Fake and Questionable Items (stamps)

71-7 Rs.5 Sheik Mujibur Rahman

Note that there are two varieties of the fake overprint. One has a bar through the denomination, and the other one doesn’t. The overprinted bars on this stamp were done by an Indian dealer who had them put on covers and mailed from a few cities in Bangladesh. This unaddressed cover was made for the market. This is a total fake. These stamps are also seen on commercially used covers but they are generally addressed to Indian addresses as the dealers wanted to retrieve the covers and then sell them. Occasonally one will see mint stamps offered on eBay or Delcampe. The dealers are usually from India and always claim they are genuine when questioned.

The overprinted bars on this stamp were done by an Indian dealer who had them put on covers and mailed from a few cities in Bangladesh. Note that there is no address on the cover This is a total fake. These stamps are also seen on commercially used covers but they are almost all addressed to an Indian address as the dealer wanted to retrieve the covers and then sell them. Occasionally one will find mint stamps or blocks of the stamp for sale in internet auctions.

20 December 1971 - Bangladesh Liberated (Overprint on #1, 7 & 10, measuring 12mm horizontally)

These examples of the overprint on plain paper are fakes and began to appear with frequency on the internet close to forty years after the stamps were issued. The majority of these, if not all of them, were being sold by stamp dealers outside of Bangladesh and by companies and dealers that did not specialize in the country. These were obviously peddled to dealers as being genuine.

All the stamp above have fake overprints applied to them. There were no reported inverts, or double printing at the time the stamps were issued. These started appearing in the internet auctions around 2010, close to forty years after the stamps were issued. Those selling them either believe they are genuine or are dishonest in claiming they are. The entire set of stamps were overprinted, but the Post Office only accepted the 10p, 5R and 10R values for postal use.

10 December 1973 - 25th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1973

It was believed that this SPECIMEN rubber-stamped overprint may not be genuine. It is also known on the 25 September 1974 set of two stamps for Bangladesh being a member of the United Nations. The two sets were offered by a dealer in India, known for dealing in dubious Bangladesh items. It has been learned that the government started stamping SPECIMEN on the stamps they gave to dignitaries at the First Day Ceremony as the dignitaries were using the unstamped stamps for postage. They started stamping SPECIMEN on them so they could not be used. It is the author’s opinion that the latter story is probably true and these may be genuine overprints.

73-4 10p Flame within a wreath – blue background
73-5 Tk.1.25 Flame within a wreath – purple background
2 Stamps.

25 September 1974 - Bangladesh in UNO

It is believed that this SPECIMEN overprint is a fake and was not applied by the Post Office Department. It was sold by a dealer in India, known for dealing in questionable Bangladesh material.

74-6 25p UN headquarters and flag – lilac and multi
74-7 Tk.1 Un headquarters and flag -blue and multi
2 stamps.

23 February 1980 - 75th Anniversary of Rotary International

80-1 40p Rotary emblem in red and black
80-2 Tk.5 Rotary emblem in blue and gold
2 stamps
Fake “SPECIMEN” overprint with a badly smudged rubber stamp at the bottom left of the images. The same overprint exists on the overprinted Rotary stamps of 1987.

16 May 1985 - Upa-Zila Election 1985 (Overprint on 29 April, 1978 Flowers of Bangladesh set)

All of the above overprints are fake. These were not made by postal employees using genuine overprint. The overprint is slightly different from the genuine. The lower image has an inverted overprint.

85-5 40p Champa – Michelia champaca
85-6 Tk.1 Sonali (Pudding Pipe tree) – Cassia fustula
85-7 Tk.2.25 Krishnachura (Flamboyant tree) – Delonix regia
85-8 Tk.3.50 Shapla (water lily) – Nymphaea nouchali
85-9 Tk.4 Palash – Butea monosperma
85-10 Tk.5 Kadam – Anthocephalus indicus
6 stamps.

Cover with fake double overprint, with one inverted. This is a philatelic cover, not one that was used to send mail to anyone.

18 July 1985 - UN Decade of Women

85-12 Tk.10 Woman at microscope

The left stamp is a forgery of the genuine stamp on the right. The quality of the printing in the forgery is not good.

29 Dec. - 3rd Bangladesh Scout Jamboree (Overprint on the Tk.5 value of the 22 January, 1978 First National Scout Jamboree stamp)

Both the double overprint and double overprint with one inverted are considered fakes.

12 January 1987 - Rotary Conference for Development ’87 (Overprint on 23 February, 1980 75th Anniversary of Rotary International set)

All of the varieties of the overprint listed below were done either by, or with the cooperation of Mr. Zahid Husain (Helal Bhai), who is known by all the senior collectors and dealers as the man who had access to, and handled all the early major errors of the country. Since he has not told who printed these, and when seen under magnification, it is apparant they were all done at one time and place, therefore making it seem likely that they were done by an employee of the pringing company that had the contract.

87-1 Tk.1 Black overprint on red, tan and black 40p Rotary stamp (New denomination)

Fake SPECIMEN rubber stamped in bottom left of stamps. This is identical to the SPECIMEN rubber stamp used on a pair of the original issued stamps in 1980.

a. ovpt. shifted to the left, most of old denomination visible
b. obliteration only, no text ovpt.
c. ovpt. inverted
d. ovpt. double
e. ovpt. double but no obliterations
f. ovpt. double with “O” of “FOR” omitted, no obliterations
g. ovpt. double and shifted to the left. Denomination fully visible
h. ovpt. double with half of obliteration on each side of the stamp – enomination visible
i. ovpt. double with half obliteration and no new denomination
j. ovpt. double, “C’ and “D” not visible on left
k. ovpt double, one inverted
l. ovpt double, one inverted, bottom ovpt. shifted left
m. as “k” but “C’ and “D” only partially visible on bottom ovpt.
n. ovpt. double, one inverted, upper inverted ovpt. divided on each side of stamp – old denomination fully visible
o. ovpt. double, one inverted. Old denomination largely covered
p. ovpt. double, one inverted. Correct upper ovpt. on an angle, sloping to left – old denomination not covered.
q. ovpt. triple
r. ovpt. triple – one inverted – old denomination not covered
s. ovpt. triple – “4” not covered
t. Ovpt. triple – no obliteration over over old value
u. ovpt. triple – two inverted
v. ovpt. vertical – facing left
w. unissued ovpt. – horizontal thin line through 40p
x. test print – printed four times on stamp in green ink

87-2 Tk.5 Black overprint on blue and gold Rotary stamp
a. ovpt. inverted
b. ovpt. shifted left. “CO” and “DE” not visible
c. “O” of “FOR” missing
d. ovpt. double
e. ovpt. double, one inverted
f. ovpt. double, one inverted, one shifted left, the other right
g. ovpt. triple
h. as “g” but ovpt. shifted higher. “Conference” almost in line with central circle
i. ovpt for the 40p stamp
j. unissued ovpt for 40p stamp (87-1u)
k. as “j”, but top line of ovpt. missing
l. as “J” and “k” but top line totally missing.

A 16 page booklet entitled Rotary Movement in Bangladesh, written by Siddique Mahmudur Rahman, and published by the Bangladesh Institute of Philatelic Studies, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, lists and illustrates these varieties

2 January 1990 - National Population Day 1990

90-1 Tk.6 Silouette of parents and two children

A forgery of the genuine Population Day stamp is on the left and the genuine stamp on the right. The quality of the printing is quite poor in the forgery.

22 September 1990 - XI Asian Games, Beijing, ‘90

90-23 Tk.2 Rowing

The left stamp is a forgery and the one on the right a genuine stamp. The colors in the forgery are not very accurate, compared to the genuine stamp.

26 March 1991 - 20th Anniversary of Independence 1971-1991

91-5 Tk.4 Freedom fighter statue 5 stamps in a strip of five

The forged stamp is on the left, with a genuine stamp on the right. Since the set of 5 stamps was printed in strips of five, it seems logical that the other four values of this set must also exist as forgeries. Note that the forgery is smaller than the genuine stamp.

30 May 1991 - President Ziaur Rahman

91-10 Tk.2 President’s head inside a stylized blue circle

The left stamp is a foargery and the right stamp is genuine. The colors are very muddy in the forgery.

7 August 1991 - Poet Rabindranath Tagore

91-17 Tk.4 Portrait of poet superimposed in front of his home

The stamp on the left is a forgery of the genuine stamp on the right. Under magnification it is obvious that it is not genuine as the printing is not clear and the pattern of dots is not like the genuine stamp.

26 November 1991 - Archaeological Relics from Moinamati

91-23 Tk.4 Utinsils (Bowl and ewer) 5 stamprs printed in a strip of five

The forgery is on the left and the genuine stamp on the right. Since this issue was printed in strips of five different stamps, it seems logical to assume the other four values can be found as forgeries as well.

7 April 1993 - World Health Day '93

93-6 Tk.10 Ring of figures around earth, weapons above (Prevent Violence)

The left stamp is a forgery and the genuine stamp on the right. Note that the forgery is not as clear and is slightly smaller.

7 December 2003 - ICCDDR,B 25th Anniversary

03-14 Tk.10 Logo in center with olive leaves and writing (genuine stamp)

1995 (Unknown date) - SERVICE overprinted on definitive in red in Bengali

95-1s Tk.2 National Diabetes Awareness stamp of 1995 (#95-1d) – multicolored.

This is the “SERVICE” variety of this stamp which was issued as a regular definitive first. This variety was released in the mid to late 1990s. There is no consensus of opion as to whether this particular item, and similar ones to it, were genuine errors or printer’s waste that made it to the philatelic market. This variety is also found on several philatelic covers. The item in the illustration above has full, original gum.