

Recently I noticed sales of the Montserrat 1986 60th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth issue being sold as inverted frame errors on eBay from a dealer in the UK at a cost of around $25.00. I noticed just from the image that something was wrong. The background color on the stamps was a much darker blue. I purchased a set and was amazed to find it is from a completely different printing than the originals! The colors, screens, fonts and gum completely differ.
With my suspicions up I checked other lots on eBay looking for darker blue backgrounds and came across bulk lots of the souvenir sheet imperforate up for auction at the 99c start price. I purchased one and when I received them found them all to be from the same source! The same gum type, paper and screens! Here are the differences.

Here are gum comparisons.

Gum Comparison of a Fake Stamp with Original
This gum appears to still be PVA but without the greenish tint. It has been noted that other British issues like some of the Machin issues have this type of gum. The problem is it was not used until the late 90's. The gum is very shiny though which conflicts with the description of the gum known as PVAI (Layflat) used on the Machins. Yet the stamps lay perfectly flat on a surface whereas originals have a light bending from aging.
This is evidence showing even a later creation and since these did not appear on the market until 2014 and no such invert errors have ever been on the market nor recorded, it proves these to be modern forgeries of the stamps.


Gum Comparison of the Original and Fake 1986 60th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth Souvenir Sheets
Again there is an obvious difference in color and texture.


Screen and Color Comparison of the Fake Stamp with Original Stamp
Note the extreme difference in color on the fake stamp. The thinner lighter blue frame line. The inferior screen pattern.


Comparison of the Fake 10c Stamp with the Original Stamp
A stunning difference yes?
Please note the extreme difference in color of the background and the plaque on the fake stamp.
The fake stamps are kind of like a photocopy of the originals but use a lower quality screen and have a shiny surface over the face.


Screen and Color Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet Image with Original Souvenir Sheet Image
Note the difference in color on the fake souvenir sheet. The inferior screen pattern again is prominent.


Screen and Color Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet Plaque with Original Souvenir Sheet Plaque
Again there is pronounced differences on the logo plaques.


You can see that there is a lot of differences between the two printings.

One buyer of these fakes purchased a large lot from one of the biggest and most reputable stamp sellers on eBay. He bought what he thought was the complete print run of one "newly discovered" error in full panes in packets of 200 panes which were unopened.
I am sorry to say that there are several ways proving these were never produced by the Format Printers.
Firstly the packaging is wrong. Here is the image he sent me.


The plastic wrapping is a flexible plastic used today. Format packaged all stamp panes in very brittle hard plastic that tears easily when opened. The separation paper is brown. Format always used pink/red paper to separate and protect the panes and souvenir sheets.

The perforations on the panes are wrong

Here is an image of the Montserrat 1986 60th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth $3.00 stamp pane from the original printing.


Now here is an image of the invert forgeries from corners of the panes.


Now look at the image of the pane and the image of the fake invert stamps with selvage shown above. Can you see the difference?
The perforations run through the selvage on the original panes on all sides. There are no perforations on the selvage of the forged panes!
Also the pane numbers of the panes are completely different on examples I have found!!

I note also that the souvenir sheet forgeries are slightly smaller than the originals.

Because of the fact that a major portion of leaders in the stamp community wish to turn a blind eye on these forgeries. Because of dealers and buyers who are afraid to "step up to the plate" because of fear of being ridiculed by self proclaimed "experts" or because they don't want to get involved, the forgers will continue to forge more and more sets. They have already effected other issues that have nothing to do with Leaders of the World issues such as Nauru 1982 Scouts, Barbuda 1983 Manned Flight and others showing us the wide range of stamps they are capable of forging and possibly have already forged. Soon you will be the victim when you buy that fake high valued Orchid stamp or that high priced definitive set you have dreamed of getting or what you thought to be a genuine error or variety which in the end only turns out to be fabricated by these forgers and nobody wants it when you go to sell it or your children go to sell it.

You have a choice.

Continue to ignore this problem that the majority of stamp leaders and editors seem to be trying to do just like they have with unauthorized reprints and "illegal" stamps in the past. Or spread the word and complain to your contacts and leaders that these problems need to be exposed and described in magazines, newspapers and catalogs before every stamp issue made in modern times from the 1970's onward falls victim to being a suspected forgery and in turn you or your friends or associates will fall victim to it when trying to buy or sell them. These forgers are professionals and have been here for decades unseen. They will continue to harm us unless people like you stand up and take notice!

This problem effects everyone because now instead of the value being based on a set quantity of the issued stamp, we now have double, triple or even more in quantity placed on the market. It will therefore depreciate the stated value of them in the catalogs simply because they will not research them and "assume" there are tons available when in reality for many sets the originals are and have become difficult to find.

I am simply the one who discovered them because of my research on the printer.
Indeed several issues that I have researched and obtained the original varieties of are effected. Mainly these fake imperforates. I am a professional tradesman and have never depended on stamps to live on. There are many that do depend on stamp sales though and it is for them also that I have created this section of the website.

You can now define the fake Montserrat 1986 60th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II stamps and souvenir sheet easily and can now possibly avoid being ripped off! Sorry to say this, a lot of you already have been fooled and more of you will be until the right people get serious about it!

Here are links to images of each stamp with an original next to a fake. All are scanned at 1200dpi (except the souvenir sheet) so the files are large. All were scanned at the same time with the same settings and nothing is enhanced. Please be patient with downloading them because each file is around 7 to 8 megs.

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

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