THE FORMAT INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PRINTERS LTD. ARCHIVE
Information and Reference of What was Found in the Archive
Reference listings of stamp issues for Saint Vincent printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd. and items found in the Archive
SAINT VINCENT
Saint Vincent stamps printed by Format International Security Printers Ltd.
Links to pages with information on items found in the archive
1969CARNIVAL Scott #264-7, SG #270-3
1981 AGRICULTURE Scott #619-22, SG #660-7
SPECIMEN overprinted sets exist.
1981 FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF U.N. MEMBERSHIP Scott #634A-B, SG #679-80
SPECIMEN overprinted sets exist.
1982 FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF RE-INTRODUCTION OF SUGAR INDUSTRY Scott #639-42, SG #686-9
SPECIMEN overprinted sets exist.
1982 21ST BIRTHDAY OF PRINCESS OF WALES Scott #647-9, SG #694-6
Inverted Frames of all values exist in imperforate varieties. These were made for collectors.
SPECIMEN overprinted sets exist.
1982 BIRTH OF PRINCE WILLIAM OF WALES "ROYAL BABY" OVERPRINT Scott #652-4, SG #699-701
1982 SHIPS Scott #662-5, SG #706-9
SPECIMEN overprinted sets exist.
1983 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AUTOMOBILES (1ST SERIES) Scott #687-92, SG #727-38
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1983 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES (1st SERIES) Scott #699-706, SG #744-59
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1984 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, BRITISH MONARCHS Scott #731-6, SG #776-87
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1984 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES (2nd SERIES) Scott #747-54, SG #792-807
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1984 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, OLYMPIC GAMES, LOS ANGELES Scott #765-8, SG #812-19
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1984 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AUTOMOBILES (2ND SERIES) Scott #773-7, SG #820-9
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1984 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES (3RD SERIES) Scott #787-90, SG #834-41
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, CRICKETERS Scott #795-8, SG #842-9
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 ORCHIDS Scott #803-6, SG #850-3
A number of uncut press sheets were found.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, BIRTH BICENTENARY OF JOHN J. AUDUBON (ORNITHOLOGIST) Scott #807-10, SG #854-61
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AUTOMOBILES (3RD SERIES) Scott #815,817,821, SG #862-7
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 HERBS AND SPICES Scott #829-32, SG #868-71
SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES (4TH SERIES) Scott #833-8, SG #872-83
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AUTOMOBILES (4TH SERIES) Scott #816,818-20,822, SG #884-91,MS892
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES (5TH SERIES) Scott #849-54, SG #893-904
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1985 TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Scott #845-8, SG #905-8
A number of uncut press sheets were found and SPECIMEN overprinted stamps exist.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, LIFE AND TIMES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER Scott #861-7, SG 910-17,MS918
The $3.50 and $6.00 mini sheets were from a "restricted printing" which Robson Lowe estimated to be between 500 and 1000
copies issued. 350 of each were found in the archive.
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
RESTRICTED PRINTING (500 to 2000 exist)
RESTRICTED PRINTING (500 to 2000 exist)
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, ELVIS PRESLEY (ENTERTAINER) Scott #874-81, SG #919-26,MS927
Two similar designs, each with a face value of $4.00 were prepared but not issued. 425 pairs were found in the archive.
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
Saint Vincent Philatelic Services Ltd. reports that unauthorized reprints of these exist, poorly printed
on whiter paper.
We now have a page demostrating how to identify the VARIANTS. The standard catalog descriptions are vague and basically wrong!
These variants were produced sometime after 1989 after the closing of the Format Printing Companies doors.
Please hit the link below to view. Perhaps you are one of the buyers of these and do not even know it!
UNISSUED $4.00 VALUE (425 PAIRS FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE)
1985 ST. VINCENT FLOUR MILLING INDUSTRY Scoot #882-5, SG #928-31
Imperforate color proofs exist.
1985 ROYAL VISIT Scott #886-93, SG 932-9
These stamps were from various earlier issues and were overprinted "CARIBBEAN ROYAL VISIT-1985" with new values.
SG 938 (Scott #892x) was overprinted with the new value but missing the "Caribbean Royal Visit-1985" overprint.
SG 938a (Scott #892) was issued subsequently with the corrected version. Value for the error is 50% higher.
1985 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, MICHAEL JACKSON (ENTERTAINER) Scott #894-901, SG #940-7, MS948
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
Saint Vincent Philatelic Services Ltd. reports that unauthorized reprints of these exist, poorly printed
on whiter paper.
We now have a page demostrating how to identify the VARIANTS. The standard catalog descriptions are vague and basically wrong!
These variants were produced sometime after 1989 after the closing of the Format Printing Companies doors.
Please hit the link below to view. Perhaps you are one of the buyers of these and do not even know it!
1985 CHRISTMAS, CHILDRENS PAINTINGS Scott #903-5, SG #949-51
SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
1986 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF DISCOVERY OF AMERICA (1992) BY COLUMBUS (1ST ISSUE) Scott #936-9, SG #952-7, MS958
Various unissued and error items were found in the archive for this series. More details to come
1986 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, AUTOMOBILES (5TH SERIES) Scott #906-11, SG #959-70
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1986 75TH ANNIVERSARIES OF GIRL GUIDE MOVEMENT AND BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Scott #922-922A, SG #MS971-2
Imperforate mini sheets exist. Mini sheets with decorative borders exist. Various overprints on these mini sheets
were not authorized by the St. Vincent administration.
IMPERFORATE PROOFS
SPECIMEN OVERPRINTED
DECORATIVE BORDERS
DECORATIVE BORDERS IMPERFORATE PROOFS
UNISSUED CAPEX 87 OVERPRINTED
UNISSUED CAPEX 87 OVERPRINTED IMPERFORATE PROOFS
UNISSUED CAPEX 87 OVERPRINTED WITH SPECIMEN OVERPRINTS
UNISSUED CAPEX 87 AND AUSTRALIA WORLD JAMBOREE OVERPRINTS
UNISSUED CAPEX 87 AND AUSTRALIA WORLD JAMBOREE OVERPRINTS IMPERFORATE PROOFS
1986 APPEARANCE OF HALLEY'S COMET Scott #918-21, 921a, SG #973-6, MS977
Proofs exist
1986 60TH BIRTHDAY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II (1ST ISSUE) Scott #923-7, SG #978-81, MS982
Imperforates, proofs and unissued items exist for these.
1986 WORLD CUP SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP, MEXICO Scott #940-57, SG #983-94, MS995
Imperforates, proofs and unissued items exist for these.
1986 LEADERS OF THE WORLD, RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES (6TH SERIES) Scott #961-4, SG #1001-8
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
The $3.00 value exists with the green color omitted. 1550+ copies of this error were found in the archive.
GREEN MISSING
1986 ROYAL WEDDING (1ST ISSUE) Scott #958-60, SG #1009-12, MS1013
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1986 ROYAL WEDDING (2ND ISSUE) OVERPRINTED "CONGRATULATIONS TO T.R.H. THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK" Scott #976-7, SG #1022-5
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of some issues
have a rarity factor. More detail will be presented on these in another section of the study.
1986 THE LEGEND OF KING ARTHUR Scott #979-979G, SG #1026-33
Imperforates Canceled-to-order were found in the archive
1986 CENTENARY OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY Scott #980-3, SG #1034-43, MS1044
No information on any varieties.
1986 FRESHWATER FISHING Scott #984-5, SG #1045-8
PROOFS and SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
1987 CHILD HEALTH CAMPAIGN Scott #997-1000, SG #1049-52
No information on any varieties.
1987 WORLD POPULATION CONTROL OVERPRINT READING "WORLD POPULATION 5 BILLION 11TH JULY 1987" Scott #1040-3, SG #1053-6
No information on any varieties.
1987 INTERNATIONAL LAWN TENNIS PLAYERS Scott #988-996, SG #1057-64, MS1065
The infamous "missing tennis ball" errors came from this set.
Another mini sheet exists with the same two stamps on it but their value has been changed to $10.00 each and
it is embossed on gold foil. It is from a "restricted printing".
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of these issues
have a rarity factor. View Errors and Proofs Page here.
1987 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CARNIVAL Scott #1001-4, SG #1066-9
PROOFS and SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
1987 10TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF ELVIS PRESLEY (ENTERTAINER) Scott #1009-16, SG #1070-7, MS1078
No information on varieties.
1987 ROYAL RUBY WEDDING AND 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION Scott #1017-22, SG #1079-83, MS1084
The infamous "inverted frame" errors came from this set.
Quantities of most of these issues perforated, imperforate proofs, errors and intentional errors
came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.
There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. Also full uncut press sheets of these issues
have a rarity factor. View Errors and Proofs Page here.
1987 CENTURY OF MOTORING Scott #1044-51, SG #1085-8, MS1089
Several different items were found in the archive for this issue. Gold omitted and Henry Ford reversed as examples.
More detailed study will be linked here.
1987 ENGLISH SOCCER TEAMS Scott #1052-9, SG #1090-7
No information on varieties.
1987 EAST CARIBBEAN CURRENCY Scott #1069-86, SG #1098-1115
A perf 14 set with some of the values plus a $20.00 value were printed by Questa between 1989-91.
A perf 12 set is listed by Scott Catalog (Sc#1071a-1085a) stating it may have never been issued in St. Vincent.
The 10c was found in the archive overprinted SPECIMEN and has the blue omitted. Three uncut press sheets were found.
1987 CHRISTMAS, 175TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF CHARLES DICKENS Scott #1061-5, SG #1116-23, MS1124
Proof sheets of the mini sheet were found in the archive. Five uncut sheets of 12 were found with the stamp on
the mini sheet imperforated at the top.
1988 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF DISCOVERY OF AMERICA (1992) BY COLUMBUS (2ND ISSUE) Scott #1087-93, SG #1125-30
SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
A set of $2.00 mini sheets and a $6.00 mini sheet were produced but never issued. Scott catalog lists the $6.00 mini sheet as Sc #1093A.
It is way underpriced as there were only 300 cut mini sheets found. There were 6 uncut press sheets of 9 mini panes of which
one of the sheets was missing two panes. All the panes were imperforated at the bottom on these press sheets.
There are 6 different $2.00 mini panes. 300 of each were found in the archive. Several uncut press sheets of them existed also. I believe all
have been cut into pairs and such now.
View Errors and Proofs Page here.
UNISSUED $2.00 SERIES. 300 OF EACH FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
UNISSUED $2.00 SERIES. 300 OF EACH FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
UNISSUED $2.00 SERIES. 300 OF EACH FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
UNISSUED $2.00 SERIES. 300 OF EACH FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
UNISSUED $2.00 SERIES. 300 OF EACH FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
UNISSUED $2.00 SERIES. 300 OF EACH FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
UNISSUED $6.00 SOUVENIR SHEET. 300 FOUND IN THE ARCHIVE
1988 BROWN PELICAN Scott #1094, SG #1132
PROOFS exist.
PROOF PAIR
1988 TOURISM Scott #1095-9, SG #1133-6, MS1136a
PROOFS and SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
The $10 mini sheets was stated by Robson Lowe as not being issued yet both catalogs list it. Stanley Gibbons
lists it as MS1136a which is odd. There were 280 mini panes found in the archive.
1988 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPANISH ARMADA Scott #1100-6, SG #1137-42, MS1143
SPECIMEN overprinted stamps do exist.
1988 CRICKETERS OF 1988 INTERNATIONAL SEASON Scott #1108-15, SG #1144-51, MS1152
The mini pane is said to have never been issued by Scott Catalog. 4 uncut press sheets were found in the archive.
Each sheet contained 6 of these mini panes imperforated on one side of the stamp.
1988 OLYMPIC GAMES, SEOUL No catalog numbers.
A set of 6 stamps and a mini pane were produced but never issued. These were the last stamps printed by the Format
International Security Printers Ltd. for Saint Vincent. The company soon after went into bankruptcy.
References taken from:
Stanley Gibbons Windward Islands and Barbados
Scott Catalog
Inventory list for the Format Archive by Robson Lowe
