David COHN FORGERIES

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evert@klaseboer.com.


David Cohn was a stamp forger from Berlin in the late 19th century. He reprinted the stamps of the Roman States and was also involved in the 3 gr Hannover reprinted stamps:

3 g brown, reprint?
(Reprints)

These reprints are printed quite badly on thicker paper than the originals and can be recognized in this way. They were made by the printer C.Gerste in Hanover and sold by David Cohn in 1891(?). Note the very thick line under the eye of the king. If they are perforated, the rouletted perforation is different from the genuine stamps (13 1/2 instead of 16). The 'Berliner Philatelisten-Klub' bought the printing materials used by Cohn in 1895 and donated them to the 'Reichpostmuseum' (source: http://www.berliner-philatelisten-klub-1888.de/hist.htm). Since the dies were defaced and subsequently repaired to make these reprints, some of the defacing lines can still be seen in the hair of the King (left next to the ear). These reprints must have been printed by millions, since they are still quite common today.


Defacing line which was not repaired going down in the three hair lines to the left of the ear of the King.

 

In the Philatelic Record Vol.2 1880 on Pages 107-108, the following text can be found:
CONCERNING SOME DUBIOUS TRANSVAALS, In our June number we felt it our duty to warn our readers against large quantities of these stamps, which were then, and still are, being offered to collectors, but which we suspected of being something less than authentic. Our warning has entailed upon us a crushing correspondence with some few who are interested in upholding the character of the stamps, and with a great many who distrust them as much as we do. It is unfortunate, but none the less true, that the mere fact of these labels coming from Germany is, of itself, sufficient to arouse suspicion. Some few unprincipled scamps, chiefly, as we believe, boys, are still to be found selling counterfeits in this country ; but they procure their wares, almost without exception, from Germany. The Germans are a clever and scientific race, but they too often turn their knowledge to fraudulent account, as in the science of adulteration, in which they reign supreme. Erom the earliest days of stamp collecting, Hamburg, Dresden, and Vienna have vied one with the other in the manufacture of forgeries, which rank from the vilest and weakest of imitations to works of the highest ingenuity and finish. The recent scandal in Dresden excited far less remark than a lesser one would have done in any other than a German capital. Philatelists did not express much wonder either that the president of a German society should have been convicted of both preparing and selling forged stamps, or that he should have retained his position so long after his character had been exposed, by the philatelic press of this country at any rate. A correspondent has sent us a circular and a letter from Herr David Cohn, of Berlin, who, together with Herr Heim, of Vienna seems to be the chief distributor of these soi-disant Transvaals. Before reviewing them, we may here recapitulate the charges which we made in June against the stamps in question. Whilst condemning the postmarks and surcharges as forged, we said nothing more cruel against the stamps themselves than that we believed them to be reprints. It is only justice towards Herr Cohn to say that we are not aware that he has sold any of the stamps with the forged "v.r." surcharge, nor does he include them in his price list. These, and some of the other stamps to which we alluded in June as being offered, used and unused, as curious varieties, came from the other source. To the postmarks, which we ventured to condemn, Herr Cohn alludes in his circular as follows : " These stamps, obliterated for the use of collectors, are just the same as the unobliterated, but have the advantage of being cheaper. The obliterating stamp (three circles with a number in the centre) is exactly like the real one, and these obliterated specimens are preferable to those which have passed through the post, inasmuch as they are far cleaner and more pleasing to the eye." And now we turn to Herr Cohn's letter, expressing surprise that his Transvaals have not found that favour in this country which he considers is their due. His chief argument in support of them appears to be that they are as good as any which have previously been sold by dealers, and have not been obtained from the Transvaal direct. He declares that when English and other dealers applied to Mr. Jeppe, the postmaster of the territory, for stamps, he referred them to Herr Otto, the engraver at Gutzow (or some such place), in Mecklenbourg, for their supplies, and, in corroboration of this, he sends copies of letters from English dealers ordering not only the stamps of the normal colours, but errors besides. One distinguished amateur asks for the 3d. value, printed in blue, rose, or any colour except lilac—£5 worth of each colour. Another dealer requests that £20 worth may be printed in various colours, and sent to him at once. The originals of all these letters Herr Cohn offers to show to any who may doubt that the stamps which he is now offering are inferior to those which have been obtained from Mecklenbourg in times past. All this curious information, whilst it throws a somewhat ghastly light upon the past traffic in Transvaal stamps, says nothing in favour of the fresh supplies which are being offered. Herr Cohn certainty urges that the plates having been sent to Pretoria, it is not easy to reprint from them in Germany. To this we would reply that such tilings as transfers are not unknown, or that a large supply may have been printed off before the plates were sent away, and kept back for a convenient season to float. In either case the stamps have not been printed for use as postage stamps, and have never been through the hands of the Transvaal post-office authorities. The sale of unobliterated stamps such as these might strengthen the argument of those who only collect used stamps (on the plea that these at least have fulfilled their purpose, and paid postage) were it not shown, on the other hand, with what ready benevolence this fad is humoured by the fictitious obliteration of as many varieties as can be desired with a stamp exactly like the real one, plus several other advantages.

1 p red 3 p lilac
Reprints of Transvaal as those marketed by David Cohn (and others).

Note: the townname 'Gutzow' should have been 'Güstrow' in the above text. Also, V.E.Tyler in his book 'Philatelic Forgers, their lives and works' attributes the stamp dealer Julius Goldner as the main outlet for the reprints of Transvaal.


Copyright by Evert Klaseboer