Gallery

 

PART IV-APPENDIX


A - THE KARL KNIEP STUDIES OF 1985
After analyzing the many forgeries outlined by Holtz and Schüler, Kniep decided that there was a better way to describe the condition of these false issues. His numbering system was divided into nine different categories, ranging from poorly designed and executed overp rints (Kniep designation 101ff) thru relatively professional forgeries by Ruberg (901ff). In between is a gradual sequence of categories, 201ff, 301ff, 401ff, etc. (He listed 90+!)

While this system has its value, it is unfortunate that Karl wasn’t able to publish these findings in book form, with large-sized illustrations. The photo copies that he sent to Bud Hennig and Werner Bohne are pre-publication copies of actual-sized stamps, some of which are unclear and deeply shadowed. Perhaps the best that can be done with them is to fill in the blanks of the Holtz/Schüler studies and to confirm our own conclusions. The Xeroxed copies, in most instances, preclude an accurate illustration, but we’ll use them anyway.

Since his categories are interesting and may aid you in determining the quality of forgeri es that you encounter, we have decided to include Karl’s charts below. The first list shows his categories of quality in the overprint, and the second list shows cross-referenced forgery designations as we know them today.

101ff Total illustration of the overprint is very primitive; “springs at tht eye” as fake.
201ff Total is readily recognizable as false.
301ff Total is recognizable as false by a non-expert collector.
401ff The horizontal bar (in Karl’s words): weicht in seiner Gesamtheit ab (‘z. B. Kreuz-m uster, gerahrn t, horizontale Punktreihen).
501ff Der Bcilaken fallt durch rekitiu gut erkennbare Teithereiche auf.
601ff Einzelne Buchstaben u,eisen chorakteristische Abweichungen auf.
701ff Recht gut gelungene Fälschungen.
801ff Besonders gelungene Fälschungen.
901ff Ruberg forgeries [“The best forgeries that money can buy” - Ed.]


Then Kniep lists the four studies with the cross-references. We add our fifth list:
(Danzig Report DR)

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 100 - July - August - September - 1998, Page 24.