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© 2008 Martin Lovegrove

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A careful reader of the Reference Manual of Saudi Arabian Forgeries noticed that there was a gap between pages S-3 and S-7. Whether anything was planned for these pages is not known, but this page provides additional information on the forgeries described on page S-3.

The stamps described on page S-3 are forgeries of the first Hejaz-Nejd definitive issue and can be identified by:

1. Perforated 11

2. Thicker smooth paper

3. Very crude reproductions, partly blurred. Significant deviations in the Arabic numerals and lettering.

The 2 qirsh violet and 3 qirsh blue were illustrated, but in monochrome.

Further Information.

The few examples of this forgery in my collection show that these stamps are also to be found perforated 11.5 and imperforate. Probably of greater significance is the fact that most of my examples have the fake DJEDDAH 10-6-21 cancellation as illustrated on page W-2 of the Forgeries manual. This could tie the production of these forgeries to the same source as the many 'total' forgeries of the period, which also show the poor quality of printing. However, some of these 'totals' are very realistic and have the correct perforation, making identification very difficult. These will be the subject of a future article.

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Also shown at left are two examples of the Pan Islamic overprint forgery type 1 on a 'total' perf 11.5, one with the previously mentioned DJEDDAH cancellation, the other with a, presumably fake, all-Arabic Makkah mark. Note (2) relating to this forgery on page T-1 of the Forgeries Manual will be amended to include usage on these 'totals'.

Page S-2 of the Forgeries Manual in reference to good quality forgeries of this issue, states that the forgeries were apparently produced photographically from a single genuine cliche. So far, I have plated these as 1/4 qirsh - position 7, 3 qirsh position 3, and 5 qirsh from position 4. The same statement may also apply to these 'totals'. For example, all my copies of the 5 qirsh show the break in the frame under the lower left circle containing the Arabic number 5. The poor print quality may prevent accurate plating.

Note: A 'total' forgery is one where stamp, overprint, paper and cancellation are not genuine.

 

Forgery Manual S-3

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