Stamps from counterfeit U.S. Western Wear double-sided panes in the wrong position

By Charles Snee

Counterfeit examples of the United States 2021 nondenominated (55¢) Western Wear forever stamps were discovered March 22, 2022, in unused double-sided panes of 20, the issued format of the genuine stamps (Scott 5615-5618).

The fakes are listed as 5615(CF1)-5618(CF1) in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Counterfeits.

Modern U.S. counterfeit specialist Robert Thompson of Texas first reported the 2022 discovery of counterfeit Western Wear stamps to Linn’s Stamp News. But it wasn’t until May 13 of this year that he noticed an anomaly on the eight-stamp side of the bogus pane of 20.

Specifically, the stamps in the left block of four are in the wrong positions. Thompson alerted Linn’s of his surprise finding on May 14.

Illustrated here is the eight-stamp side of a counterfeit pane, top, and a genuine pane, bottom.

On the left block of four from the fake pane, the positions of the top stamps picturing a cowboy hat and belt buckle are switched. The same situation applies to the bottom stamps picturing a cowboy boot and Western shirt.

The positions of all remaining stamps on the counterfeit Western Wear pane (including the 12-stamp side, not shown) match those on a genuine pane.

When viewed side-by-side, the fake Western Wear pane is a close match to its genuine counterpart.

However, closer inspection reveals a number of differences between the two.

For example, some elements of the bogus designs are dark orange, while the same areas on the genuine stamps are a distinct yellow orange.

Overall, though, the bogus Western Wear stamps convincingly mimic their genuine counterparts.

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