Introduction

original sheet of forged stamps used as evidence against Sperati in 1942
ex Robson Lowe and Carl Walske
 

These eighteen stamps mounted on the small approval sheet were sent by Sperati to a dealer in Portugal in 1942.The French Customs opened the letter and prosecuted Sperati for exporting stamps without declaring them. Sperati claimed that they were forgeries and quite valueless.

A French criminologist, Edmond Locard, declared them all to be genuine! Sperati appealed and produced five similar sets to prove that he was right and the stamps were forged. He was acquitted on the smuggling charge in January 1948. These stamps are all marked on the back "Copie" by the French Court at Chambery.

A PDF file (here) of several of Carl Walske's introductory and pages that Carl used in a presentation to the RPSL in 1998. Includes family photographs, correspondence between Sperati and the BPA in the 1930s, pricelists. Also two page PDF file with normal and rectified images of two copper engravings used by Sperati (his "Aix Les Bain" plate as well as a "JdeS" monogram plate), here.

A lexicon of terms used on this site is here.