vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,266
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
|
Post by vikingeck on Sept 22, 2022 14:39:58 GMT
Because 99% of the SAMOA EXPRESS on ebay will be Reprints or Forgeries, it has been a year since opportunity to find a genuine one in the dross. It happened this week however. I had to bid to high with my snipe as I guess someone else has spotted the only real one. I won well below my max Snipe and am happy to pay £46 for an unused with most of its original gum (Cat £700) and yes, it is ok that the lower edge is imperf ..........Genuine ones in tiny sheets of 10 (2rows of 5) were never perf all round This is plated to row 2 : position 2 It lurked among this 50c lot of dross, 5 reprints and 4 forgeries
|
|
vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,266
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
|
Post by vikingeck on May 30, 2023 13:32:19 GMT
Well how time flies past, yet genuine Samoa First Issues come by so slow and seldom . This week however in a small UK auction I was pleased to acquire a Type I SIXPENCE lilac with the correct Pencancel 16/3/78 in the handwriting of the Postmaster as he had not yet received a circular date stamp. Type I the line over the EXPRESS is unbroken , the pearl in the arc below E & X does not touch the white line the letter M in SAMOA is cleanly neatly printed without any abnormality in the right leg the serifs in Samoa are small crisp and neat especially the top of the M Position 1/5 ie the top right corner stamp of a sheet of 20 . Note The imperf edges are normal as the stamps were only perforated between the cliches not all round. My Previous post from Sept 2022 was also a SIXPENCE but Type II the line over EXPRESS has a tiny lilac break over the X The dots above SAMOA between M and O have been adjusted
|
|
vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,266
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
|
Post by vikingeck on Jun 10, 2023 14:41:00 GMT
This was listed as " challenging trio" by the seller on ebay starting at £0.99. Well I rose to the challenge , set a sniping bid of £92 and won the lot at £14.10. It just happens that 1. is SG 15a (Sc 1e) State III, repair over X , perf 11.8 cat £45 2. is a worthless Forgery and 3. is SG 6 (Sc 4a ) State II, break in line over X, cat £700 !
|
|
sudbury12000
Member
Posts: 315
What I collect: Canada, Great Britain, Germany, World Pre 1925
|
Post by sudbury12000 on Mar 26, 2024 20:19:33 GMT
vikingeck I applaud your efforts to show forgeries sold on eBay. I have listed the stamps I have that are at best reprints, as such. But noting this issue has been forged extensively. They sell for what is expected .99 CDN Cents. I am fine with that. I am looking at a lot from a Berlinish dealer. He noted them as the first issues is terrible condition. From your explanation the second stamp looks to be a reprint, but the first looks genuine. But I am no expert. Your thoughts before I waste $5?
|
|
vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,266
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
|
Post by vikingeck on Mar 26, 2024 22:07:48 GMT
The nine pence is a damaged club foot forgery the line over X is too good and unbroken .No value .
The threepence does look better. Heading upstairs to check it out.
It had me puzzled, the M has no large top serif, which is usually seen on the reprints, however there is a hint of a smudge below the V of the M. Suggests State IV So on checking, it has none of the indicators shown by Odenweller’s book for genuine State III . I believe it is a reprint , probably position 1/4 on the reprint sheet, though the illustration in the book is not as sharp as it is for the larger genuine images.
with the staining at the top I wouldn’t rate it at all .
So not even worth the $5 I’m afraid.
|
|
vikingeck
Member
Posts: 3,266
What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
|
Post by vikingeck on Mar 27, 2024 15:29:19 GMT
Just once in a while , months apart, a genuine first issue of Samoa turns up on ebay amongst the hundreds of reprints and dozens of forgeries. The reprints and forgeries are often not recognised and priced by inexpert and hopeful sellers far too highly . Then lo, a genuine one appears....................but it has been tragically modified ! WRECKED! Criminally reperforated along the bottom edge and possibly also on the left side The stamps were printed in tiny sheets of 10 , two rows of 5 , and the perforations only occur between the cliches . The sheetlets are imperf top and bottom, and at the right and left edge, so all the stamps have at least one blind imperf edge . This has upset a collector in the past and he has tried to improve it along the bottom, with crude scissor cut "perforations" thereby spoiling a genuine rather nice used example with rough perf 12. Top and right are normal. I have made the seller a low offer having explained why i consider it faked, and wait his answer
|
|
sudbury12000
Member
Posts: 315
What I collect: Canada, Great Britain, Germany, World Pre 1925
|
Post by sudbury12000 on Mar 27, 2024 18:11:41 GMT
thank you for all your help with these first issues vikingeck. Nice to have someone so knowledgeable on our side!
|
|
DK
Member
Posts: 1,237
What I collect: Classic NZ, Closed NZ Post Offices, New Zealand Postal History, Classic Br. Empire, Pacific Islands, France
|
Post by DK on Mar 27, 2024 18:32:30 GMT
Thanks vikingeck, Alex I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge on this tricky area with us as well. A great help to those of us who have a few of these items. Dave
|
|