::: MISSIONARY STAMPS - Forgery Study :::
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Back to Missionary Stamps.
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FORGERIES
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This black on vivid yellow paper example dates from the earliest days of stamp
collecting. The paper of this forgery is a vivid yellow but the color may appear pale
on your screen. When discovery of the Missionary stamps first was announced by the
philatelic press in the 1860's, this forgery is what the writers were describing!
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An unusual orange 2¢ of unknown origin probably dating from the 1860's.
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SCOTT FORGERIES
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J. Walter Scott, the "father of philately" in the United States, made this forgery to
show in his early catalogues. Note how the corner foils are separated from the borders.
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An example of the Scott forgery of the 5¢.
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Scott's forgery of the 13¢ "Hawaiian Postage."
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Scott's forgery of the 13¢ "H. I. & U. S. Postage" stamp has different borders and corner
foils than those of his other denominations.
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Surprisingly, the Scott forgeries persisted as
Scott Catalogue images of the
Missionaries until 1993, after I furnished the publisher photographs from the
Advertiser Collection. Scott forgeries are relatively common but examples seeking
certificates of authenticity still arrive at the Philatelic Foundation.
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Using the corners of the fancy
borders as a guide, one can easily distinguish most forgeries:
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Corner of genuine missionary; note the
corner design is connected to the adjoining fancy border designs and there is a little
fleur de lis at the tip of the corner arc. |
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Another early 2¢ forgery with a spike
at the tip of the corner arc. |
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Another early 2¢ forgery with a spike
bounded by curled lines; the corner arcs turn in at the top. The black on yellow
forgery has the same corner design. The double "ii" of "Hawaiian" is flattened into
Roman Numerals topped by dots. |
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Floating leaves corner on the Scott
forgeries of Nos. 1-3. The corner of the Scott forgery of No. 4 is different with a
flattened fleur de lis design. |
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A forgery of the 13¢ H. I. & U. S.
stamp with a forged cancel. This example may have been reproduced from the Scott
forgeries and has the same corner design. |
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MISSIONARY FORGERY BIBLIOGRAPHY
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- Aguirre, Eduardo, "El Caso Klemann Grinnell," Mexico Postal, Vol. II, No. 13, p.
193-194, July, 1922. Focus is on the Grinnell trial.
- Ashbrook, Stanley B., "The Grinnell Hawaiian Missionary Stamps," Stamps, Vol.
101, No. 1 [1308], p. 36-38, October 5, 1957. Excellent article on the Grinnell
forgeries with a study of the postmarks used on the Grinnells.
- Atlee, W. Dudley, "A Critical Analysis of the Stamps and Forgeries of the
Hawaiian Islands," The Philatelical Journal, Vol. I, Nos. 2-9, February,
1872 - September, 1872. In this early publication, this respected author detailed
various missionary forgeries and asserted the 2¢ value was a "sham."
- Earée, Rev. R. B., Album Weeds, How to Detect Forged Stamps, "Sandwich
Islands," p. 412-425, First Edition, Stanley Gibbons & Co., London, 1882, reprinted
at The American Philatelist, Vol. II, No. 1, p. 1-5, Oct. 10, 1887, No. 2, p.
15-18, Nov. 10, 1887; Second Edition, "Sandwich Islands," p. 555-568, Stanley
Gibbons & Co., London, 1892; Third Edition, "Hawaii," p. 461-491, Stanley Gibbons &
Co., London, 1906-1907, reprinted at Weekly Philatelic Gossip,
October-November, 1933. Paper back reprints of the Third Edition were made in
Canberra. Hawaii is in Part III, p. 461-491. Only the Third Edition is very helpful
so far as Hawaiian forgeries are concerned.
- Cowman, Fleet Paymaster A. R., (R. N.), "Stamp Weeds, and how to Detect
them./Hawaii Forgeries," Stamp Collecting, Vol. 24, No. 1, Apr., 1925 to
Vol. 24, No. 17, July, 1925. Cowman makes an effort to expand on Earée and others
and to correlate their results.
- Davey, William J., "A Detailed List of the Forgeries of Hawaii," in Meyer and
Harris, p. 375-398.
- Griebert, Hugo, "Notes on the Hawaiian Islands Stamps," Griebert's Philatelic
Notes and Offers, Vol. VI, No. 1, p. 3-5, May, 1921; No. 2, p. 17-18, Sept.,
1921. Griebert illustrates several forgeries; his discussion of the Grinnells is
cribbed from C. H. Mekeel's earlier article.
- Grinnell, George H., "Mr. Grinnell's Letter," Mekeel's Weekly Stamp News,
Vol. XXXVI, No. 32 [1649], p. 405, Aug. 12, 1822. Grinnell relates how the stamps
were found.
- Grinnell, George H., "Grinnell's Story Of His Find Of Hawaiian Missionaries And
The Famous Court Trial," Linn's Weekly Stamp News, Vol. XXIV, Oct. 1,
1951 - Oct. 15, 1951. Grinnell tell his side of the story, without addressing the
technical difficulties with his "stamps."
- Klemann, John A., "Res Adjudicata," The American Philatelist, Vol. 38,
No. 2, p. 63-74, November, 1924. An important work on the Grinnell forgeries.
- Lawrence, Ken, The Grinnell Missionaries: Genuine Stamp Rarities or Clever Fakes Created to Cheat Collectors?, Mystic Stamp Company, 2016. An essential read for anyone interested in the Grinnell forgeries. Lawrence collects the various threads developed over a century of claims, counter-claims, and lies and furnishes a compelling analysis that the Grinnells are counterfeits. This booklet can be viewed or downloaded free at Grinnell Missionaries Booklet 2016.
- Lindquist, H. L., "Hawaiian Missionary Controversy," Collectors Club
Philatelist, Vol. 1, No. 3, p. 88-92, July, 1922. This article includes
photographs of many Grinnell forgeries.
- Linn, George W., Linn's Weekly Stamp News, August, 1951 to December,
1952. A series of articles in which Linn explores the Grinnell forgeries. He seems
to have a definite bias in favor of declaring them genuine. Not published is his
letter to John Klemann dated Dec. 20, 1854 (original on file with the Philatelic
Foundation) in which Linn admits the Grinnells "are faked."
- Mahé, Pierre, "Honolulu," Le Timbrophile, Vol. 2, [15], p. 119, Jan. 15,
1866. Mahé describes the yellow on black forgery of the 2¢ value.
- Maury, M. A., "Hawaïen," Le Collectionneur de Timbres-Poste, Vol. 3, No.
19, p. 146, Jan. 15, 1866. Maury also describes the black on yellow forgery.
- Mekeel, C. H., "The Hawaiian Stamp Sensation," The Albemarle Stamp Collector,
Vol. 7, January, 1921 to April, 1921. Report about the Grinnells.
- Meyer and Harris, "The 'Grinnell Missionaries'," p. 117-121, The Philatelic
Foundation, 1948. A key work on the Grinnells.
- Richards, Charles F., A Checklist of the Stamps of Hawaii - And More, New
York, 1816, p. 34-38.
- Royal Philatelic Society London, The Investigation of the Grinnell Hawaiian Missionaries by the Expert Committee of the Royal Philatelic Society, London, Patrick Pearson, chairman of the committee, Royal Philatelic Society London, 2006
- Serrane, Fernand, "Hawaii," Vade-Mecum du Spécialist - Expert en Timbres-Post
Hors D'Europe, Vol. II, p. 134-137, Bergerac, 1929; English translation found at
American Philatelist, Vol. 108, No. 8 [1,123], p. 732-733, Aug., 1994.
- Taylor, S. Allen, "Sandwich Isles," The Stamp Collectors' Record, Vol. 1,
No. 10, p.2, Nov., 1865. Taylor, a notorious forger of stamps, was the first to
describe a missionary stamp in the American philatelic press but describes an
obvious forgery printed in black.
- Wood, Hon. J. P., "Decision in Klemann v. Grinnell Case," Mekeel's Weekly
Stamp News, Vol. XXXVI, No. 29, [1646], p. 369-371, July 22, 1922.
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