THE MODERN FAKE SAINT LUCIA 1983 1ST SERIES LOCOMOTIVE STAMP ISSUES

Saint Lucia 1983 Leaders of the World Locomotives 1st Series Forgery Set
Scott# 617-24 Stanley Gibbons# 651-66

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 June of 2016.
All the stamps imaged 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 both perforated and imperforate forgeries of the Saint Lucia Leaders of the World 1983 Locomotives 1st Series issues. All are being offered online right now as I write this on June 19, 2016.

I have found the imperforates have the yellowish gum and the perforated to have the white gum. The perforated versions being from a recent printing and the imperforates from an earlier printing. None were produced by the Format Printers.

I can also tell you that I have discovered that many more "modern" issues for Nevis 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 now 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 the Audubon Birds issues including inverted frames, Dogs inverts, Flowers inverts, Michael Jackson inverts, imperforates 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 been posting 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 St. Lucia LOTW Trains and Cars issues being put up on eBay in lots of 5 attached pairs. Because this seller has and is selling fakes of many other LOTW issues I knew these would prove to be the same. Until now no Saint Lucia Trains nor Cars were ever offered before by the seller. This shows that the forgeries are continuing to flood the market and different issues are being used.

I suspected that they are forgeries because other forgeries I have purchased from this same dealer. I recently purchased numerous lots containing these sets and others of the Leaders of the World Train and Cars sets from various countries as normal issues for some and imperforates for some. In looking at all the sets I have found that they are all forgeries. I got them for between $3.00 and $6.00 each winning bids against other bidders. This shows us how easily these are being spread across the world. Here is an image of what I got.

Perforated Forgeries

Imperforate Forgeries

These would have been a good deal if they were not all fakes.
This dealer is playing dumb and is persisting in selling these and many other forgeries so without naming names because of defamation retaliation and because eBay could retaliate I will have to leave it up to you collectors and dealers to do something about it.
so far I have alerted the APS, American Philatelic Magazine editors, Scott catalog editors about these forgeries. At this point they are tending to ignore it. Are you going to ignore it also?

I now have everything together to present to you how to detect them and not get ripped off!!

Here are gum comparisons.

Gum Comparison of Fake Stamps with Original
The white 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 stamps like these have ever been on the market nor recorded, it proves these to be modern forgeries of the stamps.

The yellowish gum I suspect to be older. It appears with this latest discovery that the forgers were working on this some time ago. The gum has a slight bend to it like original issues. It is still different than original gum though. A flat appearance compared to original gum. Still this makes some of the forgeries exceptionally dangerous because collectors and dealers who are scanning their collections and stock looking only at the gum looking for white versus yellow appearance will have these slip right by. As stated they do appear slightly different next to the originals but if you do not have originals right there to compare, you will have to resort to magnified detection of the face of the stamp to detect the forgeries.

Screen, Font and Color Comparison of a Fake Stamp with an Original Stamp
Let us use the 35c Duke of Sutherland stamp for high resolution comparisons. I use 1200dpi scans for viewing.
This first comparison shows you how inferior the screens are. I compare the front area of the engine.


You can see that the screens used are much coarser. Much of the details are lost on the forgery. The forgeries still are very dangerous because when imaged for sale by sellers they look almost exactly the same as the originals. Buyers will think it is just the sellers scanner making them look "different". To compensate the forger uses a shinier surface on the face of the stamps.

Now let's look at the fonts.


You can see that the fonts on the original stamp are a bit bolder. Note the difference in color backgrounds.

Now let's look at the side of the Coal Car on the detail drawing.


Again you can see that much of the detail is gone or indistinct on the forgery. You can't even see the ladder rungs on the back! Note the extreme color differences. I ask you....which one would you rather have?

Now I will show reduced images of the original stamps with the forgeries. At the bottom table are links to the same images at full size. To big to fit the page of course as I scanned them all at 1200dpi.

Comparison of the Fake 35c 1930 Duke of Sutherland Stamp with the Original Stamp


Now that you know what to look for it helps yes?
Notice the difference in overall color now?
Still you can see that most people will not even notice it which is what the forger wants!

Comparison of the Fake 35c 1940 City of Glasgow Stamp with the Original Stamp


On the originals the color of the steel is gray where on the forgeries it is blue-gray.

Comparison of the Fake 50c 1926 Lord Nelson Stamp with the Original Stamp


The obvious difference here is the army green top bar on originals versus the light green top bar on the forgeries.
On the detail drawings the original has dark blue gray on the front and bottom of the locomotive versus dark lavender on the fakes.

Comparison of the Fake 50c 1928 Leeds United Stamp with the Original Stamp


Note the "/" between B17/4. On the originals the / extends above and below the numbers where on the forgeries...it does not.

Comparison of the Fake $1 1945 Bodmin Stamp with the Original Stamp


Noting the extreme color differences, especially the bar colors. Light brown on originals versus gray-green on the forgeries.

Comparison of the Fake $1 1930 Eton Stamp with the Original Stamp


Note the locomotive is green on the originals versus blue-green on the forgeries. Many other differences.

Comparison of the Fake $2 1923 Flying Scotsman Stamp with the Original Stamp


Again the bar colors differ. Heavy red-pink on originals versus dull pink on the fakes.

Comparison of the Fake $2 1829 Robert Stephenson's Rocket Stamp with the Original Stamp


This is a more difficult one. Still note the orange bars. Orange on originals versus pale orange to almost tan color on the forgeries.

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

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.

Now here is one more image. This is of a strip of 5 pairs from one of the fake lots. Note the extra perforation holes at the top.
Printings from Format never had these. Also note throughout how off center the forgeries are. A real hurried and sloppy job by the printer. Oh, but the stamps are so distorted it doesn't matter anyway.....



You can now define the fake Saint Lucia 1983 1st series Locomotives stamps 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 forgery. All are scanned at 1200dpi so the files are large. All were scanned at the same time with the same settings and nothing is enhanced. Using Scott Catalog numbers. 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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