Counterfeits surface for the Boston 2026 stamps

Dec 10, 2025, 2 PM

Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

When the Boston 2026 World Expo stamps were issued in August, their blend of intaglio engraving and full-color offset printing was a welcome technical highlight. They garnered steady collector interest and were not viewed as especially high profile. That is why the latest development caught many by surprise: counterfeit versions are now appearing online.

This marks only the second known attempt by modern counterfeiters to imitate an engraved United States stamp. The first was the 2015 Rose and Heart Love stamp (Scott 4959). For years, many assumed that the technical complexity of intaglio printing made stamps printed this way an unlikely target. These new fakes now prove otherwise.

A collector who examined them firsthand offered this assessment: “Looks like our assumption that the Chinese would not counterfeit engraved stamps is wrong. I have sheets of the Boston 2026 commemorative that are fake. [They have the] Usual bright green tagging and rose-glow paper of counterfeits, but the surface is raised and feels ‘engraved.’ It does feel rougher than the authentic stamps.”

Magnification makes the differences even more clear. Genuine engraved lines are crisp and smooth. The counterfeits show ragged edges and uneven strokes. Even at 600 dpi, the contrast stands out. And, as with today’s common counterfeit forever stamps, the paper, adhesive and tagging differ noticeably from issues produced by the USPS.

These new counterfeits raise new questions about what lengths counterfeiters are willing to go and how closely they are watching U.S. production methods.

For everyday collectors, the best advice remains simple: purchase from trusted USPS sources or reputable dealers and be skeptical of bulk online lots sold far below face value. The authentic Boston 2026 stamps are still easy to identify upon close inspection as shown in the comparison above.

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