THE SAINT VINCENT 1985 3RD SERIES AUTOMOBILE STAMP FORGERIES

Saint Vincent 1985 Leaders of the World Automobiles 3rd Series Stamp Forgery Set
Scott# 815,817,821 Stanley Gibbons# 862-867

Saint Vincent 1984 Leaders of the World Locomotives 3rd Series Imperforate Forgery Set

I have known since 2017 that this set has been forged just like all the other stamp sets I have written about. As the images above show these forgeries exist in perforated and imperforate forms. This forgery set is easy to recognize just by the color of the 55c Pontiac Firebird Stamp. The background sky color is so extremely different than the genuine stamps that it is easy to tell just by the images given by any sellers no matter how small or "enhanced" they may try to do to the image. The genuine stamp has a bright turquoise blue sky whereas the forgery has a dull lavender-blue sky.

I have not found hardly any of the perforated version of these forgeries offered on eBay and other venues whereas many genuine sets are offered. I have found numerous cases of the imperforate forgeries offered mainly on Delcampe. That is where I got the above imaged imperforate forgery set.

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 February of 2018.
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 forgeries of the Saint Vincent Leaders of the World 1985 Automobiles 3rd Series issues. All are being offered online right now as I write this on.

I can also tell you that I have discovered that many more "modern" issues for Saint Vincent 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 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.

As I said earlier I received the imperforate set from a seller on Delcampe. I purchased the genuine set from a reputable seller on eBay.

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
I found the imperforate forgery set has the yellowish gum. It is possible and probable that the imaged forgery set that has been offered by user asrm10 on eBay has the white gum I describe in many of the other pages.

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 I am finding is bending very badly on this issue unlike original issues which only have slight bending. It is different than original gum. 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 in some cases.

Here is resized image of the perforated and imperforate fake gum with an original. Note the opacity of the forgery gum. You can see the tires in the detail drawing easily.


Screen, Font and Color Comparison of a Fake Stamp with an Original Stamp
Let us use the $2 1953 Cunningham automobile 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 of the car.


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 are dangerously close on this stamp. But there is something that is very different! Can you see it?
Look at the "dash" between the "C-5R". Completely different.
Look at the position of the "USA". It is positioned to the right making the "A" stand further to the right than the letters above it. On the forgery it is positioned left making the "A" further left than the letters above it.
You can see other differences as well.

Now let's look at the Front of the car on the detail drawing.


The details are much the same except for the smearing of the ink on the forgery.

Now I will show reduced images of the original stamps with the forgeries.

Comparison of the 1c 1937 Lancia Aprilia Automobile Stamp Forgery with the Original Stamp


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

Noted Differences:
The background color is tan-yellow on genuine stamps. It is dull mustard yellow on the forgeries.
The tree stump and all the trees and sky are shades of red-brown on genuine stamps. Shades of gray-brown on the forgeries.
The dot between the "Leaders of the world" logos is very small and indistinct on genuine stamps. It is bigger and is pronounced on the forgeries.
The "Y" of "ITALY" on the detail drawing stamp is to the right of the letters above it on genuine stamps. On the forgeries it is almost "inline".

Comparison of the 55c 1973 Pontiac Firebird Automobile Stamp Forgery with the Original Stamp


Here you can see the extreme differences clearly.
Noted Differences:
Obviously the color of the background. Turquoise blue on genuine stamps. Lavender blue on the forgeries.
Upper and lower color bars are gray on genuine stamps. Brown on the forgeries.
The car is bright red on genuine stamps. Dull red on the forgeries.
The dot between the "Leaders of the world" logos is very small and indistinct on genuine stamps. It is bigger and is pronounced on the forgeries.
You may notice the "double printing" of the black on the forgery. Not all the imperforates have this nor do the perforated versions of the forgeries. It is possible the forger was attempting to create an "error" for more profits. That will not happen. None exist except on these forgeries.

Comparison of the $2 1953 Cunningham C-5R Automobile Stamp Forgery with the Original Stamp


Noted Differences:
Obviously the color of the background. dull gold-yellow on genuine stamps. Light yellow on the forgeries.
Upper and lower color bars are red-mauve on genuine stamps. Gray-mauve on the forgeries.
The car a yellowish tint on genuine stamps. You can hardly see it on the side of the car and none on the hood of the car on the forgeries.
The grass is green on the genuine stamps. Yellow-green on the forgeries.
The dash between "C-5R" is long on the genuine stamps. It is short on the forgeries.
The dot between the "Leaders of the world" logos is very small and indistinct on genuine stamps. It is bigger and is pronounced on the forgeries.

So now 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. This issue does not effect me at all. 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 Saint Vincent 1985 3rd series Automobiles stamp forgeries 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!

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

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