RUDOLPH THOMAS (Stamp Forger)

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evert@klaseboer.com.


Rudolph Thomas (Greasy Dick) was a stamp forger from Chicago (see 'Philatelic Forgers, their Lives and Works' by V.E.Tyler). When he died in 1941, several cancelling devices (179), a perforating machine and devices to make forged grills were found. He was apparently 'in business' as early as 1912. Image of the forged cancels are shown in Tylers' book.

Forged cancels of Baden were made by Rudolph Thomas from Chicago (probably to 'enhance' some 30 k stamps), the following cancels (with fixed dates) are known:
'OBERKIRCH 10 JUL'
'GRIESSEN 7 OCT
'STOCKACH 7 OCT'
If anybody has more information, please contact me!


30 kr Baden stamp: Possibly a Rudolph Thomas forgery with 'OBERKIRCH 10 JUL' cancel.

Other forged cancels appearing inf V.E.Tyler's work are from Curacao, Memel, Danzig and Luxemburg. Apparently he also forged cancels of the German Colonies.

The Milwaukee Journal of 9 February 1942 reports the following text:
"Huge Stamp Collection Is Ordered Destroyed
Chicago, Ill. Some 10,000 postage stamps valued at $19,000 will never see another stamp collector's album if Judge F.O'Connell has his way. Hearing a probate case on the will of the late Rudolph Thomas, prominent collector who left 1,500,000 covers, Judge O'Connell ordered impounded for eventual destruction one 9,988 stamps whcih experts said had been falsified with bogus cancellations and perforations. Atty. P.A.Bierdemann, representing the estate, had sought permission to sell the stamps, contending that they were valuable to collectors of counterfeits.


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