Vintage British Brunei passports teach collectors valuable lessons
Recently, three British Brunei passports were sold on two different platforms. All documents were in pristine condition and with consecutive passport numbers. All documents sold for ~€1500 each! Those vintage travel documents are rare and in fantastic condition, hence every serious collector would say – well worth the money… but they are all FAKE!
The documents
From the start, I heard about these five rare British Brunei passports issued in 1939 before they were even listed. Collectors often discuss such rare finds when they surface. The first document appeared on an online auction platform and sold quickly. A second one also sold to a fellow collector. When the third one came up, I was interested but hesitated for some reason, aware that five of these exceptionally rare, pristine-condition documents were in circulation.
As I understand it, two collectors were primarily involved. One bought five documents, sold four, and then offered and sold three of those. Did these collectors realize the documents weren’t genuine? One of them is more of a dealer than a collector, trying to make some money. I doubt his expertise in vintage passports is very solid. The other is a long-time collector with pretty good knowledge.
However, no one is immune to fake vintage documents, even if they are quite rare to show up. But shouldn’t we question the unusual occurrence and quantity of such extremely rare documents? One of the buyers did and had a closer look at the document when he received it.
The evidence
- Bandar Seri Begawan, the city where the passport was issued, did not exist in 1939 and got its name only in 1970.
- The revenue stamp of five dollars was only issued in 1948, not in 1939.
- No crown in page watermark.
- A dot at the end of the word passport on the cover!? The space between the letter P and A.
- The crown in the Coat of Arms is a Queen’s crown, not a King’s crown (King George at the time).
- The stamping in all three documents sold is just too perfect/clean as is the overall condition.
Points 1,2, 3 and 4 are definitely clear evidence. I discussed this with another collector who is very knowledgeable about the British Empire, and he agrees with the conclusion.
However, it must be said that such fake vintage passports are very rare, and this one is an elaborate "art work".
Long-time readers might recall my story from a few years ago when scammers tried to sell me a “passport treasure trove.” The scam unraveled when I simply called the institution they claimed to represent. This led to a series of nasty and even threatening emails from these scammers, which I never took seriously and found rather amusing.
Conclusion
Never be too excited or even greedy. Double and triple check too good offers. Consult fellow collectors, do your research. Knowledge is critical!
P.S. These British Brunei documents would make an excellent forgery specimen, but definitely not for €1500! I might consider spending €100 😉
Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
"Want to go deeper? My book Let Pass or Die covers the full 400-year history"
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