Nondestructive Authenticity of Postage Stamp: New Approach In Questioned Document Examination

Mr. Dinesh Kamble; Mr. Mayur Abhyankar; Ms. Sherali Sharma

Volume : VII, Issue : V, May - 2017

Nondestructive Authenticity of Postage Stamp: New Approach In Questioned Document Examination

Mr. Dinesh Kamble, Mr. Mayur Abhyankar, Ms. Sherali Sharma

Abstract :

A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of post mail as an evidence of payment of postage. In India postal stamps have various denominations varying from one to twenty five thousand rupees. Postal stamp was a token of prepayment for postal service equivalent to its face value. In India stamps are printed on special custom–made paper, show a national designation and denomination (value) on the front, and have an adhesive gum on the back or are self–adhesive, under supervision of central government of India. In India, counterfeiting of currency and postal stamps is a major issue which has become a blunder to the Indian economy. There were so many cases which were reported in India, of counterfeiting the postal stamps, by using colour printing technology. In this study we took few postal stamps of various denominations and its coloured photocopy and characterize through non–destructive method by X–ray Diffraction. X–ray Diffraction is a generally nondestructive forensic analysis tool that reveals the crystalline constituent present in the material. X–ray diffraction has been used for more than 30 years, sometimes in conjunction with other analytical methods, to differentiate philatelic printing techniques; to separate genuine stamps from forgeries. Here we reported that X–ray Diffraction is a valid instrument to separate genuine postage stamps from counterfeited.