The Abraham Lincoln Wing
part of the Peter Schwartz Collection


122 Fraudulently Perforated India Proof!

The 122 P3 above has been perforated to make it appear to be a stamp! Note the incompletely separated perfs on the right. It has not been gummed. The carmine ink has faded, although it is hard to determine whether this is due to chemical treatment or exposure to sunlight. However, the printing seems genuine enough -- compare the counterfeit with another india proof from the same plate position, below:

Notice the thin oval line surrounding the vignette in each proof - the thickened area of the oval below the shirt, and the pointed and flattened portion of the oval above Lincoln's head. Also note the streak of black ink to the right of the "S" (a vignette plate flaw). These indicate position 7 of the 100-subject plate.

A successful forgery of a mint 122 could command many times the price of the proof!

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