Archive for Forgeries

2007 Finance minister withdraws fiscal stamps due to forgeries

July 24, 2007 Forgeries, News No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Tue Jul 24, 2007

Finance minister has withdrawn two fiscal stamps due to forgeries.

The withdrawn fiscal stamps are:

5,000 LL Quaroun Lake, 2000 issue
10,000 LL Saida Fort, 2003 issue

I will post next to the news section the NNA story.

bassem

24/07/07 GMT 10:53

وزير المال قرر سحب الطوابع المالية من فئتي الخمسة آلاف ليرة لبنانية

والعشرة آلاف ليرة لبنانية من التداول لوجود طوابع مزورة من هاتين الفئتين

وطنية 24/7/2007 (اقتصاد) قرر وزير المال الدكتور جهاد ازعور سحب الطوابع المالية من فئتي الخمسة آلاف ليرة لبنانية (رسمة بحيرة القرعون إصدار عام 2000)، والعشرة آلاف ليرة لبنانية(قلعة صيدا)، من التداول واعتبارها لاغية ابتداء من 1/8/2007 بعد أن اكتشفت وزارة المالية وجود طوابع مزورة من هاتين الفئتين. وجاء في القرارين:

“إن وزير المالية بناء على المرسوم رقم 14953 تاريخ 19/7/2005 (تشكيل الحكومة)، بناء على المرسوم الاشتراعي رقم 67 تاريخ 5/8/1967وتعديلاته (قانون رسم الطابع المالي) ، بناء على القرار رقم 1027/1 تاريخ 9/12/2006 المتعلق بتحديد فئات وكميات الطوابع المالية المجاز إصدارها لعام 2003، بناء على القرار رقم 1343/1 تاريخ 6/9/2003 المتعلق بوضع بعض فئات الطوابع المالية قيد التداول، بناء على إقتراح مدير المالية العام، قرر ما يأتي:

المادة الأولى: تسحب من التداول، وتعتبر لاغية اعتبارا من تاريخ 1/8/2007 فئة العشرة آلاف ليرة لبنانية رسمة قلعة صيدا إصدار 2003 من الطوابع المالية المجاز إصدارها بموجب القرار رقم 139/1 تاريخ 20/2/2003، والموضوعة قيد التداول بموجب القرار رقم 1343/1 تاريخ 6/9/2003 .

المادة الثانية: يمنع على أية جهة عامة أو خاصة، وعلى أي كان من الموظفين أو غيرهم استعمال الطوابع المالية من الفئة المذكورة على الصكوك والكتابات والمستندات من أي نوع كان وأيا كان شكلها وذلك تحت طائلة الملاحقة الجزائية بجرم التزوير واستعمال المزور.

ويطلب من لجنة مستودعات الطوابع عدم تسليم هذه الفئة إلى المحتسبيات المحلية وأمناء الصناديق.

المادة الثالثة: يطلب من المحتسبين المحليين وأمناء الصناديق الموجودة لديهم هذه الفئة من الطوابع الامتناع فورا عن بيعها من الجمهور أو الباعة وتسليم أرصدة ما لديهم من هذه الفئة إلى أمين صندوق الطوابع المركزي في دائرة المحاسبة والصناديق – مع كشف بالكميات المستلمة من هذه الطوابع متضمنا تواريخ استلامها، وأرقامها والكميات المباعة من المرخصين وأرقامها وتواريخ البيع، والكميات المباعة من الجمهور، وأرقام وتواريخ إيصالات تسديد ثمنها إلى الصندوق المالي، والكميات الباقية لديهم وأرقامها، في مهلة شهر من تاريخه.

المادة الرابعة: يطلب من المرخصين الباعة الموجودة لديهم هذه الفئة من الطوابع الامتناع فورا عن بيعها من الجمهور وتسليم أرصدة ما لديهم إلى لجنة الإشراف والتدقيق على صناديق الطوابع في دائرة المحاسبة والصناديق مرفق بكشف ينظمونه على مسؤوليتهم بالكميات المستلمة من هذه الطوابع متضمنا تواريخ استلامها، وأرقامها والكميات المباعة من الجمهور وأرقامها وتواريخ البيع والكميات الباقية لديهم وأرقامها ومراكز الشراء، وذلك في مهلة تنتهي في تمام الساعة الثانية عشرة من ظهر يوم 15/9/2007 تحت طائلة فقدان حقهم بالاستبدال.

يعطى المرخصون أصحاب العلاقة إيصالا بكميات الطوابع المعادة من قبلهم على ان يصار إلى تسليمهم في خلال ثلاثة أشهر من تاريخ الإيصال، كميات من فئات الطوابع المالية الأخرى بما يعادل قيمة الطوابع المعادة من قبلهم .

المادة الخامسة: يطلب إلى الأشخاص والمؤسسات الذين توجد بحوزتهم طوابع من هذه الفئة ان يتقدموا ضمن مهلة أقصاها 15/9/2007 بطلب الاستبدال إلى لجنة الإشراف والتدقيق على صناديق الطوابع يتضمن المعلومات الآتية:

1- اسم الشاري وعنوانه ورقم الهاتف.
2- اسم البائع أو أمين الصندوق أو المرخص وعنوانه .
3- عدد الطوابع المنوي استبدالها وأرقامها وقيمتها .
4- إرفاق صورة عن تذكرة الهوية .
5- يعطى صاحب العلاقة إيصالاً بكمية الطوابع المستلمة منه على أن يصار إلى تسليمه في خلال شهرين كميات من فئات الطوابع المالية الأخرى بما يعادل قيمة الطوابع التي تثبت اللجنة المؤلفة في المادة السادسة من هذا القرار بأنها صحيحة وسليمة .

المادة السادسة: تؤلف لجنة من السادة: خليل جبور رئيسا، درويش الحصري عضوا، علي الخليل عضوا، ومهمتها: تعداد كميات الطوابع المالية من فئة العشرة آلاف ليرة المذكورة الموجودة في المستودع.

2-استلام كميات الطوابع المالية من لجنة الإشراف والتدقيق على صناديق الطوابع والمعادة من الباعة المرخصين والأشخاص والمؤسسات .
3-الكشف على الطوابع المعادة من الباعة المرخصين والأشخاص والمؤسسات وعلى ضوء ذلك تقرير عملية الاستبدال للطوابع الصحيحة والسليمة ورفض الطوابع المستعملة وغير الصحيحة.
4-تنظيم محضر بإنجاز المهمة يبلغ إلى وزير المالية.
تمارس اللجنة مهمتها بإشراف وحضور مفتش مالي ينتدب لهذه الغاية.

المادة السابعة: يبلغ هذا القرار حيث تدعو الحاجة”.

======================= ر.ي.

Mechanical test for the Gaufré Victory Sheet

April 18, 2007 Forgeries No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Wed Apr 18, 2007

Hi,
last week i spent a lot of time with an ebay seller in order to detect
if the Gaufré Victory sheet (Mi Block 8Y) he is selling is genuine or not.
Sometimes scans are not enough to detect if a sheet is genuine or not.
So I’ve asked the seller to make the mechanical test which consists to
hold horizontally the sheet with two fingers or a philatlic “pince”
and define the horizontal angle.
The usual forged sheet will remain horizontal (as it is rigid) and the
genuine will make #45 degrees.
I’ve uploaded an image to the files section of the mechanical test
under the name maechanical8Y2.

This test was created jointly with our friend Roger Zreik.

Regards
Elie

2006 Philately Activity

January 3, 2007 FDC, Forgeries, Lebanese Stamp Collectors No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Wed Jan 3, 2007

Hi everybody,
a)first of all i wish all the members of this group a happy 2007 year.
b)Only Rafic Hariri set was issued, which was very successful among
collectors. A folder was created by the telecommunication minister
with the stamps issue for the VIPs.
c) We began to enumerate some of the forgery resellers (check for
threads).
d)Unfortunately the activity of the group was slowed down -even
stopped- by the Lebanon summer events.
e)Unfortunately we continued to have the fantasy bechir and
independance folders on ebay; among with artificial Souvenir Sheets
FDCs and forged expensive stamps on envelops.

Let’s hope to have a good 2007 philatelic year.
Regards from Paris
Elie

Question about signed forged stamps

October 24, 2006 Forgeries No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Tue Oct 24, 2006

Good Morning,
Sometimes forged stamps like YT36a, 36, 37 are proposed with experts
signatures. How does it happen?
Regards

Hi Math,

Many possible ways :

a) sometimes we find some minor stamps with expert signatures and we
ask ourselves why it was important for the owner of the cheap stamps to get
them signed? The answer is: in some cases (when the owner is a forgerer)
with signed “cheap” stamps like YT121, YT115, or YT62 he can overprint them
and produce expensive forged stamps.

b) We have been informed lately (information to be confirmed) that
some forgerers have made experts sign expensive stamps normally and
innocently ;) . Once they got the signature they fabricate a rubber stamp
producing forged signatures.

c) Some forgerers bought the signing stamps from the descendants of
dead experts.

d) Some ignorant “experts” may sign forged stamps.

In my opinion it is very important not only to have signed stamps but ask
also for a certificate.

In one of the emails our friend Rida sent us an url showing the signatures
of some experts.

Regards from Paris

Elie

 

Why we should inform people

June 24, 2006 Forgeries No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Sat Jun 24, 2006

Hi everybody,
I’ve met yesterday a very honest Lebanon philatelist who told me that
we should no more talk about forgeries because it makes drop the
prices of Lebanon stamps. I’ve heard the same thing some time ago from
non-honest dealers .

To my opinion it is very important to talk , document & inform about
forgeries for at least these reasons:

a)by respect to beginners or philatelists who think that they bought a
very rare item and discover too late that they were crooked…. Don’t
they deserve some help and information in order not to buy a fake
soldiers sheet (50% fakes), or the fake beshir sheets (90+% fakes) or
the fake famous victory gauffré?

b)I’ve always considered philately as part of culture of a country. So
informing will also discourage the “deformers” of this culture. If you
take for example the fake Paul VI sheet, you will find that he has
three grains de beauté on his head (skin spots); or a fake union des
libanais dans le monde what an ugliness when you see the misprinted
lebanon & beyrouth on it. Don’t the cedars of Lebanon (who are
considered to be the cedars of God) deserve a better treatment than to
be on ugly & tasteless fake stamps.

c)Concerning prices and money. When a philatelist discover that he
bought a fake item he will propbaly be discouraged to buy any other
item. But if he was informed before, he will search honest dealers ,
experts in whom he can trust, then buy and never be discouraged.
Informing people is one of the reasons of stabilty of prices. NON
INFORMING PEOPLE WILL ONLY MAKE RICHER THE CROOK DEALERS (and poorer
the philatelists): that’s the reason why these non honest dealers are
annoyed by this group.

Finally a thought to late Elie Mrad who has the courage to inform
people by emails and on his website and who was annoyed by some dealers.
And an encouragement to those members of the group who continue
informing us although they received threats (no names in order not to
forget somebody ;))

Have a nice WE
Elie

The Sixties Forgeries

May 12, 2006 Forgeries No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Fri May 12, 2006

Hi,
a) The sixties forgeries are forgeries made on a lot of sets
including, Cedars, Sidon castle, Lebanon views, dues stamps, Planes,
Airport, Byblos, Zbaide, Jounieh Bay, Serail, Tripoli castle, Ski,
….. They were made by some crooks (mainly dealers) in early sixties
, but quickly cancelled because of police descent. They are recognized
to a yellowish, poor quality paper, bad drawings, and a poor Beirut
cancellation….. But some dues stamps were not cancelled.
b) Michel list some of these forgeries (not all) [ ;) for doubters ].
c) this morning i found a superb MI427 Orange forged Cedar. It was of
good quality, not cancelled, exact perfs but the P.KOROLEFF was badly
printed. So the rules of bad quality in a) may not be sufficient.
d) Are these the last forged material in the 60s. Probably not.
Lately the APS withdrew a forged Paul VI visit (with no price) from
their store (recognized to the 3 spots on the front-head of the pope
and the cyan colour instead of violet).
e) It is recommended to have a set of these forgeries . Moustafa
(4wstamps) is proposing a lot on ebay. I can also send the complement
to Moustafa’s item.
Regards
Elie AOUAD

About the 4R Lebanon SG #684/5 Imperf Dble Impression MNH

April 27, 2006 Forgeries No comments

Lebanon Philately reprints Thu Apr 27, 2006

Hi,
Even if the scan is not clear i congratulate Moustafa for being the
first honest seller who dares putting: “Old fakes from Michel Estfan
collection” in the description of the item.
Michel Estfan & band are a shame on the Lebanon and a lot of countries
philately.
You can “admire” his forgeries in the Files section.
Regards

New types of cancelled forgeries & the legend

January 31, 2006 Forgeries No comments

Lebanon Philately reprint Tue Jan 31, 2006

Hi,
In the early sixties (as the legend tells us) a group of resellers
printed forgeries about many issues including cedars, taxes, saida
castle, ski, jounieh bay,….
The legend tells us also that just before the police came to catch
the head of the gang, he and his sons cancelled all the forged stamps
after degumming them in tea (that’s the reason why they are yellowish).
The cancellation was done by faded round beyrouth cancellation stamp.

The Legend is not very accurate:
A lot of forged taxes stamps are not cancelled or gummed and cancelled,
and i’ve received lately my first forged stamps cancelled by a (not
faded) hexagonal cancellation stamp which means probably that there
are still some uncancelled (non taxes )forged stamps stocks & someone
is having fun to cancel them with hexagonal.

to be continued….
Elie

Cana Cross

November 26, 2004 Forgeries, Postal History No comments

Reprint from Lebanon Philately Fri Nov 26, 2004

The cross of the Cana series is printed twice. One of them is
the visible one and the other is invisible, but can be seen
under ultraviolet light. Forging that is hard as applying the
invisible cross requires specialized equipment that costs a
lot of money.

Rida

Forgeries on Ebay. Buyers beware.

September 25, 2004 Forgeries No comments

Reprint from Lebanon Philately Sat Sep 25, 2004

Here is my take on the Qana cross set price/hoarding question. First of
all demand and supply rules. However in any free market, it is easy for
someone to manipulate the market unless the market has rules for proper
behavior. What are the rules in the Lebanese stamps market and who is
enforcing them?

Is it OK for dealers to bid on each other’s auctions? As long as they are
using their own names and there is no collusion, why not? I am in buying
mode today. If I start selling tomorrow does this mean that I have to stop
buying?

Second, is someone hoarding the Qana cross set in order to artificially
inflate the price? The answer depends on who. If the hoarder is an
official with access to governmental supply of stamps who purchased the
stamps at the time at face value and knew before the public that the set
was going to be withdrawn, then there is insider knowledge ethics violation.

This becomes furthermore a criminal matter if the insider/hoarder stole the
stamps from the official depot where the withdrawn stamps are held. In a
transparent government (which ours isn’t) the government would clearly
state how many stamps were withdrawn and keep accounting of
them. Furthermore the withdrawn stamps should either be destroyed by the
government or locked in a government vault like the central bank to control
access to the storage. There is little difference between stamps and
monetary notes. It’s all paper printed at relatively little cost with a
monetary value exceeding the printing cost.

[If you read rec.collecting.stamps.discuss there is a big hoopla about the
US government wanting to destroy a government huge hoard of Revenue stamps
in its possession to control its inventory. Collectors want the government
to sell these stamps on the collectors market instead of destroying them.]

If the Qana-cross set hoarder is someone without connections and without
insider knowledge and simply lucked out or made a shrewd decision to buy
the Qana cross set before it was withdrawn then good for him or her. I
don’t see a problem with this nor do I see any obligation for the hoarder
to sell at a lower price.

bassem

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