Lot 25
Great Britain 1872, 1sh Green Stock Exchange Forgery Collection. Remarkable assembly of 43 1sh green postal forgeries arranged by date of usage in stockbook, with dates ranging from June 3 to Oct 31, 1872; includes 42 examples from plate 5 and one example of the rare plate 6, plate 5 examples with 30 normal and 12 "impossible" letterings, many on piece with 17 in combination with genuine stamps of other denominations of similar issuance including 3d rose, plates 7 and 8, a 6d chestnut, plate 11, 9d buff, plate 4 and a 2sh blue, plate 1, the plate 6 single forgery is from the normal lettering (LE), collection additionally contains numerous genuine 1871, 1sh green examples from plates 5 & 6 including lettering matching forgeries, 11 genuine singles with Stock Exchange postmarks, multiples including block of 6, on cover including usages to India, Italy and Vera Cruz, Mexico and an additional portion of a rare plate 6 forgery on piece of a telegram form (not counted); 4 singles from plate 5 (two "impossible" letterings) with noticeable defects, collection accompanied by numerous manuscripts, articles, notes and correspondences regarding this fascinating forgery. 2001 SG £20,700 for forgeries ($32,499).Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
In 1898, quantities of used 1871, 1sh green issues from old telegraph forms originally used at the Stock Exchange Telegraph Office in London, E. C. came on to the market. A portion of these stamps where the forgeries and where first to be discovered by the well known philatelist, Mr. Charles Nissen some 26 years after the use of these fraudulent stamps. Although no culprit was ever identified, It is believed that one of the counter clerks must have been using these forged stamps on telegram transactions and pocketing the money from his genuine stock of stamps.
Realized: $16,000