2d KGV 1932 POSTAL FORGERY – LARGEST BLOCK IN PRIVATE HANDS
In March-April 1932 a scam involving forged Irish Sweepstakes tickets used forged stamps for mailing lottery tickets in Sydney. This postal forgery was a good reproduction, printed from electrotypes on unwatermarked paper and perforated 11. The forgery was discovered by an Adelaide collector, who notified the postal authorities. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest and eventual prosecution of the perpetrators.
“Mint” examples of the forgery emanate from official sources involved in the court case. This block demonstrates the method of production used – the flaws of the first four columns are repeated in the last four columns. Two blocks of 30 derived from a common master were used for printing; since the printing press used could not accommodate the full group of 60, the first two columns were cut off the left-hand block.
