Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-23
COUNTERFEIT STAMPS.
One Danger to Which PhiIatelists Are
Exposed.

New York Times: 1t is perhaps to
be regretted that the JOY imparting if
nefarious industry OF manufacturing
rare stamps for the benefit of dealers
and collectors has been interrupted
From what appears the art is a very
simple he, though requiring a certain
skill and dexterity In permanship.
For example, a mistake OF no great
consequence is mad in engraving the
plate for a postage stamp. A few are
printed, the mistake is discovered, the
issue suppressed, and a stamp takes its
place in which there is no defect. I'M
mediately the recalled stamp become
''rare'-as rare, indeed, as q day in
June, of which there cannot be more
than thirty in each year, TO go round
among the population of the earth.
What had originally the value of the
few cents for which 1t would be ac-
cepted in payment of postage is by
the collector desired as Daphne by
the eager day god" To what fabu-
ious value it may attain If the fact
that it is really scarce is established
the sane man never KNOWS.
The temptation to initiate with a pen
the defect of an original stamp plate
is perfectly comprehensive and proba-
bly, irresistible. 1t pays extremely
well. The collector who gets one Of
these forged diacards is happy until
he discovers that he has been duped.
Why he should not merely regret the
discovery not quite clear. The In
trinsic value of an uncurrent postage
stamp, and especially of one which
has been used, is about as near zero
as one can get: and that the difference
between o and, say, $500 or more
should be determined by a misprint or
a slip OF the engraver's BURN is not
comprehensive at all. If the interest
of a freak stamp resides in its rarity,
the unique product Of the forger's pen
would seem to possess this quality in
higher degree than one of even a few
turned out by the printing press and
each like the other. The hand paint
ed picture has never ranked above the
chrome l~ithograph: but the standards
of value in philately seem to change
this rule.
That the forging OF stamps is not
an honest business may be conceded
without discussion. The same is true,
perhaps, of the forging of good COM
piexions, the concleament of age by the
use of hair dive. the simnlatien &c nat
ural ~irregularity and discoloration in
artificial d~entation, and so on through
a long list of what the law would call
colorado limitations" But the one
appears to be a crime, while the Others
are not. The happiness OF the collector
who thinks he has acquired a very
rare stamp is no less real while Ii
lasts than il he had actually done SO.
and since neither the real nor the false
stamp has any intrinsic value what
ever the specialist In stamp collection
cannot expect the average human be-
ing to appreciate either his elaion or
his depression according to the gen.
~uineness OF his acquisition. Whether
the maker Of undetectable counterfeits
of rare stamps would not be a bene-
factor TO collectors. by comforting upon
them lasting happiness, Is a question
we leave TO those who have developed
a fancy for discussing such problems,
for example, as whether the little girl
whose quick wit enabled her to save
life was or was not justified In stretch
ing the truth TO a point which, In the
circumstances. would seem TO be will
within Its elastic limit.