Postal History from Finland 1889 - 1918

Fake stamps from Russian period
10p. and 20p stamps of the 1901 Lithography


A number of fake 10 and 20p stamps were reported with postmarks but only in 1970 proof were found that these stamps had been genuinely used - in the magazine Karhunhammas #5/1970 the below shown card was introduced by Laitinen - since additional 8 items have been found.

The Origin of these fakes are still unknown - only used copies are known.

The stamps are probably printed by the genuine cliches - 10p on thicker paper then the normal stamp, whereas the 20p is printed on normal thickness - some expect the stamps to have been printed by Tilgmann & Co as some kind of proofs - the stamps may then have been smuggled out from the printer and then afterwards been perforated 11½ and sold to make money

Largest known group is a 10p strip of 4 cancelled in Helsinki 17.VI.1901 (Kerailyuutiset mail auction No. 5/1996)

As the list below shows - only 9 known postal items with fake 10p  from the last 20 - 25 years about 50 copies of this 10p seems to have been offered at public auctions - whereas only 6 known postal items with fake 20p and only very few single 20p items - incl. 2 pairs - one vertical and one horizontal and a horizontal strip of three have been offered.



10p Stamp



Cancellation Receipt and Address Arrival Markings Auction
1 Helsinki 16.VI.01 Fru L. Sagulin,
Lovisa		 Loviisa 17.VI.01 */
2 Helsinki 19.VI.01 7i Fröken Sigrid Apelgren,
Terijoki		 Terijoki 19.VI.01 Hellman auction #71
2. Mar. 2012 lot 1545
3 Helsinki 24.VI.01 Maisteri Herra Santari Dahlström,
Lempäälä		 none Suomen Filateliapalvelu
5 Jun 2003   lot 256
4 H:fors-St P:Burg 2.VII.01 Herrar W. Gutzeit,
Kotka		 3.VII.01 9.f.  
5 Helsinki 25.VI.01.6.e Moe & Asplund,
Vaasa  (2x10p pair)		 unknown  */
6 Helsinki 26.VI.01 Fröken Milli Gyllström,
Lempäälä, Sortavalta,
herrskapet Richter		 missing Merkki Albert auction 44
08 Nov. 2012, lot 422
7 Helsinki 28.VI.01 Fröken Milli Gyllström,
Lempäälä, Sortavalta,
herrskapet Richter		 missing  
8 Helsinki 25.VI.017F Till Syskonen på Kuusito,
Lempäälä Kuusito		 smudgy oy Kaj Hellman
27. Feb. 2003  lot 1194
(unsold)
9 Helsinki 19.VI.01 Puuvillatehdas Vaasa
(Cotton factory)		 Nikolaistad 21.VI.01.6f oy Kaj Hellman
7. Oct. 2006   lot 948

Suomen Filateliapalvelu
8. Oct. 2021   lot 2435
         

*/ illustrated in "HFF Reference manual of forgeries" 




Item #1 from list above





Item #2 from list above





Item #3 from list above





Item #6 from list above





Item #7 from list above





Item #8 from list above





Item #9 from list above





Item #10 from list above



20p Stamp




1 Helsinki smudgy Kaptenskan S. Ascholin,
Ades Handlande A Heyno,
Åbo Singers Afär		 unknown Merkki-Albertin's 18th auction in Oct. 1999
2 Helsinki 30.III.01 Stadskapten Baron R. Carpalan, Turku Turku 30.III.01  
3 Helsinki 28.III.01 Stadskapten Baron R. Carpalan,
Turku		 Turku 3.III.01
4 Helsinki 31.III.01 Stadskapten Baron R. Carpalan,
Turku		 Turku 31.III.01 Abophil 5/2005
5 Helsinki 30.III.01 Geheimerodet H. Herr A von Etter,
Ratula Uusikylä		 Uusikylä 31.III.01 Suomen Filateliapalvelu
19th Dec. 2001
6 Helsinki 30.III.01 COD address card (amount=6,20 Fmk)
Herr M. Norrbacka, Peräseinäjoki		 Peräseinäjoki 2.IV.01 oy Kaj Hellman
4. May 1996  lot952



The information above is mainly from an article in The Finnish Philatelist vol. 8 no 3 - Aug. 2003
- the original written in Finnish by mr. Reijo Nummela an published in Filatelisti




Item #4 from list above





Item #5 from list above





Item #6 from list above only lower left stamp is fake



If you can deliver additional information, or a JPG image of one of the not illustrated items should be extremly welcome.
Opdateret d. 08. Oct. 2021