26/05/2026
One of the more interesting philatelic investigations I’ve had recently started with a small eBay lot of Queen Victoria stamps used in Malta.
Among them was what appeared to be a very scarce imperf Penny Red with the Malta “A25” barred oval cancellation — SG Z24 (SG8), Plate 41.
At first glance the cancellation looked promising, and even passed initial scrutiny. But after comparing the strike against proof-book impressions with help from specialist literature and correspondence with Mike Batty, the story took a very different turn.
It proved to be an extremely convincing forgery.
What made the piece fascinating was not just the forgery itself, but the wider question it raised:
Should imperforate Penny Reds with Malta A25 cancellations exist at all, given the dates involved?
I’ve written up the full investigation, including the research process, chronology questions and proof-book comparisons.
Link in first comment.
