Stamp inspection

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The stamp inspection is used by the philatelist to assess the authenticity and degree of preservation of his or her collective goods ( postage stamp , postal stationery , whole piece , letter piece and so on) by independent experts. The more valuable a collector's item is, the greater the risk that it will be forged or falsified, or that repairs that reduce its value will be concealed. The results of the examination can be noted (signed) on the collector's item or recorded in a certificate.

history

One of the first German auditors was Alfred Moschkau (around 1871), who at that time tested hundreds of stamps a year free of charge using his worldwide reference collection. It was not until 1877 that Waldemar Herrmann followed in Berlin, who now also took fees for his exams. In 1905 there were around 150, mostly specialized, examination centers in Germany, which were often affiliated with associations or dealers. However, general examiners without specialization continued to exist well into the 20th century.

tester

Postage stamp inspectors are experts who specialize in certain subject areas and / or inspection areas (temporally and / or regionally). There is no state-recognized training. The reputation of a stamp inspector is therefore primarily based on his reputation, which he has acquired through his professional competence, which he has mostly acquired over decades. Membership in an auditor association requires the completion of internal examinations with proof of competence (technical test methods) and proof of a reference collection. The member thus submits to the test rules and the code of honor of the respective association. The effectiveness of this self-control is repeatedly questioned and the proximity of inspectors to stamp dealers and auctioneers is often criticized.

exam

Brief report with a photo of the checked stamp
Findings with a photo of the checked stamp
Certificate with a photo of the stamp that has been checked

Stamp inspectors check philatelic collectibles for authenticity and quality , mostly for the degree of preservation . The test pieces are increasingly being signed less and less (stamped on the back with the tester's name), instead a "brief report" with a photograph of the test piece is issued, and if the value is higher, a "finding" or a "certificate" is issued. Findings and certificates are provided with security features on paper or by means of a hologram . However, counterfeit stamps are marked as such by the stamp inspector (at least in the past, but not necessarily for all associations). You will get the stamp "Wrong" on the back. Partial forgeries are also identified as such. The stamps in these cases read, for example, “stamp wrong” or “rubber wrong”.

The auditors' associations define the most uniform standards possible for their members with regard to the scope of testing and testing procedures.

“[...] The findings of an examiner on a philatelic test item can usually not be made with absolute certainty, but only with a high degree of probability. There is no generally applicable procedure for checking philatelic objects. If necessary, the auditor has to apply various procedures in order to arrive at an accurate audit opinion.
The examination is carried out on the basis of the knowledge available at the time of the examination and the existing comparison collection. [...].
Furthermore, data collections (e.g. registers of the better and forgery-prone items in the test area, copies of the certificates drawn up by the testers, auction catalogs, stamp images, literature) are necessary for testing.
Confirmed research results of philatelic authors and working groups as well as postal and contemporary background to the test area must be taken into account. "

- BPP : testing standards of the Federation of Philatelic Auditors

The examination can take different lengths of time depending on the workload and workload of the individual examiner. The principle of economic efficiency also applies: test methods that are usually not available to the tester or that are associated with costs that go far beyond the usual level (e.g. isotope method, C-14 age determination, X-ray fluorescence) are excluded .

The costs of a test are based on the information in the test regulations of the respective examiner or testing association, as a rule they amount to between 2 and 4 percent of the catalog value of a test piece, whereby in the test regulations often minimum fees per test shipment and test object as well as fees for the signature or respectively Type of certificate (brief report, report, certificate) are shown.

The quality, duration and costs of processing are repeatedly criticized by customers and internally by auditors.

Approval mark positions

At the owner's request, the inspector can, in accordance with (at least in Germany) uniform regulations, place a test mark on the back. The position makes statements about the test object. Auditor signatures usually consist of the auditor's name and (for several years) the abbreviation of the auditing association. The signature is attached to the back of the stamp with a stamp . It is relatively small compared to the postage stamp. There are different positions for the signatures. Unused stamps are otherwise signed as a stamped , stamps without printed as stamps with such a well serrated pieces other than cut . The signum also provides information about the state of preservation of the stamp through the distance from an imaginary baseline.

Real trademark marks

1. Stamps without overprint (left: with perforation - center: with perforation - right: without perforation):

description

2. Postage stamps with overprint (left: with perforation - center: with perforation - right: without perforation):

description

3. Trial prints, specimens, essays :

description

4. Postage stamps with defects (left: minor defects - right: major defects):

description

In the figures: ** = original rubber coating, * = without rubber (possibly removed or damaged, for example by a fold ), o = stamped.

Fake certification marks

Since collectors prefer verified stamps for understandable reasons, counterfeiters have also recognized the possibility of forging the verification stamps from renowned inspectors. Often, wrong test stamps reveal themselves by the fact that the letters of the name of the tester are unevenly large, not upright or not in an exactly straight line. In case of doubt, the marks would have to be presented again to an examiner for control.

Example of a forged BPP test stamp on a real stamp. Because of a forged cancellation in this case, the stamp would have increased in value quite a bit.

Examiner associations and test centers

German-speaking area

There are several testing associations in German-speaking countries.

country Association founding Number of examiners
D. Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V. (BPP) 1958 103
D. Association of Philatelic Auditors V. (VPPEV) 2010 19th
A. Association of Austrian Postage Stamp Checkers (VÖB) 1921 24
A. Association of Philatelic Experts (VPEX) 2012 12
CH Swiss Stamp Examiner Association (SBPV) 1987 11

Association of Philatelic Auditors

The Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V. was founded in Munich in 1958 and in 2013 comprises 106 active examiners as well as 12 senior citizens and 12 publicly appointed and sworn experts. In 2013 around 80,000 medical certificates and brief reports were issued. Christian Geigle has been president of the association since 2011.

The quality, duration and costs of processing are repeatedly criticized by customers, but also internally by auditors.

Association of Philatelic Auditors

The Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V. was founded in Münster in 2010, most of the VPP examiners were previously members of the Association of Philatelic Examiners , from which they have left. In 2017 there are 16 reviewing members. The 2017 board consists of: Lothar Herbst (1st chairman), Reinhard Hofrichter (2nd chairman), Robert Brunel (treasurer) and Axel Dörrenbach (branch manager, public relations). Former chairmen were: Udo Eberhard Klein (2010–2013), Carsten Burkhardt (2013–2014) and Lothar Herbst.

In several trademark protection lawsuits initiated by the Bund Philatelistischer Prüfer (BPP), the association was forbidden to continue using the previously used abbreviation “VPP” in the test stamp and on certificates: The court saw a risk of confusion with the abbreviation “BPP”.

Shortly after it was founded, criticism of the integrity of the association and individual members came from the stamp dealers' association APHV, the stamp auctioneers association BDB and the collectors association BDPh .

"[...] Against this background, the BDPh researched the services of the Association of Philatelic Examiners, reviewed their inspection regulations and held intensive discussions with representatives of the Federal Association of German Stamp Auctioneers (BDB) and the Federal Association of the German Stamp Trade (APHV). As a result, it became clear that, in our opinion, the Association of Philatelic Auditors and its members are not achieving these standards to the extent desired. [...] "

- Association of German Philatelists : Declaration by the BDPh

It was also criticized that the test regulations (compared to the BPP) are much less precise and that there is more room for interpretation.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, stamp testing is carried out by a committee of experts from the Royal Philatelic Society London . The then Philatelic Society London founded an Expert Committee in 1894 after several forger scandals . Around 217,000 certificates were issued up to 2013, with around 2,500 to 3,000 more each year.

United States

As in the United Kingdom, in the United States, testing is mostly done by committees of experts, including the Philatelic Foundation and the American Philatelic Society (American Philatelic Expertizing Service - APEX). The Philatelic Foundation has issued several hundred thousand test certificates since 1945, and the APEX of the American Philatelic Society states a total of over 210,000 tests in 2017, which corresponds to an average of 615 tests per month.

International Association of Philatelic Experts (AIEP)

The AIEP is an international association of independent auditors, some of which are also members of national auditor associations. It currently has 104 examiners. The aim of the association is to bring together, cooperate and exchange views among the leading stamp validators worldwide. The AIEP works with other international and national organizations in the fight against stamp forgery.

The association was founded at the "1st Philatelic Experts' Congress" in 1954 in Merano . Ferdinand Wallner , Ladislaus Varga, Hans Hunziker, Enzo Diena, Emil Rellstab, Wolfgang Hellrigl, Carl Aage Møller and Klaus M. Schöpfer acted as presidents . The current board (2017) consists of Thomas Mathà (President), James Van der Linden (Vice-President), Igor Rodin (Director) and Paul Wijnants (Secretary).

Awards

Since 1996, the Köhler auction house has awarded the so-called Köhler Prize for “extraordinary services to testing”. The founder of the auction house Heinrich Köhler was himself an examiner.

literature

  • The DBR forgery (detection) lexicon from A – Z. (Series of articles) In: Deutsche Briefmarken-Revue from No. 4/2017
  • Arnau, Frank: Lexicon of Philately . [Postage stamp customers from A to Z]. Ullstein, Frankfurt a. M. 1958, DNB  363292616 , p. 404-406 .
  • Cheap, Fritz; Stiedl, Otto: Large manual of forgeries . In: Great Handbook of Forgeries . No. 1933-1935 . Cheap, Vienna.
  • Fischer, Peter: The philatelic testing system in the Soviet occupation zone and GDR (1945–1990) (=  Bund Philatelistic Examiner: Series of publications of the Federal Philatelic Examiner eV Volume 4 ). Phil Creativ, Schwalmtal 2008, ISBN 978-3-932198-81-6 .
  • Fischer, Peter: Examiner: In the fight against counterfeiting. In: Deutsche Briefmarken-Zeitung / Collector Express (DBZ / se) issue no. 23/2014, p. 22; from the article series / category: Basic Knowledge - Philately from A to Z
  • Häger, Ullrich: Large encyclopedia of philately . Bertelsmann-Lexikon-Verlag, Gütersloh, Berlin, Munich, Vienna 1973, ISBN 3-570-03229-9 .
  • Maassen, Wolfgang : The history of testing in the German philately (1860-1945) (=  Bund Philatelistischer Prüfer: Schriftenreihe des Bundes philatelistischer Prüfer eV Volume 1 ). Phil Creativ, Schwalmtal 2008, ISBN 978-3-932198-78-6 .
  • Maassen, Wolfgang. In collaboration with Wilhelm van Loo: Real or false? - that is the question! : Forgeries and forgers in philately (=  guide for stamp collectors . Volume 3 ). Phil Creativ, Schwalmtal 2003, ISBN 3-932198-48-4 .
  • Penning, Hans-Karl; Oechsner, Helmut: 50 years of the Association of Philatelic Examiners: (1958–2008) (=  Association of Philatelic Examiners: Series of publications by the Association of Philatelic Examiners, Volume 3 ). Phil Creativ, Schwalmtal 2008, ISBN 978-3-932198-80-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Theodor Haas: Textbook of the stamp customer . Gebr. Senf, Leipzig 1905, test centers, p. 576 ( filatelia.fi [accessed December 30, 2016] Quote:

    “Here, too, Alfred Moschkau was the first to put his knowledge in the service of the general public and first to test stamps for his friends free of charge. But soon the work increased so much that he had to refrain from it, all the more because some of his customers did not even reimburse him for the postage expenses. "

    ).
  2. ↑ Guidelines for admission as an association auditor in the BPP. Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V., accessed on December 30, 2016 (For example, the examiner is required to present: a list of the available literature, evidence of a file on essential pieces of the test area and forgeries, a description of the scope and content of the own test collection (Stamps, stamps, etc.), details of the technical aids available, stating the manufacturer (UV lamp, scientific microscope, photographic equipment, photocopier, computer, printer, scanner, etc.). The test itself includes: General knowledge of philately , History, technical terms; sorting out genuine, false or repaired brands; paper, inks, rubber, perforation, watermarks; printing processes; cancellation; issuing a certificate.).
  3. ↑ Code of conduct for auditors in the BPP e. V. Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V., accessed on December 30, 2016 (The duties include, among other things: The auditor carries out his work conscientiously. Information that significantly influences the value of an audit item must not be knowingly withheld and used for one's own benefit. The basis of his audit is the Test regulations as well as special regulations established for the respective test area. Individual agreements deviating from the test regulations are only permitted under certain circumstances (written form). According to the principles of the BPP, the auditor must comply with test standards and guidelines for the preparation of findings and certificates. The auditor is obliged to pay the remuneration for to determine his audit activity with a fixed percentage of the respective MICHEL catalog value or of the commercial value. The right to agree a minimum fee remains unaffected; the amount of the minimum fee may not be made dependent on the result of the examination. The examiner may only then simultaneously for several participants (e.g. buyers and sellers) act as clients if this is expressly agreed and disclosed.).
  4. ↑ Testing regulations of the Federation of Philatelic Auditors e. V. Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V., July 1, 2016, accessed on December 30, 2016 : “7.4. The examiner is entitled and obliged to clearly and indelibly mark counterfeits. "
  5. ↑ Test regulations of the Association of Philatelic Testers e. V. Status: 4.01.2015. (No longer available online.) Association of Philatelic Auditors, January 4, 2015, archived from the original on April 30, 2015 ; Retrieved on December 30, 2016 (in this no longer valid version of the test regulations there is effectively no compulsion to sign as “false”): “6. [...] The examiner is entitled to mark forgeries. […] - 11. […] For test items to be labeled incorrectly or falsely from Wed. € 300.00, 1% will be charged, up to a maximum of € 50.00, even if no signature is attached. [...] "
  6. ↑ Rules of procedure for test orders (VP ​​test regulations). Status: April 24, 2018. Association of Philatelic Testers, April 24, 2018, accessed on November 25, 2018 (unlike in older versions of the test regulations, forgeries should be marked as “false”): “5.6 False or falsified test objects should be clearly visible and indelibly marked by the association testers; [...] "
  7. ↑ a b test standards of the Federal Philatelic Examiner e. V. (BPP). Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V., accessed on December 30, 2016 (individual aspects of an inspection: checking the authenticity and classification of the test item; checking the cancellation; checking the condition of the test piece. This is done with the help of technical aids (including various light sources, magnifying glasses, microscope, UV Lamp, perforation key, watermark finder, paper thickness measuring device).).
  8. ^ A b Wolfgang Maassen: Auctioneers in the BDB are looking for dialogue and customer proximity . In: philately . tape 63 , no. 410 , 2011, ISSN  1619-5892 , p. 14 (Quote: "[...] His guests [...] he wrote his wishes in the" prayer book ": Faster test times for individual testers, more moderate test cost approaches for extensive or particularly valuable orders and many other things. Rauhut and his colleagues had it easy, To argue here from a secure position, you are not only the biggest "customer" of the members of the auditors' association, but also able to prove existing problems up to and including individual cases with horse and rider. [...] ”(Harald Rauhut is President of the Bund Deutscher Briefmarkenversteigerer BDB)) in 2011.
  9. ↑ a b Wolfgang Maassen: BPP conference in Nuremberg: a successful mix of continuity, growth and innovation . In: philately . tape 64 , no. 421 , 2012, ISSN  1619-5892 , pp. 59 (Quote: "[...] Test times that are too long if test customers are not notified, old certificates are simply retained, inadmissible labeling of submitted expertise or even poaching in foreign test areas, were just some of these points that were certainly not new to the audience [...] , seemed rather familiar. […] "(The author reports on the speech by the President of the BPP, Christian Geigle.)).
  10. ↑ Self-made brand. Focus Online, April 22, 2013, accessed January 13, 2015 .
  11. ↑ Beware, fake! Welt.de, February 18, 2006, accessed January 13, 2015 .
  12. ↑ a b Penning, Oechsner: 50 years of the Bund Philatelistic Examiner 1958–2008 , p. 21.
  13. ↑ List of examiners. Association of Philatelic Auditors e. V., accessed on February 6, 2017 ( test regulations ).
  14. ↑ a b Imprint. (No longer available online.) Verband Philatelistischer Prüfer e. V., archived from the original on February 12, 2015 ; accessed on January 17, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / vpev.de
  15. ↑ VPP with a successful year. Briefmarken-Spiegel (PHILAPRESS Zeitschriften und Medien GmbH & Co. KG), April 3, 2012, accessed on January 17, 2015 .
  16. ↑ List of examiners. Deutsche Briefmarken Revue, 7 January 2011, accessed on 17 January 2015 .
  17. ↑ List of examiners. (No longer available online.) Verband Philatelistischer Prüfer e. V., archived from the original on July 9, 2015 ; Retrieved on July 24, 2015 (Prüfordnung: http://vpev.de/pruefordnung/ ). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / vpev.de
  18. ↑ stamp validator. Association of Austrian Philatelic Associations, accessed on January 14, 2015 .
  19. ↑ VÖPh. Association of Austrian Philatelic Associations, accessed on January 24, 2017 .
  20. ↑ auditors list of VÖB. (PDF; 52 kB) Association of Austrian Philatelic Societies, March 2013, accessed on February 6, 2017 ( test regulations ).
  21. ^ The association auditors for postage stamps and postal receipts. Association of Philatelic Experts - VPEX, accessed on January 14, 2015 .
  22. ↑ New Auditors Association founded. Briefmarken-Spiegel (PHILAPRESS Zeitschriften und Medien GmbH & Co. KG), October 12, 2012, accessed on January 17, 2015 .
  23. ↑ List of association auditors with their audit areas. Association of Philatelic Experts - VPEX, accessed on January 14, 2015 (test regulations: http://www.vpex.info/SidePruford.htm ).
  24. ↑ Welcome. Schweizerischer Briefmarken-Prüfer-Verband (SBPV), accessed on January 14, 2015 (test regulations: http://www.briefmarken-pruefer.ch/?tsk=show_page&id=3 ).
  25. ↑ Articles of Association. (PDF) Schweizerischer Briefmarken-Prüfer-Verband (SBPV), accessed on January 17, 2015 (test regulations: http://www.briefmarken-pruefer.ch/?tsk=show_page&id=3 ).
  26. ^ Directory of the official, active examiners of the Association of Swiss Philatelic Societies. Schweizerischer Briefmarken-Prüfer-Verband (SBPV), accessed on 23 July 2018 .
  27. ↑ a b Torsten Berndt: How do you become a BPP examiner? (PDF) Conversation with Christian Geigle and Dr. Hans-Karl Penning. Deutsche Briefmarken-Zeitung (DBZ / se), accessed on January 27, 2015 (PDF with the three articles from issues 2, 3 and 4/2013; download from the BPP website).
  28. ↑ Election of the new president. ( Memento of the original from January 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 13, 2015. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bdph.de
  29. ↑ Competition for the Prüferbund! Deutsche Briefmarken Revue, 7 January 2011, accessed on 17 January 2015 .
  30. ^ Markus Riese: Second association founded. In: Stamps Mirror. ISSN  0007-0041 51. 2011, No. 2, p. 10.
  31. ^ Christian E. Geigle: VPP (Association of Philatelic Examiners) - who knows more details? December 13, 2010, accessed on January 27, 2015 (thread in the BDPh forum, Geigle was not yet BPP president at the time): "Mr. Hettler submitted the application required for an extension beyond the age of 70 in due form and in due time BPP submitted. In the vote on this extension request in the 2010 general meeting, a majority of the members of the BPP voted against the request. This means that Mr. Hettler's testing activities in the BPP will end on December 31, 2010. "
  32. ↑ Examiner. Association of Philatelic Auditors V., accessed on February 6, 2017 ( test regulations. ).
  33. ↑ Torsten Berndt: Udo Eberhard Klein . Obituary. In: DBZ Deutsche Briefmarken-Zeitung . tape 89 , no. 25 , 2014, ISSN  1438-2830 , p. 8 .
  34. ↑ VPEX continues to grow. Dr. Carsten Burkhardt new VPEX association auditor. Association of Philatelic Experts, accessed on February 3, 2015 : “Vienna, Dr. Carsten Burkhardt from Cottbus, Germany, well-known expert of the Köpfe / Pieck specialist group in the GDR-Spezial consortium, until recently still an examiner and most recently also chairman at VP e. V. in Germany, in accordance with the guidelines for certification and approval as association auditor of the "Association of Philatelic Experts - VPEX" (re) started its testing activities in the assigned testing area as a member of VPEX from May 1, 2014. [...] "
  35. ↑ a b Martin Jenrich: New Association of Testers: Association of Philatelic Testers e. V. (VPP). (No longer available online.) Arge Danzig e. V., April 16, 2011, formerly in the original ; Retrieved on February 14, 2015 (Arge Danzig, circular 231, page 2172.): “There is a test regulation which is significantly shorter than the BPP test regulation, but contains the same or similar specifications in most points. However, it is far less precise, so that there is more room for interpretation. "
  36. ↑ BPP is right . In: Stamps Mirror . tape 53 , no. 4 , 2013, ISSN  0007-0041 , p. 8 (Quote: "The Hamburg Regional Court forbade the Association of Philatelic Auditors from using the letters" VPP "in the test seal. In addition, the association has to change its certificate forms. The judges followed the Bund Philatelistic Auditors (BPP), which saw a risk of confusion To be able to offer collectors the greatest possible protection against counterfeiting and falsification, the BPP has registered its materials under trademark law. The judge's verdict is a so-called recognition judgment. This means that the defendant recognized the plaintiff's legal claim during the hearing. If the VPP violates the judgment , a fine of up to 250,000 euros can be imposed on him. ").
  37. ↑ Wolfgang Maassen: The Association of Philatelic Examiners on the Way to a New Profile . In: philately . tape 65 , no. 432 , 2013, ISSN  1619-5892 , pp. 14 (Quote: "[...] Geigle was also proud to announce that a competing auditor association had successfully been forbidden in several proceedings to use its confusingly similar association abbreviation. Less gratifying, certainly, that despite the lawsuits won, the legal commitment ultimately came to just under 12,000 euros Costs for ongoing legal advice are included. […] ").
  38. ↑ Arnim Hölzer: Missed report . In: Stamps Mirror . tape 51 , no. 3 , 2011, ISSN  0007-0041 , p. 39 (Quote: "[...] We are familiar with the letter to the editor from the chairman of the Federal Association of German Postage Stamp Auctioneers, Mr. Harald Rauhut (see above). We adopt the detailed statements made by Mr. Rauhut and ask ourselves how those he mentioned Facts could escape your attention. […] ”).
  39. ↑ Arnim Hölzer: Missed report. March 18, 2011, accessed on January 28, 2015 (quoted by Harald Krieg. Mr. Hölzer is managing director of the APHV.): "[…] We are interested in the letter to the editor from the chairman of the Federal Association of German Postage Stamp Auctioneers, Mr. Harald Rauhut (see above), known. We adopt Mr. Rauhut's detailed explanations and ask ourselves how the facts he mentioned escaped your attention. [...] "
  40. ↑ Harald Rauhut: Missed report . In: Stamps Mirror . tape 51 , no. 3 , 2011, ISSN  0007-0041 , p. 39 (For example, there are said to have been irregularities in the accounts of an auditor (while he was a member of the BPP), another member is said to have made an affidavit on August 26, 2006, that another member has been in insolvency proceedings since May 4, 2007, and a fourth member was convicted of irregularities by the district court of Konstanz (Az. 40 261/2010). Mr. Rauhut is auctioneer and chairman of the Association of German Postage Stamp Auctioneers BDB.).
  41. ↑ Harald Rauhut: Missed report. March 18, 2011, accessed on January 28, 2015 (quoted by Harald Krieg. Mr. Rauhut is auctioneer and chairman of the Bund Deutscher Briefmarken-Versteigerer BDB.): "[...] In fact, there is no need for a second auditors' association, especially if the personal composition is "questionable". Of the eight "examiners" listed in their article, seven are former BPP examiners, of whom, to the best of my knowledge, only one has retired due to age. One wonders why the others are no longer BPP members? In one case, collectors as well as dealers and auctioneers voiced a large number of negative voices regarding the, carefully formulated, very imaginatively designed inspection fee calculation. […] Furthermore, one of the eight members listed has issued an affidavit (August 26, 2008), another is in the process of insolvency (opening of insolvency on May 4, 2007), and irregularities can also be documented in a third "examiner" (see just now judgment given, District Court of Konstanz, Az. 40 261/2010). Anyone who has given an affidavit does not have the financial means to be liable in the event of a false examination, although he is obliged to legal liability. In addition, he would theoretically have to be so penniless that he is not allowed to own a comparative collection, i.e. not even able to examine it professionally. [...] "
  42. ^ Association of German Philatelists: Declaration by the BDPh. March 18, 2011, accessed on January 28, 2015 (quoted by Harald Krieg): “[…] Against this background, the BDPh researched the services of the Association of Philatelic Examiners, examined their inspection regulations and had intensive discussions with representatives of the Federal Association of German Stamp Auctioneers (BDB) and the Federal Association of the German Postage Stamp Trade (APHV). As a result, it became clear that, in our opinion, the Association of Philatelic Auditors and its members are not achieving these standards to the extent desired. In addition, the letters to the editor from the President of the Federal Association of German Postage Stamp Auctioneers and the President of the Federal Association of the German Postage Stamp Trade in Briefmarken Spiegel 3/2011 on page 39 point out some facts that underline the concerns of the BDPh and which stand in the way of a trusting cooperation. The BDPh therefore sticks to its finding that the Bund Philatelistischer Prüfer BPP e. V. is and remains for him the only and undisputed partner in questions of examinations of philatelic material. [...] "
  43. ↑ Experts. Royal Philatelic Society London, accessed February 6, 2017 .
  44. ^ Frank Walton: RPSL Expert Committee's Certificate Numbers. (PDF; 36 kB) Royal Philatelic Society London, February 17, 2014, accessed on February 6, 2017 (English).
  45. ↑ The Expertizing Process. The Philatelic Foundation, accessed February 6, 2017 .
  46. ^ Stamp Authentication - Serving the Philatelic Community Since 1903. American Philatelic Society, accessed February 6, 2017 : "The American Philatelic Expertizing Service (APEX) utilizes the services of more than 120 specialists and a variety of high-tech equipment to provide guaranteed opinions. "
  47. ↑ AIEP Experts. International Association of Philatelic Experts, accessed February 6, 2017 .
  48. ^ Objectives. International Association of Philatelic Experts, accessed February 6, 2017 .
  49. ↑ About us. International Association of Philatelic Experts, accessed February 6, 2017 .
  50. ^ Board of the AIEP International Association of Philatelic Experts, accessed February 6, 2017 .