In 1881 has been published in Bucharest "TIMBROPHILO" a Romanian stamps journal.         This is the very first philatelic magazine in Romania, being published only three numbers. In the second no., C. Moroiu continues his article from the first no., where he was presenting Moldavian stamps. He calls them hand stamps, used in Moldavia in 1852-1853, describing them and their denominations: 15 parale for newspapers, 45 parale for letters, 90 parale for registered letters and 135 parale for heavier parcels or printed materials. Moroiu points out that these stamps have been placed by hand, very scarce in black, usually in blue on various type of paper. Later on, these details about the first Moldavian stamps are included in his own catalog.
In 1994, the famous British researcher Gabriel Sassower makes a new presentation of the "Moroiu Catalog", printed in 1886 at Minerva printing house, discovered by himself in the library of " Royal Philatelic Society", this being considered the first Romanian philatelic catalog, where Moroiu shows again his fakes under "amateur price". Also in 1994, in "Romania The Bull's Heads of Moldavia" of the famous expert Fritz Heimbuchler are presented reproductions of these stamps and an original pre philatelic letter, sent from Focsani to Iasi in 1885, and where Moroiu placed his own hand stamp of 135 parale denomination.
        Well prepared by 1881 article in "Timbrophilo" magazine and 1866 catalog, the local and international philatelic markets have been invaded by Moroiu's ghost stamps. Showing up in a whole range of colors and types of paper leads to conclusion that Moroiu allows his fantasy to create various variations. These fakes belong only to postal history and philatelic history in Romania but, by their charm, they find a place in any Romanian classic collection, besides the famous fakes "hope".

Leonard Pascanu