Perf11 Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice ! 14 Apr 2021 12:32:31pm
I was thinking the top stamp was a forgery and the bottom one was legitimate but then I turned the top one over and noticed a wavy line watermark. So is the bottom a forgery ? Thanks.
I would bet they are both genuine. As far as I know, these were not forged, or, if they were, not widely forged (unlike the earlier stuff).*
There are 2 distinct Scott listings:
#434: with watermark, issued in 1949. 2021 cv: mnh 62.50 used 0.25
#520: no watermark, issued in 1952. 2021 cv: mnh 225.00 used 0.30
These are two instances of the workhorse definitives issued in the frenzied post-war period of occupation (1945-1952) and recovery, and you'll often encounter printing variations.
They are both printed by typography, and I would suspect differences in print quality had to do with plates wearing down, or newer plates hastily made to deal with the demand.
Edited to add:
* It has now floated back into my brain that there are forgeries of the Showa definitives, although not widespread. I think, in fact, there is an ISJP monograph on the subject, which in a perfect world, I would have within reach. Unfortunately, I do not have it handy. I think I would still assume they are genuine.
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"You gotta put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone. (Hoots the Owl -- Sesame Street)"
Courtesy of “Within Reach Research”: ISJP Monograph 20: “The Showa Forgeries of Japan” by Ron Casey. June 2005.
By contrast Scott 363 was a common target of/for forgeries. Both in the First (New) Showa series (1947-47) and the Third Showa series (1945-46). Per Varro Tyler, sold chiefly through Philatelia Hungarica, the official Hungarian philatelic agency in Budapest.
Am a subscriber to the “never say never” school of thought. With that said, I again ask Perf11 to share why he believes his examples are forgeries.
The wartime and immediate postwar stamps of Japan display many shade varieties and obvious differences in print and paper quality. Several years ago a member of my stamp club, the British Columbia Philatelic Society, presented a program about forgeries that included examples of the Showa forgeries. He said that printing plates from those issues were sold to a Hungarian firm that used them to print copies for the packet trade.
I was intrigued by that presentation, because I had assembled a small accumulation of Scott #364 ("Thunderstorm Below Fuji," based on a Hokusai print) which seem to include examples of all three Scott-listed varieties in ultramarine, deep ultramarine, and light blue. Of the 24 copies I have, few seem identical to any of the others. In trying to determine (and illustrate) the differences, I selected six of the stamps that showed the greatest differences, scanned them as a group, increased the contrast, saturation, and sharpness of the image in different ways, and included the resulting images in a a StampoRama article, "The Many Faces of Mt. Fuji".
The Scott catalogue listing of these stamps includes this warning, "Beware of nos. 362-364, 364a, 364b, 365 and 367 on unwatermarked paper." Several of my "Thunderstorm Below Fuji" stamps do not have watermarks, and are printed on hard, bright-white paper. Several of the other Showa issue in my collection show similar differences; some are printed on the same paper as the suspect "Thunderstorm Below Fuji" stamps.
I keep accumulating mint and used examples of all the definitives of that era. Someday I hope to finally get to trying to study and display them in more depth.
Thanks very much for reminding us about that article!
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"You gotta put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone. (Hoots the Owl -- Sesame Street)"
Believe the “Showa forgeries” and “Hungarian connection” story has been circulating for
many years now, including a variety of twists.
Another posits that the forged stamps were printed locally and shipped to Budapest where the official philatelic agency placed them into the “packet trade” in an effort to generate “hard currency” from the West. And so are the challenges of verifying informal (often oral) history.
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Perf11 Of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice ! 15 Apr 2021 01:17:10pm
re: Japan copy ? Or ?
Thank you gentlemen.
First of all my knowledge on Japanese definitives is rather limited compared to what I have just read.
The reason I thought the first one pictured might be a forgery was the printing quality. But you explained that rather nicely. Although the cancellation looked authentic.
Thank you for your time and research. Much appreciated.
Appreciate your (candid) response. As Philatarium noted, the printing quality of stamps of this period varied based on ink, paper, and condition of the plates.
The Scott catalogue is a good starting point. However, if this becomes an area of interest for you,
recommend checking out the resources available through the APRL.
Lastly, the ISJP is a good group. It publishes a high quality journal, which at first can be a bit intimidating. However, the journal served as a mechanism for meeting fellow collectors, a number of whom proved very generous with their time and knowledge. (Personally, it greatly accelerated my knowledge and understanding of Japanese revenue and fiscal issues.)
Have fun!
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