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Middle East/All : Lebanon Counterfeits

 

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michael78651
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22 Oct 2015
09:43:25pm
Does anyone have a link to a site that details counterfeit stamps from Lebanon. We had an old thread on this, but the link provided for that is no longer good. I was able to find a site that only had a couple of stamps as examples.

Thanks!
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rrraphy
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant

22 Oct 2015
10:04:59pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

The Lebanon Philathely group, run by Elie Aouad out of France, used to be on "Yahoo Groups" and have a lively discussion and good photographic references of forged S/S and forged stamps. The archives are still accessible on Yahoo Groups Archives. The Group has migrated to Facebook when Yahoo closed some of the groups, and I have not been active since, so I cannot tell you if the ressources from Yahoo have been transfered to FB. Check it out, and contact Elie if you need help.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/24001470956/

YG: http://philatelic.me/orgs/lebanon-philately-yahoo-group/

rrr...

There are many references to forged Lebanon stamps, and here is just one of the many I came across: http://stampforgeries.com/forged-stamps-of-lebanon/


(Modified by Moderator on 2015-10-23 00:29:51)

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michael78651
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23 Oct 2015
12:31:24am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

"What period are you looking for?"



Roughly 1945-1955

Ralph, the last link you gave is one that I found. It only has a couple examples of counterfeit stamps. Not a really helpful site.

I'll check on the other two links and see what they have. Thanks.
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rrraphy
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23 Oct 2015
01:07:24am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Michaelxxx I can also scan some pages from my album.
The Lebanon philathely Group of Yahoo had side by side pictures of all the counterfeit S/S and some interesting discussions. I am sure Elie Aouad still has them, even if not in the archives.
For stamps, it is all over the place, if my memory is right.
Most recent discussion was about a counterfeit scandal that occurred just recently, but all my collections stop in 2000.

I will send you privately some pictures from my side by side stamps in my album dealing with it. Nothing is 100% verified though. rrr...

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michael78651
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23 Oct 2015
08:34:51am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

thanks

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Mtrabz

17 Dec 2015
12:38:05pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

rrraphy it will be great if you share what you have in your album

thank you

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Rhinelander
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18 Dec 2015
12:16:09pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

I also have a couple paired originals and forgeries that I kept to one time make an article of it. All from the same work shop; mostly Lebanon, but also some Jordan, Syria, etc. I will see to post some scans tonight.

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Rhinelander
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18 Dec 2015
08:25:37pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Ok, here are a couple. Originals at left, forgeries at right:

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

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Rhinelander
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18 Dec 2015
10:09:57pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

I started collecting the fakes, paired with a duplicate original if i had one, a good while ago. Th plan was/is to eventually provide some systematic list/guidance. It is not really on the forefront of my various philatelic projects. Nothing may ever come of it. So, I amhappy to share some of what I accumulated thus far.

I probably could show a dozen more, but I believe you are already getting the idea. This workshop targeted minimum catalog value stamps from Lebanon, primarily, with a sprinkle of Jordan, Syria and "area". Seriously, why would anybody put time and effort to fake this stamp:

Image Not Found


The workshop did a really good job making sure that their products are everywhere. Because there are probably in the hundreds of different low value stamps targeted, I believe it may be more helpful to provide general comments, rather than attempting to picture every single one. Here is what I have found as common characteristics. Take this as opinion, not 'shooting from the hip kind of opinion," learned opinion, but nevertheless, it is only the best I have come to believe. So, it is all subject to change as better information becomes available.

1) Michel warns of existent forgeries of some stamps. Likewise Varo Tyler's (2000), Focus on Forgeries (expand. edition) list a few. Many, many more exist than acknowledged in these two sources.

2) To the best of my ability I believe all forgeries to be typographed. The originals have been printed in a variety of printing methods, lithography, typography, and offset printing. Knowing your printing methods pays out. Relative, for instance, to offset printing, typography shows squashed lines along edges and lettering. Compare the offset printed 2.50P cedar tree stamp above to its typographed companion.

3) Often, but not always, the fake stamps are printed on a distinct yellowish/cream-colored paper relative to the white paper of the originals.

4) I am impressed with the perforation job. The stamps that have been faked span several decades and originals are line or comb perfed in various gauges. For the most part, no real blunders appear to have been made. There are very few I discovered where the perfs are clearly wrong, for instance for the postage due stamp above, but generally perfs appear correct or "within the margin of error" as to not being a helpful discerning characteristics for the most part. Still, checking the accuracy of the perforation of a suspicious stamp should be standard procedure.

5) All of the fakes I have in my small reference collection are cancelled with generally illegible cancels. If letters can be made out, they suggest Beyrouth. Accordingly, strong legible postmarks from other towns are probably a good sign. The cancellation ink also has a certain blotchy appearance that strikes one as wrong (at least after you look at several of them and see how the appearance is all the same).

Not sure if this is helpful. Like I said, I am collecting and systematizing these myself yet.

Image Not Found

10 Mils is original; others are fake.

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michael78651
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19 Dec 2015
12:32:23am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

"To the best of my ability I believe all forgeries to be typographed"



That is what I was told by the APS. Your examples show that very well. Thanks for posting them.

Among the group of stamps (counterfeits) pulled by the APS from my book were some of the 1947, 1948, 1950 and 1952 postage dues. One does appear to be typographed with a somewhat coarse impression. However, the rest appear to be lithographed as the lettering, numbering and design appear to be sharp. Would you have any examples of genuine and counterfeit from those issues?
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Mtrabz

19 Dec 2015
05:27:51am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Image Not Found


Forgery from the Grand Zero series

you would notice the yellowish color of the paper in the second and third rows.


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lisagrant87
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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis

19 Dec 2015
09:38:42am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

This is really helpful. Thank you to everyone who has shared their work here. I'm relatively new to stamp collecting (less than a decade) and I still have trouble spotting forgeries unless they're obvious. Information like this is invaluable.

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Rhinelander
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19 Dec 2015
10:19:58am
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

@ Michael

You are making me nervous about my postage dues. I had not really taken a closer look at those. Several do not look kosher to me with some squashed lines and illegible cancels. However, because I am lacking the necessary quantity for comparisons, I cannot help you specifically.


@ Mtrabz

Too bad you do not have access to more helpful information. You should be right at the source. I just like interesting stuff, this is why I have put these stamps away. I really do not collect Lebanon all that intensively.

As for the image you are showing, the direct comparison may be misleading. The top two stamps in your scan should be from the 1947 set that was issued on greyish paper. The 1949 reissue was printed on white paper and has some minor design differences. Compare the number zero in your two 50 Piaster stamp. The wider zero of the second stamps identifies this stamp as the 1949 re-issue, so you would not want to compare that stamp against the 50 Piaster stamps in the top row which is from the 1947 set. The paper of these two is supposed to be different. The re-issue has white paper and yellow gum. If the 10 piaster is one of the forgeries this would be bad, because so far I have not seen any octagonal cancels used on forgeries (which means nothing, due to my small sample!) and this would be a first.

For comparison, see below at top, the 20 Piaster from the 1947 set, in the orange and red-orange color varieties, and below the 20 Piaster from the 1949 re-issue (wide zero).

Image Not Found

I believe all of these to be genuine. However, Michel notes that typographed forgeries of the 1947 set exist, which again means nothing. There is no note in the catalog for almost all of the stamps that I have been showing so far, so forgeries of the 1949 re-issue may exist as well. The difference in paper (grey vs. more white) is actually very visible in the original stamp, and I am amazed to see that this difference has completely vanished in my scan. BTW, the 50 Piaster with the wide zero (Scott #C147B) is an expensive stamp. That would be the first example of one of these forgeries inflicting economic damage. All the other examples are 10c stamps, no matter what, real or fake. Of course if the postage dues have also been forged, to Michael's point, there would be many better ones among these too.


Here are two more, the bottom one is one of the few described in Tyler (p. 156).

Image Not Found

Neither of the two are flagged in Michel as to "forgeries exist."

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rrraphy
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant

20 Dec 2015
07:49:52pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

@Mtrabz

"re: Lebanon Counterfeits
rrraphy it will be great if you share what you have in your album

thank you"



I just got back in town and will try to do it next week.
rrr...

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michael78651
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21 Dec 2015
03:00:00pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

I've been very busy as of late. As soon as I get a chance, I'll post images of the purported counterfeit postage dues.

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michael78651
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21 Dec 2015
11:28:41pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Here are the postage dues.

Image Not Found

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rrraphy
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant

22 Dec 2015
06:10:10pm
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

A quick download from my files...counterfeits Lebanon stamps (compared to genuine in some cases). As best as I could tell. This dates back a number of years, and I have not updated them. rrr...

Image Not Found


Image Not Found


Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found




Just a quick search in my files. Generally the printer's label is poorly focused and registered. Paper is also different

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BlueCollarWrench
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16 Sep 2017
04:01:00pm

Auctions
re: Lebanon Counterfeits

excellent info-superb!

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Author/Postings
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michael78651

22 Oct 2015
09:43:25pm

Does anyone have a link to a site that details counterfeit stamps from Lebanon. We had an old thread on this, but the link provided for that is no longer good. I was able to find a site that only had a couple of stamps as examples.

Thanks!

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www.hipstamp.com/sto ...

Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
22 Oct 2015
10:04:59pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

The Lebanon Philathely group, run by Elie Aouad out of France, used to be on "Yahoo Groups" and have a lively discussion and good photographic references of forged S/S and forged stamps. The archives are still accessible on Yahoo Groups Archives. The Group has migrated to Facebook when Yahoo closed some of the groups, and I have not been active since, so I cannot tell you if the ressources from Yahoo have been transfered to FB. Check it out, and contact Elie if you need help.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/24001470956/

YG: http://philatelic.me/orgs/lebanon-philately-yahoo-group/

rrr...

There are many references to forged Lebanon stamps, and here is just one of the many I came across: http://stampforgeries.com/forged-stamps-of-lebanon/


(Modified by Moderator on 2015-10-23 00:29:51)

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michael78651

23 Oct 2015
12:31:24am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

"What period are you looking for?"



Roughly 1945-1955

Ralph, the last link you gave is one that I found. It only has a couple examples of counterfeit stamps. Not a really helpful site.

I'll check on the other two links and see what they have. Thanks.
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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
23 Oct 2015
01:07:24am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Michaelxxx I can also scan some pages from my album.
The Lebanon philathely Group of Yahoo had side by side pictures of all the counterfeit S/S and some interesting discussions. I am sure Elie Aouad still has them, even if not in the archives.
For stamps, it is all over the place, if my memory is right.
Most recent discussion was about a counterfeit scandal that occurred just recently, but all my collections stop in 2000.

I will send you privately some pictures from my side by side stamps in my album dealing with it. Nothing is 100% verified though. rrr...

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"E. Rutherford: All science is either physics or stamp collecting."
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michael78651

23 Oct 2015
08:34:51am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

thanks

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Mtrabz

17 Dec 2015
12:38:05pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

rrraphy it will be great if you share what you have in your album

thank you

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Rhinelander

Support the Hobby -- Join the American Philatelic Society
18 Dec 2015
12:16:09pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

I also have a couple paired originals and forgeries that I kept to one time make an article of it. All from the same work shop; mostly Lebanon, but also some Jordan, Syria, etc. I will see to post some scans tonight.

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Rhinelander

Support the Hobby -- Join the American Philatelic Society
18 Dec 2015
08:25:37pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Ok, here are a couple. Originals at left, forgeries at right:

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found

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Rhinelander

Support the Hobby -- Join the American Philatelic Society
18 Dec 2015
10:09:57pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

I started collecting the fakes, paired with a duplicate original if i had one, a good while ago. Th plan was/is to eventually provide some systematic list/guidance. It is not really on the forefront of my various philatelic projects. Nothing may ever come of it. So, I amhappy to share some of what I accumulated thus far.

I probably could show a dozen more, but I believe you are already getting the idea. This workshop targeted minimum catalog value stamps from Lebanon, primarily, with a sprinkle of Jordan, Syria and "area". Seriously, why would anybody put time and effort to fake this stamp:

Image Not Found


The workshop did a really good job making sure that their products are everywhere. Because there are probably in the hundreds of different low value stamps targeted, I believe it may be more helpful to provide general comments, rather than attempting to picture every single one. Here is what I have found as common characteristics. Take this as opinion, not 'shooting from the hip kind of opinion," learned opinion, but nevertheless, it is only the best I have come to believe. So, it is all subject to change as better information becomes available.

1) Michel warns of existent forgeries of some stamps. Likewise Varo Tyler's (2000), Focus on Forgeries (expand. edition) list a few. Many, many more exist than acknowledged in these two sources.

2) To the best of my ability I believe all forgeries to be typographed. The originals have been printed in a variety of printing methods, lithography, typography, and offset printing. Knowing your printing methods pays out. Relative, for instance, to offset printing, typography shows squashed lines along edges and lettering. Compare the offset printed 2.50P cedar tree stamp above to its typographed companion.

3) Often, but not always, the fake stamps are printed on a distinct yellowish/cream-colored paper relative to the white paper of the originals.

4) I am impressed with the perforation job. The stamps that have been faked span several decades and originals are line or comb perfed in various gauges. For the most part, no real blunders appear to have been made. There are very few I discovered where the perfs are clearly wrong, for instance for the postage due stamp above, but generally perfs appear correct or "within the margin of error" as to not being a helpful discerning characteristics for the most part. Still, checking the accuracy of the perforation of a suspicious stamp should be standard procedure.

5) All of the fakes I have in my small reference collection are cancelled with generally illegible cancels. If letters can be made out, they suggest Beyrouth. Accordingly, strong legible postmarks from other towns are probably a good sign. The cancellation ink also has a certain blotchy appearance that strikes one as wrong (at least after you look at several of them and see how the appearance is all the same).

Not sure if this is helpful. Like I said, I am collecting and systematizing these myself yet.

Image Not Found

10 Mils is original; others are fake.

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michael78651

19 Dec 2015
12:32:23am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

"To the best of my ability I believe all forgeries to be typographed"



That is what I was told by the APS. Your examples show that very well. Thanks for posting them.

Among the group of stamps (counterfeits) pulled by the APS from my book were some of the 1947, 1948, 1950 and 1952 postage dues. One does appear to be typographed with a somewhat coarse impression. However, the rest appear to be lithographed as the lettering, numbering and design appear to be sharp. Would you have any examples of genuine and counterfeit from those issues?
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Mtrabz

19 Dec 2015
05:27:51am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Image Not Found


Forgery from the Grand Zero series

you would notice the yellowish color of the paper in the second and third rows.


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It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. - Aristotle Onassis
19 Dec 2015
09:38:42am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

This is really helpful. Thank you to everyone who has shared their work here. I'm relatively new to stamp collecting (less than a decade) and I still have trouble spotting forgeries unless they're obvious. Information like this is invaluable.

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"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou"

lisaslunacy.com
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Rhinelander

Support the Hobby -- Join the American Philatelic Society
19 Dec 2015
10:19:58am

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

@ Michael

You are making me nervous about my postage dues. I had not really taken a closer look at those. Several do not look kosher to me with some squashed lines and illegible cancels. However, because I am lacking the necessary quantity for comparisons, I cannot help you specifically.


@ Mtrabz

Too bad you do not have access to more helpful information. You should be right at the source. I just like interesting stuff, this is why I have put these stamps away. I really do not collect Lebanon all that intensively.

As for the image you are showing, the direct comparison may be misleading. The top two stamps in your scan should be from the 1947 set that was issued on greyish paper. The 1949 reissue was printed on white paper and has some minor design differences. Compare the number zero in your two 50 Piaster stamp. The wider zero of the second stamps identifies this stamp as the 1949 re-issue, so you would not want to compare that stamp against the 50 Piaster stamps in the top row which is from the 1947 set. The paper of these two is supposed to be different. The re-issue has white paper and yellow gum. If the 10 piaster is one of the forgeries this would be bad, because so far I have not seen any octagonal cancels used on forgeries (which means nothing, due to my small sample!) and this would be a first.

For comparison, see below at top, the 20 Piaster from the 1947 set, in the orange and red-orange color varieties, and below the 20 Piaster from the 1949 re-issue (wide zero).

Image Not Found

I believe all of these to be genuine. However, Michel notes that typographed forgeries of the 1947 set exist, which again means nothing. There is no note in the catalog for almost all of the stamps that I have been showing so far, so forgeries of the 1949 re-issue may exist as well. The difference in paper (grey vs. more white) is actually very visible in the original stamp, and I am amazed to see that this difference has completely vanished in my scan. BTW, the 50 Piaster with the wide zero (Scott #C147B) is an expensive stamp. That would be the first example of one of these forgeries inflicting economic damage. All the other examples are 10c stamps, no matter what, real or fake. Of course if the postage dues have also been forged, to Michael's point, there would be many better ones among these too.


Here are two more, the bottom one is one of the few described in Tyler (p. 156).

Image Not Found

Neither of the two are flagged in Michel as to "forgeries exist."

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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
20 Dec 2015
07:49:52pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

@Mtrabz

"re: Lebanon Counterfeits
rrraphy it will be great if you share what you have in your album

thank you"



I just got back in town and will try to do it next week.
rrr...

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"E. Rutherford: All science is either physics or stamp collecting."
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michael78651

21 Dec 2015
03:00:00pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

I've been very busy as of late. As soon as I get a chance, I'll post images of the purported counterfeit postage dues.

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michael78651

21 Dec 2015
11:28:41pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

Here are the postage dues.

Image Not Found

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Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant
22 Dec 2015
06:10:10pm

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

A quick download from my files...counterfeits Lebanon stamps (compared to genuine in some cases). As best as I could tell. This dates back a number of years, and I have not updated them. rrr...

Image Not Found


Image Not Found


Image Not Found

Image Not Found

Image Not Found




Just a quick search in my files. Generally the printer's label is poorly focused and registered. Paper is also different

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IPDA Chairman, Scaramento Philatelic Society #2112-vice president, ISWWSC #2966, Iran philatelic study circle, US Army Veteran, Grandfather of 6, stamp collector/seller!
16 Sep 2017
04:01:00pm
Auctions

re: Lebanon Counterfeits

excellent info-superb!

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