THE MODERN FAKE NAURU 1982 SCOUTING YEAR STAMP SOUVENIR SHEET

The Nauru 1982 Scouting Year Imperforate Souvenir Sheet Forgery
Scott Catalog# 249a Stanley Gibbons# MS262


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 have and are being flooded on the market as I write this page in November of 2015.

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 for this issue in that it is yellowish in color. Very closely resembling the original gum if you do not have an original to compare with. I theorize that this issue was forged at an earlier date than the many forgeries I have written about in the past few months. 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 November 14, 2015.

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

I have not found if the stamp issue have also been forged but suspect they have. This souvenir sheet is very popular for scout 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 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.

Months ago I noticed sales of the Nauru 1982 Scouting Year souvenir sheet being sold on eBay from a dealer located in Latvia lots of five or ten sheets starting bidding at 99c! I noticed just from the image that something was wrong but could not put my finger on it. Recently through tracing I found the major lot sold to the Latvian dealer and in the list of issues was the Barbuda 1983 Bicentenary of Manned Flight souvenir sheets!
Back to eBay I go and won one of the lots from the Latvian dealer containing 10 souvenir sheets. I then chose a dealer who was selling the whole stamp set still in showgard mounts and purchased it. I just got it and immediately compared it with the imperforates I just received and sure enough the sheets from Latvia are from a completely different printing than the originals! The colors, screens, fonts and gum completely differ.

I found immediately that the forgeries have very shiny surfaces on the face whereas the originals are very dull!

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 original one I received which has a natural "bending" from age and the type of gum Format used.


Gum Comparison of the Original and Fake 1982 Scouting Year Souvenir Sheets
Note how close they look. I found this forger to be very dangerous in this way. Only by direct comparison can you detect the difference. I do note the forgery is cut a tad bit shorter than the original.


Screen and Color Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet with Original Souvenir Sheet
the following images taken at 1200dpi and not enhanced.

First let us look at the stamps on the souvenir sheets. This one compare's the boy on the left of the 7c stamp. Note the difference in color on the fake stamp. The loss of much of the details. The inferior screen pattern.


Now here is a scout master on the left of the 40c stamp.
Again the same faults as described above.


Now here is a comparison of the little house on the sheet.
Quite different yes?


Now here is a comparison of the fonts.
Here you can see the original has larger and bolder fonts. The "y" in "Boy" has a fancy curving where on the fake it does not. Note the screen pattern on the forgery where there is no pattern on the original.


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?
Well here is one more thing if you did not catch it already. Look at the top two stamps on the forgery. Something is missing right?


Which one would you want in your collection?

You can now define the fake Nauru 1982 Scouting Year 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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