One of the oldest regular air mail services in the world, the Estonian air mail originates from the so-called "Ice-flights" during the winter of 1920.
Due to an exceptionally cold winter, the Gulf of Finland froze and made mail transport by ship impossible. The Estonian postal administration was forced to transport mail by air from
Tallinn to Helsinki.
The air mail stamps were used to cover the special air mail fee only, and required regular stamps to cover the regular postage (important as fake covers miss this point).
Tallinn to Helsinki.
The air mail stamps were used to cover the special air mail fee only, and required regular stamps to cover the regular postage (important as fake covers miss this point).
The stamps were formally invalidated December 31, 1923 and replaced with proper airmail issues.
1920, Mar. 13.
Used first on mail to Helsingfors.
Line had been in operation since Feb. 7.
Designer: Carl Triumph. Typography: A. & J. Paalmann.
Imperforate and also found rouletted (uncommon)
Forgers
Jaan Lubi of Viljandi
Lubi operated an extensive dealing and trading activity with dealers and collectors in many contrives. He sold or traded Estonian stamps wholesale with the forgeries mixed in. His forgeries are rather poor and easily recognized.
Victor Salemann of Reval
The primitive fake air mail covers that are common on Internet auctions were made by a stamp dealer Victor Salemann of Reval.
The covers are generally addressed to himself and often without normal postage stamps.
Simson-Kull group.
Most of the air mail forgeries found are from the Simson-Kull group.
They forged large volumes of the overprints C2 to C8 and at least 90% of those offered on auctions are full forgeries or fake overprints
The Forgeries
One way you can tell the difference is that genuine stamps are typographed and the
forgeries are lithographed but this will not help much with some genuine stamps that have fake overprints.
forgeries are lithographed but this will not help much with some genuine stamps that have fake overprints.
Since the Simon-Kull forgeries account for most of them, looking at their characteristics would help.
They were printed both perfed and imperf in 8 blocks of 4 pairs as shown on the right
The Kull Forgery Types
1. Shading lines not quite parallel
2. Upper right shading lines crowded
3. O in OHU smaller, but slightly thicker on left side
4. Larger circular ornaments over shading lines
1. Top ornament and outer frame broken on right side
2. Shading lines not quite parallel
3. Upper right shading lines crowded
4. O in OHU smaller, but slightly thicker on left side
5. Larger circular ornaments over shading lines
1. Shading lines around OHU very poor and irregular
2. Missing circular ornament over right shading lines
3. Break in 4th and 6th shading lines next to EESTI
1. Shading lines around OHU improved, but floating together by EESTI
1. Missing circular ornament over right shading lines
3. Break in 4th and 6th shading lines next to EESTI
4. Connected line from frame apex to top ornament
1. Shading lines good, but not quite equidistant and parallel
2. Small dent in outer frame top right
3. U in OHU not quite symmetrical
4. Accent mark of O touches or almost touches the O
5. Bottom two shading lines next to E touch or almost touch each other
1. Shading lines not quite equidistant and parallel
2. U in OHU not quite symmetrical
3. Accent mark of O touches or almost touches the O
4. Bottom two shading lines next to E touch or almost touch each other
5. Irregular frame line and ornament top right corner
1. Inner frame lines slightly closer together under EESTI
2. Shading lines fairly parallel but not equidistant
3. Large round ornaments over shading lines
4. Tiny dot above O in OHU
1. Top right of outer frame strongly blunted
2. Outer frame line and ornament broken on top
3. Inner frame lines slightly closer together under EESTI
4. Shading lines fairly parallel but not equidistant
5. Large round ornaments over shading lines
1. Shading lines not quite equidistant and parallel
2. U not quite symmetrical
3. Accent mark of O in OHU touches or almost touches the O
4. Bottom two shading lines next to E touch or almost touch each other
5. Large dot top right of EE
1. Inner frame lines slightly closer together under EESTI
2. Shading lines fairly parallel but not equidistant
3. Large round ornaments over shading lines
4. Small hump on right outer frame line (line sometimes broken)
5. Large dot on left leg of V in VIIS
1. Shading lines not quite parallel
2. Upper right shading lines crowded
3. O in OHU smaller, but slightly thicker on left side
4. Top frame line broken
5. Left round ornament distorted
6. Two tiny dots next to S
1. Shading lines around OHU very poor and irregular
2. Missing circular ornament over right shading lines
3. Break only in 6th shading line next to EESTI
4. Slight indentation in outer frame line next to "ST
Other Characteristics to check
Although not always the case, the number of lines often differ in
the forgeries
The genuine on the right shows the line count
Although not always the case, the number of lines often differ in
the forgeries
The genuine on the right shows the line count
Below the genuine left is compared to a common forgery right
- The horizontal lines should be straight and equidistant
- The line above the O does not come near or touch the O
- The O has even sides, on most forgeries one side is thicker
- All the pendants should have a round tip not a pointed one
- The circles on the far left ant right are often larger and sometimes one is missing
- The O & H have a definite shape with slight enlargements on the ends
Below a Genuine Sc C1 right compared to a forgery showing the areas of concern
This is a Type 9 forgery described earlier
 |
| Genuine C3 block
|
1923 C7
A private perforation was ordered by Aeronaut and 300 of the 10 Mk and 2000 of the 20 Mk were perforated.
They were mostly meant for Aeronaut’s own use, but were also sold to the public. An official permission was neither asked nor granted.
There are other private perforations mentioned
The Aeronaut perfs (C7 & C8) are mentioned as having rough perfs on most sides Obviously any that show normal perforations need authentication as they are probably mainly C4's or C5's with fake perforations
1923 C8
Again we have a perf situation as with the C7. This is a full forgeries that can be identified and not just as a re-perfed original
Again we have a perf situation as with the C7. This is a full forgeries that can be identified and not just as a re-perfed original
These stamps are 100 years old so very fresh neatly perforated examples are suspect.
C9 - C18 - The final set was issued imperf in 1924 and perfed 13.5 in 1925. Despite the low CV’s, there are forgeries
Forgeries
These do not appear to be very common and are litho copies lacking detail
References
Die Faelscher und die Faelschungen der estnischen Briefmarken - H. Alver, E. Ojaste - Eesti Filatelist 1976
Distinguishing features of Jaan Lubi forgeries of Estonian stamps - E. Sjøgren - Eesti Filatelist #29, 1983
Estonian Airmail Forgeries - P. G. Gleason: - The American Philatelist. Vol. 89 1975
Aeronaut (Paevaleht) & Teetsov perforations, Eesti Filatelist No 15, 1974
Estonia Specialized Catalog - Eichenthal 1962
Estonia Catalog - Hurt 1986
Klasewboer Forgery CD - Vol 2 2019
Estonian Forums
