Forgery Collection
The Scottish Philatelic Society was founded in 1893 and the first display of forgeries was given in 1898. A reference collection of forgeries was established in 1901 and has grown steadily, now amounting to over 1,250 sheets. There have been nine Curators since 1901.
Included in the collection are forged stamps, covers, overprints, postmarks, postal forgeries and more recent developments such as re-gumming, repair and cleaning of damaged stamps, re-perforation and the use of photographic, photocopier and computer reproduction. Bogus items are also shown.
Where possible a genuine item is shown alongside the forgery but, especially where rare stamps are involved, the genuine item may not be of ‘exhibition standard’. It may have lost a corner or be otherwise damaged but showing enough to allow comparison and to identify the main differences.
Displays are given from time to time to other societies and a ‘mini-display’ of recent or relevant items at each meeting of the Scottish Philatelic Society.
The reference collection is frequently consulted by both members and dealers - even the Post Office Investigation Branch! There has also been publicity about it in the press and on radio.
Curator of Forgeries
|
1901 - 1906 |
T. A. McIntyre |
1906 - 1910 |
N. M. Berrie |
|
1910 - 1928 |
John Walker |
1928 - 1947 |
R. M. Hislop |
|
1947 - 1951 |
Ramsay Stewart |
1951 - 1956 |
J. Calderwood Miller |
|
1956 - 1975 |
James Douglas |
1975 - 2004 |
David Jeffries |
|
2004 - |
John Studholme |
|
|
Members may borrow sections of the collection and / or books on application to the Curator of Forgeries.