Author Archives: Stefan

Old story – forged stamps never bear genuine overprints

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Stefan

This week a well know seller offered several Armenian stamps on eBay. He is member of APS and APEX and – as far as I know – expert for Russian stamps. Both things are good news for the potential buyer. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A mysterious cover – color proofs with unknown cancel

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Stefan

From time to time an exotic or rather uncommon item sells on eBay or another online auction platform.  In this case the following “cover” caught my interest. On the first view a cover with no address is presented featuring what … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A possible world record – three overprints on one stamp

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Stefan

I did not check all the stamps issued all over the world. But let’s have a look at this one:The stamp originally issued during the tsar regime had a face value of one Kopeck. It got a first overprint after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Genuine, k60k, Mixed Ruble and Z, Ruble, Unframed Z | 3 Comments

A real rarity … really?

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Stefan

Cherrystone is one of the larger auction houses in the stamps business and specialized in material from Russia including former territories. This includes Armenia and often nice lots are offered. The March 2014 auction includes lot number 196. The first … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The 100r HH Monogram on the 7 Ruble Imperforated Coat and Arms Stamp

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Stefan

I got a request of a collector who is looking to buy this stamp. So first thing I did was checking my collection. This is what I found: Not so many. Only 5 pieces. After that I checked the literature. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The 100 Ruble HH Surcharge in Detail

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Stefan

The highest value of the Ruble HH surcharge type is the 100 ruble overprint. Here a stamp with a genuine overprint – in this case a good or even a little overinked example:  Lets have a look at this overprint … Continue reading →

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Sheet numbers – request for scans

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Stefan

I got an email from a collector who is doing research regarding the sheet numbers on Chassepot issues. He sent me an example scan that you can see here:   Perhaps someone already did some research and can provide information … Continue reading →

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When Serious Material is Provided – Armenian Material is Selling Strong

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Stefan

It is nice to see a lot reach almost or even more than the double of its starting price. Even more, when such an exotic field like Armenian stamps is involved. And we are talking about stamps, not even covers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The 15 Overprint in Detail

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Stefan

The 15 Gold Kopeck Overprint as quite common, just like the 20 Gold Kopeck from the post before. Still the forgeries are much more difficult to spot. Part of the problem is the dark and well inked background, which hides … Continue reading →

Posted in First Essayan, Forged, Genuine | 1 Comment

The 20 overprint in Detail

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Stefan

The 20 Goldkopeck overprint is quite common. Still the forgers did not neglect it and we can discuss the different types of forgeries. This is a genuine overprint on a genuine basic stamp. Please not the blue signature on top … Continue reading →

Posted in First Essayan, Forged, Genuine | 4 Comments