THE MODERN FAKE SAINT VINCENT 1987 40TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAMPS AND SOUVENIR SHEET
ROYAL RUBY WEDDING ROYAL FAMILY PORTRAITS

Saint Vincent 1987 Royal Ruby Wedding Imperforate Forgery Set
Scott Catalog# 1017-21 Stanley Gibbons Catalog# 1079-83


Saint Vincent 1987 Royal Family Portraits Inverted Frame Error Forgery Set


I have recently discovered that modern fake imperforate stamps and souvenir sheets including a new batch of inverted frames 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.

UPDATE October 16, 2015 (September 24, 2017 additions)

I have also finally found that the majority of inverted frame error stamps on the market are also fake reprints and forgeries. The unauthorized reprints are from a different printing that was not done by the Format International Security Printers. The forgeries are recently made. The original printing of the inverted frame "error" stamps was done for promotional reasons. Only the four low values were requested by Clive Feigenbaum and then printed with the error at the time. There was no request for the $5.00 value to be made as an invert according to the retained documents used in the trials against Clive Feigenbaum. The four values were to be made and used for promotions. As is the case with other issues the remainders were sold to dealers who in turn sold them to unknowing collectors and investors at over inflated prices. Many were conned by these dealers into paying up to $1500.00 for one inverted stamp! The inverts without authorization from St. Vincent were reprinted later after the Format International Security Printers went bankrupt and was liquidated at a different printing location and it was at that time that the $5.00 value was added. They have a yellowish gum type.

These new forgeries of the inverted frame "error" stamps as well as imperforate stamps and souvenir sheets and probably the normal perforated stamps are of an inferior quality as well and just like the Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley unauthorized reprints, are on a whiter paper only this time with slightly darker yellowish gum. They are all easily defined if you scan them at 1200 dpi or higher which reveals their screen differences. Please read on to understand all the new information.

END OF UPDATE

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 fake perforated and imperforate stamps and souvenir sheets of the Saint Vincent 1987 40th Wedding Anniversary issue. They are being offered online right now as I write this on July 25, 2015.

I have documented proof that 10,000 sets of imperforate forgeries were released onto the market in April 2015.
They were sold in Gaertner's 30th auction in lot number 21438A.

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 some 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.

The following list of sellers shows who is selling the inverts, the type of invert and I note also if the seller is over inflating the price as of September 2017.
The lists are based on a maximum fair selling price of $10.00 for a set of five unauthorized reprints. In my book they should be priced at $2.00 or less for a set considering there are thousands of them out there and they are not genuine in any terms. $10.00 for a proven genuine set (one with no $5.00 value).
This list shows you just how common the inverts are. Some of these sellers are holding a ton of them in their stock. I would therefore not buy any varieties of this issue unless proven to be from the genuine printing. These cons have ruined the market over decades now for this issue with their greed. As shown in the list, most of these sellers are pushing the unauthorized reprints. Now we have a ton of fake imperforates and who knows what else placed on the market. It is therefore your duty as a buyer to be diligent and not allow yourself to be ripped off.
I do not buy nor sell this issue in any form. I have only done the research on it as all collectors and dealers should do. Because so many have not, the problems caused by a group of what I consider to be pigs starting with the creation of the inverts for this issue has destroyed the legitimate sales of genuine issues and varieties produced by the Format International security Printers in the 1980's as a whole!

Sellers on eBay who have or are selling these inverted frame stamps are:
world_phil selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
varisell selling genuine at over inflated price
madloose selling genuine
citystampmontreal selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
ionvanealanga selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
nosaj0009 selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
rogerpo99 selling genuine in sets and on Format proof cards
kvant13 selling unauthorized forged reprints
hamsterstamps selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
tomstampshop selling unauthorized forged reprints
robertmillsstamps selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
9oaks selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
lana-collect selling unauthorized forged reprints

Sellers on Delcampe who have or are selling these inverted frame stamps are:
franceint selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
ilan_collect selling unauthorized forged reprints
jmmaesdeleon selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
tomstampshop selling unauthorized forged reprints
antakves selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
bullterrier selling unauthorized forged reprints
primarystamps selling unauthorized forged reprints and genuine at over inflated price
slstamps selling unauthorized forged reprints and genuine at over inflated price
madloose selling genuine
postlynx selling unauthorized forged reprints and genuine at over inflated price

Sellers on Hipstamps who have or are selling these inverted frame stamps are:
Varisell selling genuine at over inflated price
slon45 selling unauthorized forged reprints and genuine at over inflated price
levasseur selling unauthorized forged reprints at over inflated price
marti selling genuine at over inflated price
rogerpo99 selling unauthorized forged reprints and genuine at over inflated price

Sellers on ebid who have or are selling these inverted frame stamps are:
rogerpo99 selling unauthorized forged reprints and genuine at over inflated price

You can see that several users selling these appear at numerous sites. I note that some are notorious illegal stamp sellers as well. Avoid...

Moving on!

First the souvenir sheet
Ultra-violet light section added September 24, 2017.

Recently I noticed sales of bulk lots of 5 on eBay of the Saint Vincent 1987 Royal Ruby Wedding of Queen Elizabeth imperforate souvenir sheet. They have and are being sold on eBay from sellers based in Latvia at the 99c start bid. The user names are armi777 and asrm10. Indeed they are the same related group of users. I note that the imperforate souvenir sheet has not been widely available until now. Rushstamps is the only dealer that has had any available in the past and I guarantee his are genuine.
I purchased one of the eBay lots of these forgeries from asrm10 and found them to be from a completely different printing than the originals. The colors, screens, fonts and gum completely differ.
There are other issues from other countries being forged by the same source including inverted frame errors and imperforates and so yes, forgeries of the Saint Vincent 40th Wedding Anniversary stamp issues have surfaced as well. For this first section I am using a Saint Vincent imperforate souvenir sheet forgery and a genuine perforated souvenir sheet for comparisons. Here are the differences.

The Fake Imperforate Saint Vincent Royal Ruby Wedding Souvenir Sheet

ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT DETECTION

I have discovered another way to detect many of the forgeries. Use an ultra-violet light on them!
In many cases with all the forgeries I have posted the now many pages for, I have found that many sets glow brightly like the fluorescent papers used on many, for example, Canadian stamps in the past. A word of caution on this though. Many forgeries I have found, which all have the yellowish gum, do not glow or have lower grades of brightness or have numerous fibers in the paper that glow. In quite a few cases I have found the sets to have mixed papers, as in , several values glow and several are either less bright or do not glow at all!
There are only two answers to this oddity that are possible. It is either the forger is so lazy that he just grabs whatever paper is handy or....there are numerous different printings of the forgeries and this has been going on much longer than my discovery of the early 2014 massive movement of the forgeries onto the market.

The basic rule to follow with all stamps produced by the Format Printers is,
THE IMAGE SIDE OF GENUINE STAMPS DO NOT GLOW AT ALL.
The Format Printers used basically all the same type of paper on all the stamps they produced in the 1980's as did they use the same gum type except for a couple sets they produced in 1989 when newer types of gum were becoming popular in the stamp printing business.

For the imperforate version of this issue that I have acquired the forgeries glow brightly as this image shows.
Not sure about perforated forgeries as I do not have any in my possession. Maybe you have that answer....


Gum Comparison of the Original and Fake 1987 40th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth Souvenir Sheets
There is an obvious difference in color and texture. Note the fake souvenir sheet is smaller than the original.


Screen and Color Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet Image with Original Souvenir Sheet Image
The color on the fake souvenir sheet picture image has a greenish tint overall while the original is a lavender tint.
The inferior screen pattern is prominent making the image less detailed. Still a very dangerous forgery when not with an original to compare.


Font, Screen and Color Comparison of the Fake Souvenir Sheet with Original Souvenir Sheet
The gold frame lines are much thicker on the forgery. A crosshatch pattern is on the orange background of the forgery where it is solid on the originals. The fonts are much thicker and heavier on the originals than on the fakes.


Here are the two souvenir sheets side by side. Now you can see the difference yes? Again please notice the forgery is slightly smaller in size.


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

Now the stamps.
Ultra-violet light section added September 24, 2017.

ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT DETECTION

For the imperforate version of this issue that I have acquired the forgeries glow brightly as this image shows.
You can see that both the genuine invert stamp and the Feigenbaum reprint does not glow at all.
Not sure about new inverts and perforated forgeries as I do not have them in my possession. Maybe you have that answer....


I recently noticed sales of the stamps as imperforates being sold in bulk lots of 5 and 10 sets on eBay at the 99c start bid by the same Latvia based sellers. All still attached as in one side of a pane and so forth. I had to jump on those because up until now the imperforates were only being offered at high dollar amounts! I got a lot which was blocks of 10 for $12.00! Here is what I got.


I received them and immediately once again saw that something was not right. In 2010 I got my hands on a set of blocks of the infamous inverts of this issue for $25.00 and so I went hunting in my stock and found them. As with the other fakes I have discovered I immediately scanned one fake stamp with one of the inverts of the same value. To my surprise...
I found they had similar inferior screen patterns!!

Well, I thought, this just cannot be. Why would the inverts I purchased in 2010 be similar to the forgeries being produced now? I looked deeper and could see both have inferior patterns but differ greatly in color and pattern and paper and gum type! Then it dawned on me. The inverts are not originals either! Off I go back into the stock and I get the promotional proof cards and sure enough a tremendous difference I find. The originals on the cards have the much finer screens used by the Format printers. The stamps are clear and beautiful and again completely different than the forgeries and what I can assure you are fake inverts now.

So here is what to look for!

I will use the $2.00 value for high resolution examples. The differences are in the same degree for all values.
Here is an image of the three different printings side by side in reduced size.



All three were scanned at 1200dpi at the same time so there is no difference in image quality. You can see they are quite different! Lets see part of the imperforate and the fake invert side by side at 1200 dpi!


Note the imperforate is a much better fake than the invert. It indeed is very dangerous if viewed alone.
Now let us view the fake imperforate with the genuine original invert from the card.


Note the much finer screen used on the genuine stamp. Note the fake imperforate has greenish tint on the image where the originals have a purple brown tint. Quite a difference yes?

Now let us view the fake invert with the genuine original invert from the card.


Incredible difference yes? Now you know what to look for in screen quality. Perforated, imperforate or error it does not matter. The differences are extreme.

Let us look at fonts.

You can see the fonts on the originals are much finer.

Now the gold border.


You can see the fake imperforate border is closer in size to the original but the fake inverts have a much wider gold border.

So now this all means you must be very wary in buying this set in any form thanks to the greed of some people.

Saint Vincent 15c Queen Victoria in 1841 Stamp Forgery Comparison


You can see the obvious difference of the fake invert. The image is mostly "whited out". The imperforate forgery has brownish background compared to the genuine which is black background.

Saint Vincent 75c Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew in 1960 Stamp Forgery Comparison


Again you can see the obvious difference of the fake invert. The image is mostly "whited out". The imperforate forgery has black background this time compared to the genuine which is a reddish-brown background.

Saint Vincent $1 Coronation in 1953 Stamp Forgery Comparison


Again you can see the obvious difference of the fake invert. The image is mostly "whited out". The imperforate forgery has greenish-black background this time compared to the genuine which is a reddish-brown background.

Saint Vincent $2.50 Duke of Edinburgh in 1948 Stamp Forgery Comparison


Again you can see the obvious difference of the fake invert. The image is mostly "whited out". The imperforate forgery has greenish-black background this time compared to the genuine which is a reddish-brown background.

Saint Vincent $5 Queen Elizabeth II in 1980 Stamp Forgery Comparison


You can see the obvious difference of the fake invert. The image is much lighter as is the lavender background. The imperforate forgery has solid lavender background compared to the genuine which has a lighter lavender at the top of the background flowing into a darker shade of lavender at the bottom of the background.

Now for a final piece of evidence proving these fake inverts were never produced by the Format Printers.


See the color guide I have placed a red circle around? The Format Printers never used anything like it. This type of color guide has been found on unauthorized reprints of the St. Vincent 1985 Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley issues. Those being reproduced by Clive Feigenbaum in the mid 1990's after the Format Printers were long since out of business. The guide which cannot be found on genuine panes is absolute proof the majority of the inverts are not genuine. The seller on eBay selling this set is asking $50.00! Pretty cheap considering some singles have been sold over the years for up to $1500.00! Ahhhh....but this shows you how common the reproduced inverts are. This seller has been selling these pane sets numerous times.

You can now define the fake Saint Vincent 1987 40th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II souvenir sheet and royal family portraits stamps easily and can now possibly avoid being ripped off!

Here is a link to an image of the original souvenir sheet next to a fake. Scanned at 600dpi so the file is large. Both souvenir sheets were scanned at the same time with the same settings and nothing is enhanced. Please be patient with downloading the file because it is around 7 to 8 megs.

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

Visit or return to the Modern Fake Stamps Introduction Page with Links to other Forgeries Here!!

All Content Copyright © 2015 Golowe's Collector Stamps, All Rights Reserved

Click here to return to last page viewed

Return to Format International Security Printers Reference Home page Here.