Until the Revenue Issue of 1888, with only a few exceptions, mint British Guiana stamps are valued significantly higher than their used counterpart. However, with this 1888 Issue and subsequent issues, many postally used high value stamps are valued more than their mint counterpart. This change inspired forgers who wish to profit by selling forged philatelic items an avenue where they can increase the value of a stamp by simply adding a forged cancel.
If you’re a serious collector of British Guiana stamps, you may be very disappointed to find that many of your used high value stamps of this era are forged. In many cases, revenue canceled stamps were cleaned and replaced with a forged cancel.
The following are the Forged Date Stamps with dates up to 22 January 1901, the day marking the end of the reign of Queen Victoria.
→ Panda Type # E 6 – Georgetown Forgeries
Forgery with a small dot between George & Town exist primarily on high value stamps issued after 1888 with cleaned Revenue usage. N of Georgetown deformed on many strikes. Strikes exist with dates not distinct or missing.
This date-stamp similar to a Georgetown Figures 26 or 27 except the dash between George and Town is replaced with a small dot. This forgery comes with a variety of dates and damage to the date-stamp.
The following dates exist:
4 Aug 9 with the final stroke in the N in Georgetown missing and a short vertical line right before the B of B. Guiana.
10 Jul 99 with the final stroke in the N of Georgetown missing and a short vertical line right before the B of B. Guiana.
14 May 89 still with a portion of the final stroke of N of Georgetown intact and a short vertical line right before the B of B. Guiana. The 1 and 4 of the day are almost cojoined.
Strikes with no date and the N of Georgetown more intact exists.
In a clear demonstration of this forgery, there are examples with a section of the date-stamp shifted. The “· TOWN B.” shifted to the right where the dot is now a part of the last E of GEORGE and a large space develops between the B. and G of B. Guiana.
This shifting has been seen on a strike dated 25 JU 91 where there is also a larger space between the digits of the day.
→ Panda Type # E 7 .4 – Aurora Forgery
In the Derek Nathan British Guiana Postmark display, he noted the Type 5 Aurora date-stamp dated 4 Feb 93 as another forgery. His display has several examples of this strike with the heading “Not recorded as by Madame Joseph but same style and all dated 4 FE 93.”
→ Panda Type # E 7. 1 7- Georgetown Forgery
In my studies of British Guiana date-stamps from the 19th Century, I’ve discovered a few more forgeries of Georgetown date-stamps I would like to discuss here.
The first is a date-stamp like those mentioned above. It is a date-stamp similar to a
Georgetown Figure 31 (the Type 5 style) and dated 6 AU 90. I’ve seen and collected several
examples of this strike. If you are a serious collector of British Guiana stamps, chances are you have this strike in your collection.
→Panda Type # E 7. 30- Sparta Forgery
In the BWISC Bulletin No. 199 published in December, 2003, Peter Ford notes yet another similar forgery. This one is of the Type 5 Sparta date-stamp. He states “Date stamps dated 7 Apr 91 (on Mult. CA Wmk!) should be treated as forgeries (Madame Joseph?) .”
→Panda Type # E 2 2 . 1- Amacura Forgery
In the British Guiana Philatelic Bible, The Postage Stamps and Postal History of British Guiana by Townsend & Howe published in 1970, one such forgery is mentioned. Referring to the Type 10 Amacura strike, it states:
“The Amacura date-stamp evidently fell into unauthorized hands, for after the closure of the Post Office, it was used to fake postmarks on ‘cleaned’ copies of fiscally used stamps. The faker never changed the date in the date-stamp and the tell-tale date, 21 AU 1896, always betrays the fraud.”
However, as a result of the publication of Madame Joseph Forged Postmarks in 1994, it was revealed that this date-stamp was a work of this forger as the actual instrument was examined and impressions taken (see image below). No other 19 Century British Guiana fake postmarks were mentioned in this publication.
– From the Panda Collection
→Panda Type # E 2 5 . 1 – Georgetown Forgery
Georgetown Fig 36, 37 & 38 are strikes with 2 L.D. and W.T.A. There also exists examples without time which is unlisted in Townsend & Howe or Proud. This forgery is of that previously unlisted variety listed as Panda Type E25.1.
The Panda British Guiana Postmark Catalog 