Lot 73
Worldwide Peter Winter Forgery Collection. Well in excess of 1,000 items arranged by country on stockpages in several binders including multiples sheets, cover fronts, etc.; an extensive holding of this forgers works including classic Great Britain, early Mauritius issues including "on cover" creations, British Guiana including the one cent magenta, Cape of Good Hope Woodblocks, Lady McLeod including on front, Papal States high values on fronts and Tuscany Lion issues, Swiss Cantonals with many on front items as well as better modern souvenir sheets, substantial section of German States including Bavaria first issue multiples on fronts, Saxony 1850, 3pf with a study of the forgers various printings, later Germany including semi-postal sheets including a genuine Berlin Currency Victims souvenir sheet for comparison (P.F. cert.), many other creations throughout.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Peter Winter of Bremen apparently began offering forgeries sometime in the early 1980's. By 1985 he had arranged to launch a major marketing scheme. A catalog was issued under the name ProPhilForum picturing and pricing forgeries of many classic stamps, about 185 different in total with an addition of 31 cover fronts. The forgeries themselves were produced by an art printer in Germany. Mostly they were photolithographs, but a few were engraved. After filed complaints from the philatelic community, leading to the near shut down of Winter's operation, he arranged with Silke Kratel in Geneva to handle his forgeries through the newly created House of Stamps. After a year or so the House of Stamps was shut down by Swiss postal authorities in response to complaints.
Realized: $8,000