(Takuma postal forgery)
Note: on my website many of the
pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: evert@klaseboer.com.
Jonoski Takuma was a stamp forger in Sydney (Australia) in the late 19th and early 20th century. See 'Philatelic Forgers, their lives and works' by Varro E. Tyler for more information. According to this book, he made forgeries of the 2 p emu jubilee issue and watermark errors of New South Wales. He also made forgeries of 'OS' overprints of New South Wales and of the overprints of Fiji. He was also a famous emu egg carver.
(Takuma postal forgery)
Genuine stamp left and Takuma forgery on the right hand side.
This forgery of New South Wales was even catalogued as genuine from 1916 to 1963 (according to 'Philatelic Forgers, their lives and works' by Varro E. Tyler). Takuma was an egg-carver in Sydney. He also made fake watermark errors on the laureate stamps of New South Wales.
The West Australian of Thursday 28 July 1898 says
about these forged New South Wales laureate stamps with forged
watermark:
"ALLEGED STAMP FORGERY.
-----------------
A CLEVER TRICK.
SYDNEY, July 26.
Philatelists to-day took great interest in a charge which was
brought against Jonoski Takuma, a Japanese, and his wife
Elizabeth, at the Central Police Court, of having forged seven
New South Wales postage stamps of a rare issue, each of which is
alleged to be of great monetary value. The stamps had been
purchased by a local dealer. When sent to London and passed under
the scrutiny of several experts it was found that a forgery was
effected by splitting certain stamps and affixing a false water
mark or figure different to the denomination of the stamp to the
back of those manufactured. They had been valued at £80. The
accused werecommitted for trial."
The Colonist of 3 September 1898 has a further
story:
"Jonoski Takuma, a Japanese, at Sydney pleaded guilty to
a charge of uttering certain New South Wales stamps which were a
forgery of other issues of considerable rarity and great value.
The forgery was effected by fixing the water mark of one issue of
stamps to stamps of two-penny and threepenny denominations and
was so cleverly executed that some of the best English experts
were deceived concerning the genuineness of the stamps, and
consequently up to £80 had been paid for a single specimen. The
accused was remanded for sentence. Mrs. Takumu, who had been
connected with her husband on the charge, was found not guilty,
the defence set up in her case being that she acted under his
coercion."
Furthermore in the Evening News of July 27, 1898:
PHILATELY.
ALLEGED FORGERY OF POSTAGE STAMPS.
ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT.
At the Water Police Court yesterday Jonoski Takuma, 31, engraver,
a native of Japan, and Elizabeth Takuma, 26, a native of
Victoria, his wife, were charged with, in company, forging seven
New South Wales postage stamps and uttering same to Frederick
Hagen, with intent to defraud. Detective Roche detailed
particulars of an interview which he had with Takuma regarding a
woman who had sold some valuable postage stamps. Takuma said that
the woman had been in his place three or four times. She lived at
West Maitland, but reference to her name made Takuma become
reticent. Asked what her description was like, he said she was
tall and ladylike. As she wore a veil, he could not describe her
complexion. She brought four stamps, for which she asked £50.
For one of them with the watermark "6" she wanted £25.
He offered the stamps for sale, and, failing to sell them,
returned them to her. She said she had obtained the stamps from.
Takuma wanted to know from Roche what was the matter with the
stamps, and on being told they were clever forgeries, he
expressed relief at not having sold them. Four days later Roche
again saw Takuma in his shop, to make inquiries about the woman,
and he was advised to write to West Maitland Post Office. Takuma
said he would write, only he did not care to be mixed up in it.
On the 19th Roche, Donovan, and Brown went to a house in the
Glebe, and saw Elizabeth Takuma. She first denied selling the
stamps, but afterwards admitted that she had, and mentioned the
names of Collins, Hagen, and Ackland, in Melbourne, to whom she
sold stamps. She stated her husband gave them to her to sell, and
that she was ignorant of the place they came from. The woman was
then arrested, and, in company with Detective Brown, Roche
visited Takuma's shop, in the Imperial Arcade, and in reply to a
question he denied giving any old stamps to his wife, or his
wife's sister, to sell. He also denied having received any money
from the sale of such stamps. He was then arrested, and on
searching his shop, three stamp dies were found, with some
tracings of stamp obliteration, also a piece of paper with a
large letter "R" in
a circle similar to that used in registered letters. With regard
to the dies, he said an engraver had made them for him, and he
used them for marking Fijian stamps.
At the station his wife reiterated the statement about receiving
the stamps from her husband, and Takuma admitted giving them to
his wife, stating that he told lies before, because he thought it
was only a business transaction, and that he did not know they
were Government police. He said he told his wife to do as she had
done, and that she knew nothing of the matter. He produced
sixteen dies, which were used in the post office. Several pieces
of paper akin to postage stamps were found, and Takuma said the
color was removed by immersing them in caustic soda. At the
station Hagen said the forgeries were very clever, and had
deceived the experts, and Takuma laughed, saying it was very
simple. He said that he did not forge them, but got them from a
woman.
In reply to the charge, the female accused said that she got the
stamps from Takuma, and gave him the money. It was not with
reference to the marking of postage stamps with the post-mark
that Takuma said, "It was very simple."Frederick Hagen,
a stamp dealer, carrying on business in Elizabeth-street, said
that on April 5 two ladies called to sell some postage stamps.
One of them was the female accused, and she wished to know if he
would buy some valuable stamps. She also stated that Mr. Vindin
had offered £5 each for the 2d stamps, and £7 10s for the 3d
stamps, or £42 10s in all, some time before. She said that the
lady expected more, because she thought they would be more
valuable now than then. He agreed to give £45 for the lot. The
accused turned round to her friend and said, "Shall I see
the lady this afternoon ?" The reply was inaudible. But Mrs.
Takuma said she would see the lady and let him know. Next morning
Mrs. Takuma called alone, and said she was willing to accept the
£45. Hagen told her he would like to examine the stamps, and he
did this by the benzine process, and the water-mark appeared.
Then he concluded the purchase. He asked some questions regarding
the stamps, especially regarding where they came from.
Subsequently he discovered that the stamps were frauds with
regard to the water-mark. The stamps, having been altered, were
of no earthly value. He paid the money on the representation of
the female accused. The stamps had been pared away, and another
piece was put on. Some of the stamps had a red "O.S."
and a false postmark. Daniel Collins, pawnbroker in
Oxford-street, said that on April 11 the female accused called on
him and showed him some stamps. He said they were rare
water-marks. She said in reply to a question that the stamps were
given her by a lady in West Maitland. She asked £7 10s for the
3d stamps water-marked "2", and £8 for the 2d stamp
watermarked "8", or £20 for the lot. She further said
that the lady told her they were part of her grandfather's
collection. Next day she called and he offered her £15. She
declined to take this saying she could get more than that at
Hagen's, and finally Collins gave her £18, for which he got a
receipt. About four or five days afterwards his suspicions were
aroused, and he called at Takuma's shop, and asked if he had any
rare "diadem" water-marked stamps.. He replied
"Yes", and produced three. He said they were for sale,
and he wanted £40 for the three. He said they had been left with
him for sale. In course of conversation Takuma said they were
genuine. Witness again called, and asked for the name and address
of the lady, and he said he could not accede to the request. On
April 26 he received a letter from the male accused offering
these stamps for sale. He subsequently got another letter from
the male accused about these stamps. On one occasion when he
called at Takuma's shop the female accused was there. Takuma
looked at her, and she walked out. James Hodgens Smyth, a stamp
dealer, carrying on business in Hunter-street, said he knew both
the accused. He purchased a 3d stamp water-marked "2"
from the female accused on March 28. She said that she had a
stamp in her collection that a gentleman told her was rare, and
she wished to sell it. He paid £1 for it. The stamp was
undoubtedly a forgery, or in the profession termed a
"fake". She came back about two weeks ago with more
stamps of a similar nature, which he refused to buy. Allan
Robertson, foreman of the Revenue Printing Branch, Government
Printing Office, gave expert testimony regarding the stamps,
stating that under a powerful microscope the fact was disclosed
that the stamps had been split. The department did not issue them
in that way. This closed the case for the prosecution. The
accused, who reserved their defence, were committed for trial to
the quarter sessions on August 2. Bail was allowed Takuma, self
in £150 and two in £75, and Mrs. Takuma, self in £50 and two
sureties in £25.