I do not have the final image of this new issue at this time. However, the USPS is producing a souvenir sheet of six Forever stamps that depict “classic reproductions” of various US issues from the 1850s and 1860s.

Based on pre-publicity images, it looks like the blue ink used for three of the stamps is sufficiently different than the real issues. However, the black ink is very similar to the original stamps.

One of the stamps chosen for the souvenir sheet looks very much like Scott #17 (imperforate) or Scott #36 (perforated). My prediction is that someone will use this stamp to make a crude fake by cutting the value tablet out of an old stamp catalog and pasting it over the “Forever” tablet on the souvenir sheet copy. In this case, it may be easier to cut away the die cuts from the souvenir sheet and make the imperforate look like Scott #17. The faker will then try to sell this crude fake to an unsuspecting person through an online auction site.

True, a knowledgeable collector should be able to spot this fake from a mile away. But a newer collector that isn’t very educated in US issues may fall prey to this fake.

I hope I am wrong. But I could easily see someone trying to make a fake out of this one stamp in particular.

The 24 cent issue (Scott #78 and others) on this souvenir sheet is printed in black too. The real copies were never printed in black. The real copies were in a grey or violet color.

The 15 cent Lincoln issue (Scott #77 and others) is very similar to the original issue. However, the “15” in the upper sides of the design has been replaced with “W” and “S” on the new souvenir sheet. If someone is going to paste the tablet for the denomination over the “Forever” part of the souvenir sheet, they could just as easily cut out the “15” design elements too and replace the “U” and “S” on the souvenir sheet.