Classic Stamp Forgeries: Theresienstadt Parcel Admission Stamp

Theresienstadt Parcel Admission Stamp

During World War II in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the Gestapo used Theresienstadt as a ghetto for Jews from Czechoslovakia, as well as many from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Denmark

On 10 July 1943, authorities in Bohemia and Moravia began issuing this stamp for use on packages sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. If a resident of the ghetto wished to receive a parcel, he could fill out a request every two months. The request would be forwarded to the Jewish Council in Prague, who would then send a notice to the proposed sender of the parcel containing the admission stamp and instructions on its use.

Upon receipt of the parcel, the inmate could send a per-printed card acknowledging receipt of the parcel

Theresienstadt

Genuine Stamp

1. The background lines are straight and unbroken.
2. There should be 3 dots here.
3. The tower roof has 3 white lines. Note the number of windows.
4. This should be a discernible dot and dash.
5. These markers have 6 dots.
6. Lines are made up of short dashes.
7. The engraver‘s initials “FC” are here

A used genuine

Genuine with mis-perf

The notice to the proposed sender of the parcel containing the admission stamp and instructions on its use.

Proofs

Red Cross Visit Sheets

The delegates were given a guided tour in which they followed a red line on the ground and were not permitted to speak to most of the inhabitants. Upon the conclusion of the visit, the delegates published positive reports of the visit. The Germans were ecstatic, going so far as to produce a propaganda film about the visit.

As part of the propaganda effort, souvenir sheets of the Theresienstadt Parcel Admission Stamp were produced for distribution to IRC delegates on official visits. These sheets were found in remainder stocks post-war. They can be found in black, brown, and dark green, and were numbered sequentially

Forgeries

I have no information on the origin of these fakes.
Given the differences, several forgers must be involved

A typical forgery which will apply to most variations

1. Parallel lines are broken, the lines tend to be thicker. Clouds tend to be darker with pronounced dark areas between them.

2. Series of 3 dots partial or missing entirely

2a. Up to 4 visible horizontal lines in spire in genuine – this is also an inking issues and may not be visible. The lower structures on the right should also have

visible windows as in the stamp above.

3. Item a single blotch instead of a distinct dot with a dash underneath as in the genuine

4. Misshapen top of “T”

5. Wrong number and alignment of dots in markers, particularly the left one which should show 6 dots

6. Short ends pointing down

7. Dashes throughout the stamp that are more like heavy dots, this is a main feature of the forgeries , often these lines are vertical as well as horizontal

Block of forgeries