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Post by kooolabs on Jun 22, 2024 1:48:14 GMT
Original thread title: Dienstmarke 1902-1904, Michel #59
Does anyone have experience with identifying fakes of this overprint? Thank you ![](https://i.ibb.co/crNQF8k/IMG-20240621-172534.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/726bmYv/IMG-20240621-172641.jpg)
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paul1
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Posts: 1,207
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Post by paul1 on Jun 22, 2024 8:02:06 GMT
with few exceptions, most Ed. VII Inland Revenue ovpts. have v. high values. In their Specialised Catalogue for Edward VII, SG comment ............ ""Many of the official stamps may be found with forged overprints and collectors should be on their guard when buying. Some of the forgeries are easy to detect but to determine the genuineness of the overprint requires the use of modern highly sophisticated equipment. It is therefore recommended that these stamps should be purchased only when supported by R.P.S. or B.P.A. certificates dated subsequent to 1973"". Doesn't sound like a home job. This 6d. - issued March 1904 - carries the highest value for all the Ed. VII Official overprint stamps - eyewatering amounts, as you no doubt already know. Quite what the reason for this is I've no idea - probably scarcity, which is what mostly determines how we value something. Sorry, unable to help with suggestions - the colour is given as 'pale dull purple'. I have 'ARMY OFFICIAL', 'ADMIRALTY OFFICIAL', 'R.H. OFFICIAL', 'GOVt. PARCELS' and 'ON H.M.S.', ovpts. for this monarch, but no idea as to their genuineness - perhaps I'm sitting on a fortune;-) Perhaps others here are able to provide a more helpful answer.
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Post by michael on Jun 22, 2024 10:19:00 GMT
In 2010, this stamp was described as Britain's rarest stamp when it was sold by Stanley Gibbons for £400,000. It is now catalogued at £500,000 (S.G. 2023 Commonwealth Catalogue)and according to the GB Overprints Society: So yours is obviously a forged overprint as comparing with the original clearly shows.
Image from the GB Overprints Society website.
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Post by kooolabs on Jun 23, 2024 11:58:51 GMT
Thank you I was offered grades but I declined
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paul1
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Posts: 1,207
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Post by paul1 on Jul 17, 2024 14:21:14 GMT
this was a charity shop find this morning, and cost me £3 - so if it's a dud I'm not really out of pocket. SG 206, issued originally in September 1892 - the 4.1/2d. green and carmine - one of a series of defs. known as the Jubilee issues. I have a few of this value, used - it's not an uncommon stamp - but no 'SPECIMEN' example has yet fallen to my enquiries, until today. Have to say I don't have much faith in this being a genuine 'SPECIMEN' - it's certainly mint, with remains of gum disturbance where a hinge was attached at some time in the past. Apparently the story goes that a short while after this value was issued, the rate for parcel post was changed, meaning that acres of this 4.1/2d. remained mint and simply weren't used so you're more likely to find unused examples rather than used ones - no idea which value took its place - perhaps the 5d. became the parcel value instead. What do folk think as to the authenticity of this 'SPECIMEN' overprint. thanks for looking. ![](https://i.ibb.co/ccjTmDY/DSC02151.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/fNFKdyJ/DSC02146.jpg)
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rod222
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What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jul 18, 2024 1:05:07 GMT
paul1 Quote What do folk think as to the authenticity of this 'SPECIMEN' overprint. thanks for looking. Hi Paul, Personal opinion, definitely dodgy. Queen Victoria Specimen stamps, seem to me to be generally applied by a metal typeface, surface printed. That would be indicated by regular lined type characters, of identical height and spacings. Yours is not, and suggests a rubber application device. I'd have it on an album page as "probably forged Overprint" Some of these appear to have serifs? ![](https://i.ibb.co/JvZnhjH/great-britain-queen-victoria-specimen.jpg)
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daniel
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Post by daniel on Jul 18, 2024 1:42:49 GMT
paul1, that's definitely the wrong style of font. Daniel
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paul1
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Post by paul1 on Jul 18, 2024 7:15:47 GMT
rod222 - thanks as always for your input - agree with you and daniel that it's unlikely to be a genuine ovpt. - the font is too indistinct and blurred - but I suppose for three quid I have a curiosity:-) In general, typefaces from the C19 are almost always seen with serifs - with few exceptions. It seems to have become more of a fashion to use 'sans' faces in the 1920 - 30 period, coinciding possibly with the deco style of plainness. Thanks for posting some pix of your 'SPECIMEN' stamps - rather mouth watering - such examples are not without a rather high price tag - Mr. green here. Agree, daniel, wrong style of font - far too 'iffy' - but otherwise it's a clean and attractive stamp, though with v. little value.
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rod222
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Posts: 10,681
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
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Post by rod222 on Jul 19, 2024 6:32:50 GMT
paul1 Hi Paul, Quote Agree, daniel, wrong style of font - far too 'iffy' - but otherwise it's a clean and attractive stamp, though with v. little value.
I am a different mindset, I love these aberrations, They make wonderful Stamp Album Pages, FORGED OVERPRINT etc, They give a refreshing twist, to collections. I love'em, Make your collection stand out, march to a different drum ![](https://i.ibb.co/MCvvVMX/x-mauritius-forgeries-in-halftone-ymd503a.jpg)
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paul1
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Post by paul1 on Jul 19, 2024 7:46:12 GMT
rod - there's no doubting that I shall keep the stamp - it's not excessively 'off the wall' - in fact if I were v. short-sighted I might actually believe I had the real deal. Thanks for your kind words - I suppose I shall now have to go out into the real world and try to afford a genuine 'SPECIMEN' ovpt. :-)
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