Stamp Collectors Against Dodgy Sellers
(SCADS)

Swiss image stealing scam:
Karl Fisher emails

Subj: Please help to identify USA stamps!
Date: 2/18/03 12:59:16 AM Central Standard Time
From: karl.fishers.coins@hotpop.com
Reply-to: k.fisher_antiques@suisse.ch

Dear Friends,

My name is Karl Fisher from Fisher's Rarities, located in Zermatt, Switzerland. I am 79 years old antique dealer. I rule an antique store, founded by my grandpa. I have got few fields of interests, such as antiques coins, USA gold coins, antique cars , very rare stamps and antique maps.

I would be much appreciate if you can help me to identify few stamps, founded in the archive of my grandfather, founder of Fisher's Rarities. He was a well-known stamps collector in Switzerland.

I've got three USA stamps and let me describe them:

1. 1916 with the President Washington, red one, pair, picture is available.
2. 1923 with the President Harding, picture is available
3. 5c Dark Brown stamp, a bit dirty, my father found it on envelope. picture is
available.

I'd be much appreciate if you can keep my request in confidence.

Also please find enclosed the list of items, I am interested to sell and I am aware of its price and quality. If you would be interested in purchasing all these stamps below on discounted prices, I'd be happy to present you the special gift an very expensive Canadian stamp.

1. Scott #: 291
Type: Single
Description: 50c Sage Green Trans Mississippi. Nicely centred.
Grade: F OG Hinged
Price was US$ 306.00 Discounted price: 265.00

2. Scott #: 1338 var2
Type: Imperforate
Description: 6o Dark Blue, Red &Green Flag &White House IMPERFORATE BETWEEN stamp &margin with "MAIL EARLY IN THE DAY" inscription on the imperforate sheet margin. Rare imperforate "position" pair.
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 120.00 Discounted price: 90.00

3. Scott #: 1563 var1
Type: Perforation SHIFTS
Description: 10o Lexington-Concord Battle 200th Anniv MAJOR PERFORATION SHIFT. Horizontal perfs shifted down 10-12mm at angle. Part of painting "Birth of Liberty" at bottom instead of top. LL Plate Block of 10 + 2 "Halves".
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 300.00 Discounted price: 250.00

4. Scott #: 1563 var1
Type: Perforation SHIFTS
Description: 10o Lexington-Concord Battle 200th Anniv MAJOR PERFORATION SHIFT. Horizontal perfs shifted down 7-10mm at slight angle with portion of painting "Birth of Liberty" at bottom instead of top. Block of 4.
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 110.00 Discounted price: 80.00

5. Scott #: 1842a
Type: Imperforate
Description: 15c Christmas 1980 IMPERFORATE UR "MR. ZIP" BLOCK of 4. A lovely block of this imperforate variety.
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 100.00 Discounted price: 50.00

6. Scott #: 1842a
Type: Imperforate PLATE BLOCK
Description: 15c Christmas 1980 "IMPERFORATE" PLATE #39327/32 block of 12 (6x2).
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 550.00 Discounted price: 460.00

7. Scott #: 2241c
Type: Missing Colour Errors
Description: 25c "Love" (1990) booklet with 2 panes of 10, 1st normal, 2nd MISSING BRIGHT PINK on 6 stamps &partially missing on 2 others.
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 850.00 Discounted price: 760.00

8. Scott #: 2515 var2
Type: Perforation SHIFTS
Description: 25c Christmas 1990 MAJOR PERFORATION SHIFT.Horizontal perfs shifted down 17-21mm diagonally showing FULL GUTTER PERFS at top of this block of 10 (2x5).
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 240.00 Discounted price: 180.00

9. Scott #: 2618 var1
Type: Perforation SHIFTS
Description: 29o "Love" stamp, Feb 6, 1992, MAJOR DIGONAL PERFORATION SHIFT. Pane of 50. Vertical perfs shifted LEFT by 11mm at top to 7mm at bottom. IMPERF at right margin &MISSING DENOMINATIONS at left. SHOWPIECE!
Grade: VF NH
Price was US$ 450.00 Discounted price: 390.00

10. Scott #: C104a var1
Type: Perforation SHIFTS
Description: 28c Summer Olympics MAJOR PERFORATION SHIFT in bottom margin se-tenant block of 4. Vertical perforations shfited almost 10mm to left resulting in "USA/28c" being at LL rather than LR corner of stamps.
Price was US$ 110.00 Discounted price: 75.00

CANADIAN VERY RARE ITEMS FOR SECOND COLLECTION

Scott #: 50-65
Type: Single
Description: 1/2c thru $5 Jubilee each with CDS cancels. Extra shades of 1c to 3c. $2 with CDS is particularly rare. An exceptional used exhibition quality set of 16.
Grade: F/XF Used CDS
Price was US$ 4100.00 Discounted price: 3100.00

Scott #: 716c
Type: Missing Colour Errors
Description: 14c "WHITE QUEEN" with RED BACKGROUND &TAGGING COMPLETELY OMITTED in LL corner block. AT MOST 3 LL corner blks exist. Lyon cert #110. An exceptional Elizabethan
Grade: SUPERB NH
Price was US$ 4700.00 Discounted price: 3400.00

SPECIAL GIFT

Scott #: 6i
Mint/Used: o
Type: Single
Description: 1/- Reddish Violet WATERMARKED "D" of "T.H.SAUNDERS". A lovely stamp with light grid cancel. Generous margins. V.G.Greene cert #10342 notes ink mark on back. (SG GBP6,000, unlisted in Scott)
Grade: VF Used

PICTURES OF ALL ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE.

As you can see, Sir, due to closing by shop, I'm selling items on a great discount. Please contact for the pictures of the the items.

Please also inform me about you area of collecting, so we will be able to offer you some things to swap or to sell or to buy.

As I've said before, I am 79 years old dealer and my son is not going to continue our family business, so I am trying to sell out all my collection of maps, stamps, notes, coins, 5 antique cars to earn some money form my organization as well.

By the way, I'd be much interested, if you can have a plans to represent our sales exclusively or to recommend us some dealers. We are ready to sell items with the discounts up to 50-60%

My warmest regards,

Prof. Karl Fisher
Fisher's Rarities Ltd.
Bahnhofstrasse, 58
Zermatt, Switzerland
k.fisher_antiques@suisse.ch

---

Dear Friend xxxx xxxxxxxx,
Thank you for your letter. You pay 35% of what I'm asking. We can start with the following, Sir. I may send you the offered collection, please see scans attached in this and next e-mails, to you by insured Fed Ex, if I send the parcel today's evening, it will reach you on Friday, so you may use these really good items on the show, you will attend.

So, I offer the following items, listed. Please find the total in the end of the list:

1. Scott #: 1
Type: Single
Description: 3d Red Beaver on LAID paper. Strong laid lines. Margins just touch at UR otherwise clear to wide. Moderate 7-ring target cancel. Light crease.
Grade: o/w F-VF Used
was: USD 325.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 250.00

2. Scott #: 1iii
Type: Re-entry
Description: 3d Red Beaver on LAID paper showing MAJOR RE-ENTRY from Position 47, pane A. Huge margins all around. Heavy 7-ring target cancel & one tiny pinhole.
Grade: o/w VF Used
was: USD 630.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 520.00

3. Scott #: 4ii
Type: Single
Description: 3d Orange Red. Toning spots in "E" of "PENCE" not noted in 1990 APS cert #71041 states "orange red, unused, some original gum, genuine, very slight crease".
Grade: o/w VF Part OG
was: USD 625.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 480.00

4. Scott #: 5
Type: Single
Description: Generous margins all around with 4-ring cancel. Small thin spot at left margin.
Grade: o/w VF Used
was: USD 423.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 278.00

5. Scott #: 111DP-A1
Type: Die Proof
Description: 5c Admiral SMALL DIE PROOF in BLUE on India on card,
23x35mm with Die # "F-213" 5.0mm below design & "ERICAN BANK NOTE CO. OTTAWA" portion of 23.3mm imprint, 11.0mm below. ORIGINAL HARDENED Die. India paper wrinkle. RARE!
Grade: o/w F-VF
was: USD 423.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 248.00

6. Scott #: 1a
Type: Single
Description: 3d Orange Red Beaver on LAID paper with neat sock-on-nose target cancel. Well clear to wide margins. Choice. V.G.Greene cert #11015.
Grade: VF Used
was: USD 823.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 530.00

7. Scott #: 2b
Type: Single
Description: 6d Brown Purple on LAID PAPER in beautiful USED PAIR with light "Blue" 7-ring target cancels. Margins just cut outer frame at right to well clear other 3 sides. A very rare multiple. PF cert #36020. Ex Semple, Parker.
Grade: VF/F Used
was: USD 913.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 520.00

8. Scott #: 241a-5
Type: Plate Blocks
Description: 10c Carmine Rose to $1 Chateau in MATCHED SETS of IMPRINT BLOCKS of 4. 10c Pl.2, rest Pl.1. Mostly VF. 1x13c, 2x20c sgls with minor creases & 1x$1 single with natural inclusion.
Grade: F/VF LH/NH
was: USD 945.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 420.00

9. Scott #: 502P-3P
Type: Plate Proof
Description: 5c & 6c Christmas 1969 IMPERFORATE GUTTER STRIP of 4 showing an imperf pair of each with 38mm GUTTER between. On glazed proof paper .0040" thick. Perhaps 10 such strips exist. Ex G.D.Mass collection.
Grade: VF NH
was: USD 1'165.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 700.00

10. Scott #: 614a
Type: Imperforate
Description: 15c RCMP Musical Ride IMPERFORATE bottom margin block of 25. An exceptional large multiple. Few light wrinkles to be expected on such a large block.
Grade: o/w XF NH
was: USD 2'765.00 NEW DISCOUNTED PRICE: USD 2'100.00

I ve got a collection of 6 exclusive canadian covers with a catalogue price of USD 2'000.00 - USD 3'000.00, and I am willing to sell them for only 20-35% of price.

1. Scott #: 16
Type: Cover
Description: 10c Albert BLACK BROWN (P.O.1A) neatly tied by 4-ring "21" to "OTTAWA HOTEL MONTREAL" ADVERTISING cover to Williamsburg South Carolina. "MONTREAL L.C. AU 15/1859" cds at left. Some soiling. Rare early usage & Advert cover.
Grade: G Used on Cover
My price is 989.00 USD

2. Scott #: 37d & 24
Type: Cover
Description: 3c Copper Perf. 12.5 plus 2c LQ, on lovely registered cover from Truro, Mar 8, 1870 to Jesse Hoyt, Acadia Mines, Pictou County. RPSL cert 181560 states "stamps lifted & reaffixed Genuine". ARFKEN Survey #18. Ex Keenlyside.
Grade: F on VF Cover
My price is 875.00 USD

3. Scott #: 16i
Type: Cover
Description: 10c Chocolate Brown, PO1B, on cover, MONTREAL SP 11/1861 duplex. "SHERBROOKE L.C. SP 12 1861" cds on back. Lovely colour. PF cert
#14567 states "Black Brown Scott #16" (Scott not listing the Chocolate shade)
Grade: F Used on Cover
My price is 943.00 USD

4. Scott #: 5
Type: Cover
Description: 6d Slate Grey just tied on Cover with Blue target. "ST-FELIX-DE-VALOIS C.E. Nov 22/52" to Vermont USA. Clear to wide margins. "BERTHIER EN HAUT NO 22/1852" bkstp. Cover stain at left. Letter included. Scarce cover.
Grade: F Used on Cover
My price is 321.00 USD

5. Scott #: 13a
Type: Cover
Description: 6d Deep Grey Violet, perf 11 3/4, on cover tied by "INGERSOLL U.C. JU 13/59" split-ring to New Orleans US. CANADA 10 CENTS & PAID US markings in red & "WINDSOR CW JU 14/1859" bkstp. RARE!
Grade: VG-F on Cover
My price is 1'627.00 USD

6. Scott #: 16i
Type: Cover
Description: 10c Chocolate Brown, perf 11.75, PO 1B, on cover. Beautifully centred tied by faint 2-ring "21". "MONTREAL L.C. OC 25/1859" cds at left. Cover creases clear of stamp. As choice a cover as exists of this early ptg.
Grade: VF on Cover
My price is 1'589.00 USD

I would like to receive for these items 3'900.00 USD
My terms are the following, I would like to receive the payment for these like the following: 900.00 USD before shippment, 3000.00 upon the inspection. The prepayment of 900.00 should be made in 2 direction - personally to me by check in Canadian or US dollars and to Charity organization, I support by Western Union.
The payment upon the inspection is made directly to me by a check in Canadian or US dollars.

Please view the scans of my items and confirm if this way of dealing can be acceptable.

My warmest regards,
Prof. Karl Fisher
Fisher's Rarities Ltd.
Bahnhofstrasse, 58
Zermatt, Switzerland
k.fisher_antiques@suisse.ch
3rd presient of family owned store Fisher's Rarities, which have been selling and buying antiques for over 150 years.
Life member of Swiss Numismatic association
PCGS Club Life Gold membership
Head of Zermatt Antique Society
Honorable President of the Foundation of economical development of countries of East Europe.