Lithuanian Stamp Forgeries Register

Fakes and Forgeries Database

Apparently, there is a high number of Lithuanian stamp forgeries on the market, much more than one might believe. Some of the forgeries of classic Lithuania stamps (1918-1940) are well documented, others are not. Our goal is not only to collect images of fake stamps, but also to provide information to help collectors and dealers to recognize fakes and forgeries. For this purpose we maintain Fakes and Forgeries Database. The work is in progress. Please visit us soon for new updates.

Invest into an illustrated guide of forgeries

The handbook “Forgeries in Lithuanian Philately” includes 4500 color illustrations and is an essential guide for all collectors especially those who acquire stamps at online auctions including eBay and Delcampe marketplaces

Caveat Emptor – Buyer beware

• Expensive or rare items should always be purchased subject to certification
• Check the feedback of the seller but don’t get into a false sense of security by a high feedback rating
• Fakes begin with a genuine stamp and alter it in some way to make it more valuable to stamp collectors, e.g. by adding false postmarks or forging overprints
• Ask any questions (we have Philatelic forum for this purpose)
• Improve your knowledge (order back issues of the Lithuania Philatelic Society Journal)

Known Lithuanian stamp forgeries

Lithuanian stamp forgeries can be divided into several groups: forged stamps, forged stamps with forged cancels, genuine stamps with forged cancels, genuine stamps with backdated cancels, genuine stamps with forged overprints (fake overprinted stamps), fake stamps with altered colors (fake color stamps), and genuine stamps with trimmed perforations (fake imperforate stamps).

We use term “forgery” to indicate stamps produced to defraud collectors (properly known as forgeries) and to defraud stamp-issuing governments (properly known as counterfeits). Term “Fake” is used to indicate the alteration of a genuine stamp to make it appear as something else. Fakes might refer to cancels, overprints, added or clipped perforations, stamp design alterations, color changes, etc. Term “Reprint or Replica” is used to indicate stamps were made as souvenirs of discontinued issues for the enjoyment of collectors rather than to defraud collectors or the postal service.

List by issue and year of known classic Lithuania stamp forgeries:

1. Vilnius Issues (1918-1919)
2. Kaunas Issues (1919)
3. Second Anniversary of Independence Issue (1920)
4. Airmail Stamps (1922-1935)
   • Fourth Air post issue (1922)
   • New Currency Air Post issue (1924)
   • Definitive Air Post (Swallow) Issue (1926)
   • Child Second Air Post issue (1932)
   • Child Third Air Post issue (1933)
   • Darius-Girenas transatlantic flight overprinted unofficial issue (1933)
   • Vaitkus overprinted issue (1935)
5. “De Jure” Issue (1922)
6. Overprinted New Currency Issue (1922)
   • 1 CENT. on 30 sk. orange
7. First New Currency Issue (1923)
8. Child Second Issue (1932)
9. National Olympiad Issue (1938)
10. Soviet Occupation Overprinted Issue (1940)
11. Local Issues (1941)
    • “Independent Lithuania” overprinted issue (June 1941)

Other Lithuania-related stamp issues:

1. Memel / Klaipeda stamps
2. Central Lithuania stamps
3. Local issues (Grodno, Raseiniai)