Fiji was one of the countries that had issued a special cancel commemorating the centenary of Birth of Mahatma Gandhi. Little is known about this cancel as to how many postal mails were ever cancelled and which post offices were issuing it.
Left: (1) Fiji to New Zealand - 02-Oct-1969
Right: (2) Sent Locally From Suva, Fiji to Suva, Fiji on 03-Sept-1969
To make a quick buck, there are people who have made this into a DIY (Do-it-Yourself) hobby as it's called here in USA. Needless to say, forgeries are rampant and quite sparingly available, the price varies from US$ 50 to US$ 200 depending on who is buying. Like they say in Hindi in Mumbai, "Giryak dekh ke poodi(pan) banata hai".
Left: (3) Cancel on a piece of paper - 22-Sept-1969. Probably a remnant of a cover.
I have attached 3 different cancels and would like you to judge and identify the forgery or forgeries. Please leave a comment on this blog and also provide your reasoning behind it. As I get handful of comments, I will compile and publish the results along with my take on it. By the way I do own one of these cancels.
Individuals who correctly identify each as a forgery or genuine will get a Gandhi philatelic item of my choice.
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