THE BENIN ILLEGAL STAMPS

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Benin according to U.P.U. Circular 30

On February 2, 2004 the postal administration for Benin by request to K.J.S. McKeown (Director of Markets) posted to the Universal Postal Union a circular warning of the discovery of a massive amount of illegal stamps created with their country name that are on the market. The circular is number 30. You can view the circular in its entirety in the PDF file I have linked here.

UPU Circular Number 30

The circular describes numerous sets that were found to be on the market in 2004. the issues described are all dated in 2002 and 2003. Many more have and are being produced since that time. The illegal stamps described in this circular are still on the market today. They are available through private stamp dealers and their websites. They are available on eBay and Delcampe. They are everywhere! These illegal issues are fabrication of stamps that have never had any postal validity in Benin and have been denounced as fraudulent. They were and are created by certain greedy, unethical and immoral stamp dealers. Any stamp seller out there that offers these "stamps" either does not know they are illegal stamps or is deceitful and they should be avoided at all costs. The deceitful ones prey upon unknowing collectors new and old. They prey upon topical collectors mostly because the majority do not have the knowledge that they are worthless in the stamp market. Some are quite obvious because they have hundreds of lots available on eBay and other public auction venues.

For years now there has been arguments as to whether these issues should be imaged for public viewing. The against argument being that collectors that see images of them will want them for their collections. We can see by the availability on the market and the sales generated that this argument has not worked. By only relying on descriptions of the illegal stamps through the UPU circulars the majority of collectors don't even know what they are.

I am a firm advocate against illegal stamps and the creators of them and the sellers of them. Perspective buyers of them need more than UPU circulars to be alerted to the problem. They need to see them and be able to recognize them when they are searching for stamps to buy on the internet or at stamp shows or buying from local dealers.

Because I am independent and run a site that is very public for collectors, I have decided that it is time for someone to display images of these illegal issues that have and are being reported to the UPU. The countries that are being victimized by these fraudulent printers need help and the UPU is not enough. It is up to you and me to get the word out and to let everyone know and understand about them since auction venues, stamp societies and catalogs seem to want to ignore the problem. Some who sell these fakes are large volume stamp dealers with supposed impeccable reputations. Some are in high positions in the stamp societies and in the auction venues. They in turn are avoiding the very problem by allowing these kind of sellers to peddle this junk because they also sell legitimate stamps on a large scale. The only way to stop the flow is to hit them where it hurts.

If they are selling this junk then avoid them!
Even if they have legitimate stamps for sale. Buy from sellers that do not have these in their offerings. If you are buying legitimate stamps from them you are still supporting the illegal stamp trade because they are supporting it. Tell them that you do not want to buy from them because they sell illegal stamps. There is no excuse to make them available to anyone.

The following images are of illegal stamps produced for Benin. Please remember that the producers of these illegals are not only greedy, they are crude and sometimes disgusting which is the nature of these people. The last section of the circular I will not publish because they are offensive to many. Any "stamp" with imagery of what is described in the last section is obviously fake and the country would never approve of or promote such trash. If you like that stuff, buy a magazine and cut out the pictures. Both are worth the same.

To find out what stamps are real and legitimate for Benin visit the UPU WNS website and look at the Benin section.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

I have found the Colnect online catalog to be helpful as well.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Benin

Check out their Illegal Stamp section as well. It is far from complete but will help you verify many as well.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Benin Illegal Stamps

I have also found the StampWorld Catalog an excellent resource.

The StampWorld Online Catalog for Benin

Or use a respectable catalog like Scott or Stanley Gibbons. Do not listen to these dealers trying to convince you they are something other than illegal stamps.

Here we go!

All imaged illegals are in the order listed in UPU Circular 30 page 3 through 10.

Many of the following illegal stamps can be found as imperforates and as color proof sets as well.
Most times now (2016) the souvenir sheet sets and sheetlet sets are sold individually. Many times the stamps have been removed from the sheetlets and souvenir sheets. All of these "tactics" are used to avoid detection by UPU circular descriptions.

Sellers that call these "private", "locals", "Cinderella's", "unauthorized" are deceiving you. They are illegal stamps produced by a stamp dealer that is bent on ripping you off! Some sellers state "we offer them because they are on the market". Well how about you use a different dealer because that seller is "on the market"? If the stamp societies, auction sites and all other venues kicked these sellers off of their sites then they would have to comply or lose their ability to sell anything.

The following images are free for the use of all to use to alert the public to them. If anyone wants to make a public list of users on eBay, Delcampe and elsewhere who are selling these issues....fine by me since the UPU, PWMO and others appear to have given up or have not been updated in years.

FAIRY TALES, CARTOONS

2003 Winnie the Pooh

The first set noted in the circular denotes four individual stamps. Probably at the time the Benin postal administration did not know that the illegal stamps were also in souvenir sheet form. The souvenir sheets may have been produced at a later date. It is possible they were created years later. Dates on these stamps mean nothing. They will reprint them again and again as long as they are selling.





2003 Cartoon Tales

The second set noted in the circular denotes three individual stamps. Again, probably at the time the Benin postal administration did not know that the illegal stamps were also in souvenir sheet form.



2003 Fairy Tale Cartoon Souvenir Sheet Set

The description of the third set is a little off as well. There are 10 vertical and 5 horizontal souvenir sheets. These are being sold individually and in broken sets. All souvenir sheets with the "75th Birthday of Mickey Mouse" logo are illegals! Some (not imaged) are dated 2002.

Horizontal Illegal Souvenir Sheets

Vertical Illegal Souvenir Sheets

2003 Looney Tunes Cartoon Sheetlets of Nine



2003 Les Contes Cartoon Sheetlet of Six



2003 Spirited Away Cartoon Sheetlet of Six

FAUNA

Various domestic, wild and endangered animals, sea creatures, birds and winged animals, and penguins

2003 Endangered Animals with Scout Logo Sheetlet of Nine

Note the cancels. They are fake as well. Never posted in Benin.



2003 Endangered Animals with Scout Logo Souvenir Sheets

In circular 30 it describes these souvenir sheets stating that the name of the species is on the stamp. This is not correct.



2003 Arctic Animals Souvenir Sheet



2003 Les Felines (Big Cats) Sheetlet of Six



2003 Cats of the World with Scout and Rotary Logo's Souvenir Sheet with Six Stamps



2003 Les Chats (Cats) Souvenir Sheet with Six Stamps



2003 Cheetahs, Gorilla's, Panthers and Leopards with Scout Logo Sheetlets with Nine Stamps



2003 Horses with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Nine Stamps



2002 Horses with CTO Cancel Sheetlets with Eight Stamps

The UPU Circular description states these are in miniature sheets. It states a description of only one set of 8 stamps but as you can see there are two. Apparently all that exist are CTO. I could not find an image of the intact miniature sheets anywhere and was barely able to find the images here!


2002 Animal Species Sheetlets with Six Stamps and Souvenir Sheets

The UPU Circular description is very good on these. Almost all the sheetlets and souvenir sheets are being sold individually by unscrupulous sellers. Here are individual images of the sheetlets with their corresponding souvenir sheets. Now you know what to avoid.

Deers

Squirrels

Hamsters (Cricetinae)

Porcupines (Hystricedae)

Kangaroos

Monkeys (Lemuridae)

Hares (Heres)


2002 Dogs with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Fifteen Stamps



2003 Dogs with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Nine Stamps



2003 Dogs with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Six Stamps



2003 Dogs with Scout Logo Souvenir Sheet

This souvenir sheet appears to belong with the six stamp sheetlet above.


2003 Les Chiens Dogs Sheetlets with Six Stamps



2002 Dinosaurs (Monde de Dinosaures) with Scouts Emblems Souvenir Sheet

In the UPU circular it states the year is illegible. As you can see it is not. Either the originals were illegible and this is a "reprint" or the one describing the souvenir sheet had a bad image at the time.


2003 Dinosaurs Sheetlets with Six Stamps

The Prehistoric Elephants sheetlet is referenced (repeated) in the UPU circular in the Elephants section below.


2003 Dinosaurs with Rotary Logo Miniature Sheets with Six Stamps



2002 Dinosaurs (Monde de Dinosaures) with Scouts Emblems Miniature Sheet with Six Stamps

In the UPU circular it describes a miniature sheet a jungle landscape in the background and several dinosaur heads on the margins. It describes six stamps each depicting a large head of a different dinosaur. I believe an error occurred in describing the rest. I could not find anything as described with the values. The souvenir sheet for this set was described but no reference to this miniature sheet is written in the UPU circular. Unless the values noted are wrong as well as the date of 2003.


2003 Dinosaurs in Action with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Nine Stamps

In the UPU circular it describes the stamps with dinosaurs "and men" in Action. It is in error. There are no "men" on the stamps. The circular is confusing here. It should note that the scouts emblem is on this sheetlet. The next sheetlet on the list causes more confusion.


2003 Dinosaurs and Minerals Sheetlet with Nine Stamps

In the UPU circular it describes parts of animals are depicted on the margins. This part is correct. The rest confuses. There is no Scouts logo on this one and all the stamps have 100 FCFA values. The dating is 2003.


2003 Dinosaurs with Scouts Emblem Souvenir Sheets

In the UPU circular it describes these existing with "17.03.2003" CTO cancels. This is probably a typo error. The dating is 11.03.2003.


2003 Dinosaurs with Rotary Emblem Souvenir Sheet



2003 Dinosaurs Souvenir Sheet



2003 Dinosaurs 75th Birthday of Mickey Mouse Souvenir Sheet

The UPU circular does not describe the 75th Birthday of Mickey Mouse logo on this one.


2003 Elephants with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Nine Stamps



2003 Elephants Sheetlet with Six Stamps

As shown above this sheetlet was referenced in the dinosaurs area on the UPU circular with another sheetlet.


2003 Lions and Tigers with Scout Logo Sheetlets with Nine Stamps



2003 Lions Sheetlet with Six Stamps



2003 Tigers Sheetlets with Six Stamps



2003 Wolves Sheetlet with Six Stamps



2003 Wolves Sheetlet with Ten Stamps

The seller of this is so bold as to put their watermark on the image. Not very prestigious selling this junk.


2003 Bears Sheetlet with Ten Stamps



2003 Polar Bears with Scout Logo Sheetlet with Nine Stamps



2002 Panda Bears (Sciences du Monde) with Scouts Emblems Souvenir Sheet

Again in the UPU circular it states the year is illegible. As you can see it is not. Either the originals were illegible and this is a "reprint" or the one describing the souvenir sheet had a bad image at the time.


2002 Panda Bears Sheetlet with Six Stamps



2003 Foxes, Animals of America by J.J. Audubon Souvenir Sheet



2002 Reptile Species Sheetlets with Six Stamps and Souvenir Sheets

In the UPU circular the description is incomplete and a bit confusing. It states Five miniature sheets in the same format, each containing a set of six postage stamps, each of which depicts a different species of the following reptile families:frogs, salamanders, snakes and turtles.
This only describes four species. This is because there were two different "frogs" sets produced. One sheetlet of six with a matched souvenir sheet titled FROGS and the other different sheetlet of six with a matched souvenir sheet titled CROAKS.

You can see they are of the same style as the previous 2002 Animal Species sheetlets with six stamps and souvenir sheets. Any of these in this style are illegal stamps and should be avoided as well as the seller selling them.

Frogs

Frogs (Croaks)

Salamanders (Gekkons)

Snakes

Turtles


2003 Turtles Sheetlets with Six Stamps



2003 Animals of America by John J. Audubon Sheetlet with Six Stamps



2003 Animals and Birds Nature Conservancy Souvenir Sheet



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References taken from:
U.P.U. Circular No. 30
Major Stamp Catalogs
Internet Research

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