Postal History from Finland 1889 - 1918


 

 

Fake stamps from Russian period

10p. and 20p stamps of the 1901 Lithography

A number of fake 10 and 20p stamps were reported with postmarks but only in 1970 proof were found that these stamps had been genuinely used - in the magazine Karhunhammas #5/1970 the below shown card was introduced by Laitinen - since additional 8 items have been found.

The Origin of these fakes are still unknown - only used copies are known.

The stamps are probably printed by the genuine cliches - 10p on thicker paper then the normal stamp, whereas the 20p is printed on  normal thickness - some expect the stamps to have been printed by Tilgmann & Co as some kind of proofs - the stamps may then have been smuggled out from the printer and then afterwards been perforated 11½ and sold to make money

Largest known group is a 10p strip of 4 cancelled in Helsinki 17.VI.1901 (Kerailyuutiset mail auction No. 5/1996)

 
 
As the list below shows - 10 known items with fake 10p - from the last 10 - 20 years about 30 copies of this 10p seems to have been offered at public auctions  - whereas only 6 known items with fake 20p and only very few single 20p items - incl. 2 pairs - one vertical and one horizontal have been offered.

 

10p Stamp

 

  Cancellation Receipt and Address Arrival Markings Auction
1 Helsinki 16.VI.01 Fru L. Sagulin, Lovisa Loviisa 17.VI.01  */
2 Helsinki 19.VI.01 7i Fröken Sigrid Apelgren, Terijoki Terijoki 19.VI.01  
3 Helsinki 24.VI.01 Maisteri Herra Santari Dahlström, Lempäälä missing Suomen Filateliapalvelu
5 Jun 2003   lot 256
4 H:fors-St P:Burg 2.VII.01 Herrar W. Gutzeit, Kotka 3.VII.01 9.f.  
5 Helsinki 28.VI.01 to Lempäälä missing  
6 Helsinki 25.VI.01.6.e Moe & Asplund, Vaasa  (2x10p pair) unknown  */
7 Helsinki 26.VI.01 Lempäälä missing  
8  Helsinki 28.VI.01 Fröken Milli Gyllström, Lempäälä, Sortavalta, herrskapet Richter missing  
9 Helsinki 25.VI.017F Till Syskonen på Kuusito, Lempäälä Kuusito smudgy oy Kaj Hellman
27. Feb. 2003  lot 1194
10 Helsinki 19.VI.01 ***villatehdas Vaasa ? oy Kaj Hellman
7. Oct. 2006  lot 948
         

*/ illustrated in "HFF Reference manual of forgeries" 

Item #3 from list above
 
Item #8 from list above
 
Item #10 from list above

 

 

 

20 p Stamp

 

1 Helsinki smudgy Kaptenskan S. Ascholin, Ades Handlande A Heyno, Åbo Singers Afär unknown Merkki-Albertin's 18th auction in Oct. 1999
2 Helsinki 30.III.01 Stadskapten Baron R. Carpalan, Turku Turku 30.III.01  
3 Helsinki 28.III.01 Stadskapten Baron R. Carpalan, Turku Turku 30.III.01  
4 Helsinki 31.III.01 Stadskapten Baron R. Carpalan, Turku Turku 31.III.01 Abophil 5/2005
5 Helsinki 30.III.01 Geheimerodet H. Herr A von Etter, Ratula Uusikylä Uusikylä 31.III.01 Suomen Filateliapalvelu
19th Dec. 2001
6 Helsinki 30.III.01 COD address card (amount=6,20 Fmk) Herr M. Norrbacka, Peräseinäjoki Peräseinäjoki 2.IV.01 oy Kaj Hellman
4. May 1996  lot952

 

the information above is mainly from an article in The Finnish Philatelist vol. 8 no 3 - Aug. 2003  -  original written in Finnish by mr. Reijo Nummela
 
  
  Item #4 from list above
 
Item #5 from list above
 
Item #6 from list above

only lower left stamp is fake