Historical chronological summary — updated 8 December 2003. Transcribed from the eight-page document supplied for the PWO archive; this is a summary list, not a substitute for the original individual UPU circulars.
Source note: This list does not cover all illegal stamps on the market. Postal administrations may still have had investigations in progress at the time of compilation.
2003 — 8 circulars
Guinea (Rep)
8 December 2003 – n° 421 · Entry 8
Guinea Post Office condemns a considerable number of illegal postage stamps which have been produced and freely disseminated on the philatelic market by private companies and dealers on the following subjects : - "Celebrities/famous figures" - Immoral scenes, sexually explicit and completely unethical (five miniature sheets in the same vertical format, each containing four postage stamps with the inscription "Pin-Up" in English (various half clad women) as well as the actress Marilyn. The "Scouts" logo is also included. - "Fairy tales, fantastic tales, cartoons" - Ten miniature sheets, each depicting a scene from a different fairy tale in the background, with a series of five postage stamps. At the top of each miniature sheet, in the middle, there is the inscription "Les contes populaires du monde" ("Folk tales of the world"). - "Paintings" - Fifteen miniature sheets with the inscription "American Impressionists" in English, each depicting a painting by the artist con- cerned in the background, with a series of four postage stamps. The "Rotary International" logo is also included. - "Vehicles (Transport)" - Trains and locomotives - Nineteen miniature sheets, each with a series of four postage stamps with the inscription "Les trains legendaries du monde" ("Legendary trains of the world"). The "Rotary International" logo is also included.
Rwanda
13 October 2003 – n° 354 · Entry 7
Continued piracy against Rwanda Post through the issue and sale of illegal postage stamps bearing the word 'Rwanda'. - Beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Souvenir sheet includes image of Pope Jean-Paul II ) - Fauna (snake - One miniature sheet with one stamp as well as a souvenir sheet of 6 stamps - both feature the words "THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS" and a matching logo.
Eritrea
25 August – n°294 · Entry 6
Illegal postage stamp issues produced mostly as sheetlets and miniature sheets in the name of Eritrea on the following thematics. Many stamps carry the emblem/logo of the Rotary and Scouts organisations. Animals: different species of bears, bison or buffalo, crocodiles, dinosaurs, dogs, elephants, frogs, horses, monkeys, pandas, snakes, tigers, turtles, wild jungle cats - Birds: different species of birds, birds of prey, fowl, parrots, penguins - Cartoons: "The Beatles Yellow Submarine") - Events: "Tribute to 11th Sept. Firefighters" - Fish species/Marine creatures - Flora: flowers (orchid), mushrooms - Insects: bees, butterflies, spiders – Lighthouses - Paintings: "The Impressionists" (Camille Corot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir), "Vincent van Gogh", “Edward Hopper”, “Jack Vettriano” - People/Personalities (including actors, actresses, singers, etc.): Brigitte Bardot, Elvis Presley, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren - Immoral and Provocative Scenes (sexually explicit in some cases): sheetlet of nine depicting young women together on a golf course, sheetlets of nine each inscribed "SEXY ACTRESSES", "SEXY MODELS", "PIN UP" ("The Art of Elvgren"), "BORIS VALLEJO", "DORIAN CLEAVENGER", "Michael Möbius", "OLIVIA" and "Ricky Carralero". - Teddy Bears: sheetlets and miniature sheets depicting “Mole Island Bears" - Vehicles – Transportation: cars, Concorde, motorcycles/motor racing, trains/locomotives The Rotary emblem and the Scouts logo appear on many of the illegal stamps. Different websites carry different prices.
Côte d’Ivoire
28 July – n°269 · Entry 5
Illegal postage stamp issues produced mostly as sheetlets and miniature sheets in the name of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire on the following thematics: groups of shells, different dog breeds, species of butterfly, orchids, the actor Elvis Presley, the actress Marilyn Monroe, motorbike races, table tennis players, vintage fire engines and different trains. Many stamps carry the emblem of a specific organization. A certain number of miniature sheets are listed in dollars on one website at a very high price (19.95 USD) for the perforated format for the two sheets and at double the price (39.80 USD) for the imperforated format. The same miniature sheets are listed on another website at a much cheaper price (e.g. 3.00 USD each).
Kyrgyzstan
5 May - n°172 · Entry 4
Illegal issues of postage stamps: sheetlets issued in 2002, comprising nine (3x3) stamps with face values of 10 KGS, 20 KGS and 30 KGS depicting "HARRY POTTER", "MERRY CHRISTMAS" (cartoon heroes) stamps, "JOHN PAUL II" and "SHAHMATY" (chess) stamps ; a sheet of stamps issued in 2001 depicting "JOHN PAUL II".
Mauritania
28 April – n° 161 · Entry 3
Illegal postage stamp issues produced in the name of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania which include numerous souvenir sheets and sheetlets, sold in both the imperforate and perforate format portraying different type of bird (including birds of prey, ducks, pheasants, field birds and sea birds), different species of owl, various penguin scenes, various cats playing together, various elephant and polar bear scenes, different lighthouses, various types of firearm, various sports of the Sydney Olympics, various other sports (tennis, horse- riding, swimming, volleyball, table tennis, fencing, judo and cycling), different trains, different portraits of Pope John Paul II, the singer Elvis Presley, the actress Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Walt Disney, classic actresses, different scenes from the Harry Potter films, the group Queen, different scenes from the television series "The Simpsons", "TEDDY BEARS", "Scooby Doo". The value shown on each stamp is in UM and each stamp is inscribed with the year 2002. A number of the stamps feature the International Rotary emblem, while on others there is the Scout emblem.
Uzbekistan
3 March – n° 70 · Entry 2
Illegal postage stamp issues produced in the name of the Republic of Uzbekistan: numerous souvenir sheets and sheetlets portraying chess, trains and fauna (various animals, lizards, snakes, species of "chiroptera" and "perissodactyla".
Afghanistan
13 Jan – n° 02 · Entry 1
Many illegal issues of postage stamps appearing mostly on miniature sheets as well as on horizontal and vertical 9-stamp sheets on the following thematics: - various types of boats, chess positions, footballers and the logo of the Korea/Japan World Cup - Sports – Famous people – in "FORMULA 2000" - Vehicles – old types of vehicles, "ENGLISH TRAINS", other trains - Fauna – different breeds of cat, dog, horse, different species of birds of prey and members of the eagle and owl families, other creatures, various types of dinosaur, insects (the beetle), different species of fish - Flora: different plants, orchids - Paintings – (vertical miniature sheets) entitled "The impressionists" (Henri Matisse, Toulouse Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh) - Paintings – Posters – One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps entitled "INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC POSTERS". - Famous persons depicting Bin Laden, "Diana, Princess of Wales , "ELVIS PRESLEY, Marilyn Monroe, "Mother Teresa" and "Jean Paul II", various people on sheets entitled "THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY".
2002 — 6 circulars
Myanmar
25 Nov – n° 428 · Entry 6
Illegal issues of postage stamps in the name of the Union of Myanmar on the following themes Illegal stamps produced in the name of the Union of Myanmar and covering themes such as “FORMULA 1” and “GOLF ICONS” sports stars,“CLASSIC CARS”, “KINGS OF CHESS” and different aspects of chess games, Impressionist paintings, “PERSONALITIES OF THE 20TH CENTURY” , “BRUCE LEE”, Tiger Woods, orchids, mushrooms and the Rotary logo, breeds of cats and dogs and the Scouts logo, , different breeds of fish and owls, different types of trains, the “Dutch Royal Wedding” different shots from the films of the actress Marilyn Monroe, different shots of the actor Elvis Presley; “THE ILLUSTRATED PORTRAITS” of “MUSIC STARS”, different shots taken from horror films.
Morocco
18 Nov – n°414 · Entry 5
Illegal postage stamp issues inscribed "République sahraoui" (Saharan Republic) or "Sahara Occidental" (Western Sahara) still circulating on the international philatelic market on the following thematics: the life of the singer Elvis Presley; the life of the actress Marilyn Monroe, various breeds of dog, various types of fire-fighting vehicles, various types of old cars; various desert cacti; camels; stamps on the theme of Galileo and space, various athletes from the 1990 and 1996 Olympics; a football world cup and scenes from Ancient Egypt.
Tadjikistan
17 June - n° 229 · Entry 4
Illegal issues of postage stamps in the name of Tadjikistan (11 sheetlets representing «John Paul II», «Bruce Lee», «100th Anniversary of the Queen Mother», «Formula 1», «Michael Jordan», «Captain America», «Fantastic Four», «Harry Potter», «Ousama ben Laden», «Motorbike Sports» and «Dutch Royal Wedding»).
Kyrgyzstan
3 June - n° 208 · Entry 3
Illegal issues of postage stamps bearing the symbol of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (19 sheetlets representing "Shrek", "Defenders of Peace and Freedom", "Tiger", "Harry Potter", "Ironman", "Formula 1", "Superman", "Mother Teresa", "Flash", "The Beatles", "Legends of Baseball", "Dogs", "Green Lantern", "Concorde", "Harley Davidson", "Princess Diana", "Elvis" and "Penguins")
Burundi
15 Apr – n° 143 · Entry 2
Illegal issues of postage stamps: six varieties of butterfly with the following face values: 100 F, 150 F, 200 F, 250 F, 300 F and 400 F.
Russian Federation
14 Jan.- n° 15 · Entry 1
Illegal issues of postage stamps featuring 'fashionable' subjects such as political figures, sports celebrities, Hollywood movie stars, etc. ostensibly issued in the name of the various regions of the Russian Federation which are not stamp issuing authorities (Altai Region, Amurskaya Province, Chechen Republic, Jewish Autonomous Region, Franz Josef Land, Autonomous Region of Evenkia, Republic of Kabard-Balkaria, Kamchatka Region, Karachay- Cherkessia, Autonomous Region of Koriakia, Kuril islands, Novosibirsk islands, Kolguev Island, Kunashir Island, New Land Island (Novaya Zemla), Spitsbergen Island, Republic of Adygea, Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Buriatia, Republic of Daghestan, Republic of Ingushetia, Republic of Ichkeria, Republic of Kalmykia, Republic of Karelia, Komi Republic, Mari-El Republic, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Republic of North Ossetia, Republic of Tatarstan, Republic of Tuva, Republic of Khakasia, Russian Antarctica, Sakhalin Region, Republic of Udmurtia. Republic of Chuvashia.
2001 — 15 circulars
Comoros
17 December - n° 514 · Entry 15
Illegal issues of postage stamps – Titanic, Babe Ruth, Mohammad Ali
Rwanda
10 December - n° 504 · Entry 14
Illegal issues of postage stamps – 17 sheets denounced on various themes such as "SPACE KENNEDY", various scenes from the "Winnie the Pooh", sports car models, a miniature sheet entitled "xx OF THE CENTURY" illustrating the late Diana, Princess of Wales and Pope John Paul II, fairy story "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", various scenes of cowboys playing golf ("COWBOY GOLFERS"), various species of tropical fish, various species of orchids, various types of aircraft, various illustrations of the American actress, Marilyn Monroe, various types of trains ("Steam Trains"), various paintings by Renoir, various types of wild cat, in particular the leopard and lion, illustrating various internationally known sporting personalities (in golf, tennis, boxing, basketball, football and baseball), various breeds of domestic dog, and their puppies ("Pedigree Puppies"), and at the bottom there is the inscription "RWANDA". Some miniature sheets are sold as perforate and some as imperforate versions !
Saudi Arabia
15 October – n° 421 · Entry 13
Counterfeit of the first postage stamps issued in 1934
Madagascar
24 September - n°393 · Entry 12
Illegal issues of postage stamps – a perforated and imperforated sheet depicting various shots of the «Concord»
Rwanda
3 September – n° 363 · Entry 11
Illegal issues of postage stamps – 23 sheets denounced on various themes such as pornographic and erotic scenes, models of double-decker buses, varieties of roses, models of hot air balloons (including a dragon, a dinosaur, an elephant, a house and faces), various cars (old models), different views of a motorcycle in action during a race, trains (various models and views), "Millennium" and "Leaders of XI – XIXth Century", "Architecture of XI – XIXth Century", "Art of XI – XIXth Century", "Famous people of XI – XIXth Century", "Music stars of XXth Century", "Movie stars of XXth Century", "Engines of XXth Century, different positions in chess, various varieties of fungi, various breeds of cat, different butterflies.
Kyrgyzstan
30 July - n° 308 · Entry 10
Illegal issues of postage stamps continue to be advertised on an Internet site on stamp series such as "Backstreet Boys", "Jennifer Aniston", "Tennis", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Minerals", "Penguins", "Tom and Jerry", "Prince William", "Babylon 5", "End of Mir".
Mali
11 June – n° 238 · Entry 9
Illegal issues of postage stamps distributed by an American company and others on various themes such as International Red Cross (Jane Dalano, Henri Dunant, etc), Great composers (Haydn, Chopin, Beethoven, etc), Wild animals: (tiger, lion, eagle, etc), Horses
Comoros
7 May – n° 201 · Entry 8
Illegal postage stamps (in more than 17 sheets) some bearing the inscription REPUBLIQUE FEDERALE DES COMORES, and others the inscription REPUBLIQUE FEDERALE ISLAMIQUE DES COMORES, with various designs such as "OCEAN LIFE" , "HORSES", "PANDAS" the boxer Muhammad Ali, the American baseball player Babe Ruth, other various personalities such as airplane pilots, a scientist, a racing car driver, Pope John Paul II, a man walking on the moon, various explorers, the man behind the Zeppelin airships a Fauna and flora set:
United Arab Emirates
9 Apr – n° 168 · Entry 7
Illegal issues - postage stamps supposedly issued by the Emirates of Ajman, Sharjah and Fujeira depicting animals (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles)
Centrafrique (République)
2 Apr – n° 156 · Entry 6
Illegal issues of postage stamps of various animals (tigers, penguins, wolves, horses)
Laos
19 Mar.- n° 135 · Entry 5
Illegal issues of postage stamps on the Internet site « www.marlen- stamps.com »" on the subject of «Three of the Great of the Golf World: Tiger Woods, Payne Stewart and Arnold Palmer" and "Great People of the 20th Century, part III", with pictures of famous people, namely Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon and the Beatles».
Georgia
29 Jan.- n° 50 · Entry 4
Illegal stamps issued in the name of the Republic of Abkhasia, the Republic of South Osetia, Adjara and Batumi - over 200 series of stamps denounced on a multitude of subjects.
Chad
2 Jan.- n° 8 · Entry 3
Illegal issues of postage stamps issued by three companies located in Belgium, Lithuania, United States of Amerca, on the themes of Butterflies, Cats, Elephants, Birth of Gandhi.
Senegal
2 Jan.- n° 7 · Entry 2
Illegal issues on theme « Greenpeace »
Kyrgyzstan
2 Jan.- n° 6 · Entry 1
Illegal issues of postage stamps on the Internet site « www.marlen- stamps.com »".
2000 — 12 circulars
Angola
25 Sept.- n° 406 · Entry 12
Illegal issues of postage stamps issued by three companies located in Belgium, Great Britain and Lithuania. 53 Sheetlets on the themes of Flora (roses, bonzai, flowers, mushrooms), Animals (bees , birds, butterflies, cats, dinosaurs, dogs, eagles, fish, gorillas, lions, owls, panda, swans, turtles), Trains of Angola, Millennium 2000, Papal visit, Personalities of the 20th century, Cardinal John O'Connor
Afghanistan
21 Aug. - n° 345 · Entry 11
The postal administration of Afghanistan confirms that no new postage stamps since 1989 have been issued. Consequently, any postage stamps issued since 1989 are illegal issues.
Kyrgyzstan
10 July - n° 285 · Entry 10
Illegal issues of postage stamps, miniature sheets representing Western show business personalities such as the “Beatles” and “Madonna”.
Russian Federation
19 June - n°214 · Entry 9
Illegal production and distribution of postage stamps ostensibly issued by various regions of the Russian Federation (Altai Region, Amurskaya Province, Jewish Autonomous Region, Franz Josef Land, Autonomous Region of Evenkia, Republic of Kabard-Balkaria, Kamchatka Region, Karachay-Cherkessia, Autonomous Region of Koriakia, Kuril islands, Novosibirsk islands, Kolguev Island, Kunashir Island, New Land Island, Spitsbergen Island, Republic of Adygea, Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Buriatia, Republic of Daghestan, Republic of Ingushetia, Republic of Ichkeria, Republic of Kalmykia, Republic of Karelia, Komi Republic, Mari-El Republic, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Republic of North Ossetia, Republic of Tatarstan, Republic of Tuva, Republic of Khakasia, Russian Antarctica, Sakhalin Region, Republic of Udmurtia. Republic of Chuvashia.
Niger
5 June - n°194 · Entry 8
Legal action against the agent concerned for the production of illegal stamps in the name of the Republic of Niger (individual stamps, sheets of 9, miniature sheets, blocks etc.) - GREAT PAINTERS WITH "PHILEXFRANCE" LOGO (Eugène Delacroix, Toulouse Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse, French Actors and Actresses, PAPAL VISIT TO AFRICA, EVENTS OF THE 20th CENTURY (1900-1909), 1910-1919) (1920-1929), (1930 to 1939), (1940 to 1949), (1950 to 1959), 1960–1969), (1970–1979), (1980–1989) ; PRINCESS DIANA WITH NEW OVERPRINTS: FAMOUS PEOPLE – RED CROSS – AIDS, ETC, CHESS, FRANK SINATRA, MARRIAGE OF PRINCE EDWARD TO SOPHIE RHYS-JONES, SPACE HISTORY (Halley's Comet and John Glenn, J.F. KENNEDY, STAR WARS, Kennedy Space Center), Various cats, Prehistoric animals, Pandas, Butterflies, EAGLES, MUSHROOMS, TORTOISES, Boats with NATO logo, Boats with UPU logo, Marilyn Monroe and on a bicycle, Various dogs with scout movement logo, PINOCCHIO, AMERICAN ACTORS
Turkmenistan
29 May - n° 184 · Entry 7
Illegal issues of postage stamps belonging to the Euro 2000 European Football Championship, with a face value of 120.00 TMM.
Mali
22 May - n° 165 · Entry 6
Illegal issues of postage stamps bearing the inscription "République du Mali" and various themes such as Chess, C Columbus, Computers, Dogs, Magellan, Minerals, Mushrooms, Prehistoric animals and Trains
Morocco
10 April - n° 129 · Entry 5
Illegal issues of postage Stamps bearing the inscription "République Arabe Sahraoui Démocratique" and various designs.
Kyrgyzstan
3 April n° 119 · Entry 4
Illegal issues of postage stamps, sheets of 7 stamps representing the King of Thaïland and the mention ‹BANGKOK 2000›
Rwanda
7 February -n°39 · Entry 3
Illegal issues of postage stamps entitled "papillons" (butterflies) was illegally issued in 1999 in the name of Rwanda.
Cyprus
7 February -n°34 · Entry 2
Illegal issue of postage stamps entitled «Anniversaries and events» for the 35 years of the so-called «Turkish Cypriot Postal Administration»
Ukraine
10 Jan. – n° 3 · Entry 1
Illegal issues of postage stamps of the fraudulent issue entitled «Ukrainian Antarctic Post»
