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News, commentary and opinion on Central and South American philately

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Forgeries

Collecting Classic Honduras

Honduras Ambulante Mourning Cover

Honduran philatelists are a rare breed. With a steady supply of forgeries and a history of philatelic exploitation, the country is often overlooked in favour of its Central American neighbours. But the consistently low price of the material means that the specialist, armed with a little knowledge, can build up a formidable collection for a […]

20th August 2022Categories Forgeries, People, The CollectorLeave a Comment4

Discovering the lesser-known forgers of Latin American stamps

One of the most prolific forgers in philately - Placido Ramon de Torres

Forgers such as the Spiro brothers, Fournier and Sperati are well-known characters in philatelic folklore. But what of the lesser-known forgers? Gerhard Lang has spent over six years investigating the mischievous creations of the little-known Placido Ramon de Torres…and uncovered one of the most prolific forgers in philately. He is now conducting research on more […]

17th August 2021Categories Forgeries, General Philately, PeopleLeave a Comment0

The Numerals Issues of Brazil – Fakes, Forgeries and Counterfeits

Only one of these Bull’s Eyes is genuine…the example on the right Most collectors of Latin America will be familiar with the early postage stamps of Brazil. Bull’s Eyes, Snake’s Eyes, Goat’s Eyes, Cat’s Eyes…collectively, the numeral issues of the Brazilian Empire. Stephen Rose has spent nearly fifty years studying these issues and currently serves […]

14th August 2020Categories Forgeries, People, Stamp Issues, The CollectorLeave a Comment0

Fakes, forgeries…and buying online

Jean de Sperati

In the earlier years of philately, faking and forging was big business. In many ways, it still is, with money to be made by unscrupulous types offering dodgy imitations of current issues on eBay at knockdown prices. But in the first one-hundred years of philately, much of this activity was targeted primarily at philatelists who […]

17th March 2019Categories Forgeries, General PhilatelyLeave a Comment3

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Featured Posts

  • NY 2016 Stamp Show logoWorld Stamp Show – NY2016
  • Cefibol Catalogo Especializado en Filatelia BolivianaNew Specialized Catalogues: Bolivia, Nicaragua, Peru and Paraguay
  • Lazy PostmanWhich country has the world’s worst postal service?
  • The Observer's Book of Postage Stamps by Anthony S. B. NewLatin American stamp design and its harshest critic
  • Peru 1897 Lima Post Office Stamp IssueEvolution of a Stamp: The Peru 1897 Lima Post Office Issue
  • Central American NewsletterBookshelf Essentials Part II – The Central American Newsletter
  • Brazil catalogue cross reference bookCollect Brazil? You probably need this…
  • Rocky Mountain Stamp Show 2019Exhibiting Latin America…from Denver to Stockholm (Part 1)
  • Stanley Gibbons' Latin American catalogues have not been published since 2007/8Part 20, Part 20, wherefore art thou Part 20…?
  • Neal West NicaraguaThe Collector | Neal West | Nicaragua
  • Keep Calm and Collect StampsThe Future of Latin American Philately
  • Old Central Post Office Buenos AiresStamp Dealers in Argentina and Uruguay
  • How to value a stamp
  • The 19th Century Issues of El Salvador 1867-1900. Guillermo Gallegos & Joseph HahnBook Review | The 19th Century Issues of El Salvador 1867-1900. Guillermo F. Gallegos & Joseph D. Hahn
  • Stockholmia 2019Exhibiting Latin America…from Denver to Stockholm (Part 2)
  • Introducing Venezuela's EscuelasBook Review – Introducing Venezuela’s Escuelas Stamps by Williams Castillo
  • ABNC Steel PlateOriginal ABNC steel dies come to market
  • Granadine Confederation 1859 1 Peso Carmine Block of 15, to be auctioned by Siegel on 30th September (est. $3k-$4k)Forthcoming auctions and initiatives in the hobby
  • A visit to the Edificio Correos in San José
  • Brazil Bulls Eye ForgeryThe Numerals Issues of Brazil – Fakes, Forgeries and Counterfeits
  • Knowledge is power...but only if you know where to lookOne (Philatelic) Database to Rule Them All
  • ELASCA websiteIntroducing ELASCA – The European Latin American Stamp Collector Association
  • 1866 Tres Centavos EagleCollecting and selling Mexico (Part 1)
  • Mi Oficina logoLatin American Philately Zooms Forward (Updated February 2023)
  • GJ Specialized Argentina CatalogueNew specialized Argentina catalogue published
  • Bustamante Peru Specialized CatalogueThe Bustamantes of Peru
  • The MainsheetBookshelf Essentials – The Mainsheet
  • Quetzal Guatemala StampThe Postage Stamps & Postal Stationery of Guatemala
  • Asofilca Venezuela Specialized Stamp CatalogueVenezuela – the final specialized catalogue for 2022
  • SOFICH Chile catalogueSOFICH, so good

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