BENIN ILLEGAL STAMPS
2003

Information and Reference of Illegal Stamps for Benin Created in 2003

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.

To find out what stamps are real and legitimate for Benin visit the UPU WNS website and look at the Benin section.
Sadly, it has been found out that most series displayed in the 2002-3 listings which were submitted by the stamp agent were declared invalid by the Benin Postal administration and never released in Benin.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

You can also get a very good reference of what was officially issued from the Colnect website.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Benin

Check out their Illegal Stamp section as well. It is fully complete and shows many more illegal stamps not shown here.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Benin Illegal Stamps

I have also found the StampWorld Catalog an excellent resource.

The StampWorld Online Catalog for Benin

You can also 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.

In 2004 when Benin produced circular 30 they did not know that there were more illegal stamps that were being circulated than what they listed. This has occurred for many of the victim countries. To correct it I have researched them all using the major catalog listings and the WNS system as reference to what was officially issued.

Here we go!

Many of the following illegal stamps can be found as imperforates and as color proof sets as well. Some exist on fake First Day Covers too.
Most times now (2018) 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 and search terms.

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.

If you have purchased any of these stamps from a dealer or if that dealer offers them, you should avoid that dealer! You will only be supporting illegal stamp makers who are only ripping you off.

2003

Again in the 2003 areas of the Colnect website catalog and the WNS system there are conflicts of interest that will confuse collectors as to what was officially issued by Benin. As shown on the 2002 page the dogs set that is shown on the WNS system is shown as illegal on the Colnect catalog. Vise versa the surcharged issues are not shown on the WNS system.

For the year 2003 the Colnect catalog shows 21 stamps in its database as being issued. In the WNS system there is shown many more. 94 issues! The numerous issues shown on the WNS system that are not shown on the Colnect catalog are of the same style as the previous listed dogs issues of 2002. These issues were all printed by The Fine Arts Company Sarl and many noted on the WNS system in conjunction with Sahara Printing Company. All the issues on the Colnect catalog are shown on the WNS system but with many more extensive issues of the same topic. So what gives?

Let us see what we have here......
I will go by the WNS system listing order and note what the Colnect catalog shows.

Benin 2003 150th Anniversary of Birth of Van Gogh
April 15, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.


Wow! Does this look "familiar"? Kind of like British produced....illegal stamps?

Benin 2003 Oldest Lighthouses in the World
April 15, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl - Sahara Printing Company
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.



The souvenir sheet has an uncanny resemblance to many illegal stamps yes?

Benin 2003 Mushrooms of the World
May 22, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.



This next set is interesting.

Benin 2003 Monuments of the Road of the Slave - Door of Non-Return
Scott Catalog Number 1297-1301
Issued June 23, 2003 Printer is Unknown
Shown on the Colnect Catalog.

Benin 2003 The Gate of no return
May 25, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl - Sahara Printing Company
Shown on the Colnect Catalog only because the Scott catalog still lists it. According to Michel it is illegal.


So what went on with that issue??
This next issue gives it away......

Benin 2003 Reptiles
Issue date on the WNS system June 25, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.
Note the style is exactly the same as future illegal stamps.


So we can see right here that the WNS system has revealed a major illegal stamp producing printer and yet nobody seems to have put a finger on it and figured it out! They are right there and in your face. A company with absolutely no morals that will print anything you want for a price. They boast the use of Heidleburg printing presses which are the same presses used by many security stamp printers.

Still, to this day in 2024 as I update this page, I wonder why they are listed on the WNS system?

Benin 2003 Shells
Issue date on the WNS system August 20, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.



Benin 2003 Kittens
Issue date on the WNS system August 20, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.



Benin 2003 5th Anniversary of the da Silva Museum
Scott Catalog Number 1302-1307 Issue date on the WNS system November 10, 2003 Printer is Cartor Security Printing
Shown on the Colnect Catalog.

Benin 2003 The Travels of Pope John Paul II
Issue date on the WNS system November 28, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.

Benin 2003 The Travels of Pope John Paul II Stamps Shown on the WNS System


So what happened? Why are all these other stamps listed on the WNS system? Definitely more research needed on this.

Benin 2003 Christmas
Issue date on the WNS system November 28, 2003 Printer is The Fine Arts Company Sarl - Sahara Printing Company
Denounced as illegal on the Colnect Catalog.


Benin 2003 Endangered Species - Red-bellied Monkey
Scott Catalog Number 1308-1314 Issue date on the WNS system December 19, 2003 Printer is Cartor Security Printing
Shown on the Colnect Catalog.


So we can see there is a lot of confusion caused by the two systems. I theorize this confusion was caused by the massive flood of illegal stamps that were being placed onto the market at that time.

Other Illegal Stamps Found Not Described in The Benin 2004 Circular

The massive production and proliferation of illegal stamps continued in this year. Following are a few images of color proof sets that again show evidence that Clive Feigenbaum and the British couterfeit producer were the ones behind the production of the earlier illegal stamps for Benin. All of the images can only be found on the original Stampdile database and have and are only offered for sale by that company and associates showing exclusive responsibility for the production of the illegal stamps. All the illegal stamps that were described in the circular can be found on the beginning pages of this section.

There are many more of these fake color proofs sets shown in that database than I show here.

2003 Dinosaurs Sheetlet of Six Color Proof Set


2003 Dinosaurs Sheetlet of Nine Color Proof Set


2003 Dinosaurs Souvenir Sheet Color Proof Set


I note that in my research of the forgeries of the Format International Security Printers stamps that the color proofs follow this same style. Where the genuine color proofs have mostly seven stages, the forgeries only have five like these.

MORE ILLEGAL STAMPS NOT DISCOVERED BY BENIN FOR 2003

2003 Academy Awards Sheet of 6



2003 Animals and Birds Nature Conservancy Sheet of 9

The U.P.U. Circular number 30 described the souvenir sheets of 2 and 3 as shown in the beginning sections of this reference for Benin.
At that time they apparently did not know of the existence of the sheet of 9.



2003 Dinosaurs Souvenir Sheet of 6

Benin apparently missed this counterfeit souvenir sheet in the massive description of dinosaur illegal stamps shown on the first page of this reference section.



2003 Dolphins and Whales Illegal Stamps



2003 Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe Sheet of 6



These are pieces I found being sold of a different Benin Dogs counterfeit illegal stamp souvenir sheet not described in circular 30. I presume the title is Hunting Dogs due to the piece shown. All should be easily recognized by the medallion worn on the dogs necks and of course, the year 2003.

2003 Hunting Dogs Illegal Stamps



Here are more Actress and Famous Women stamps not described in the circular. From souvenir sheets I am sure.

2003 Actresses and Famous Women Illegal Stamps

Karen Mulder, Nadja Auermann, Patricia Velasguez, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos,
Valeria Mazza


Here are more Fairy Tales counterfeit illegal stamps not described in the circular.

2003 Fairy Tales Illegal Stamps



Here is a huge set of Ferrari counterfeit illegal stamps not described in the circular. All featuring Michael Schumacher except for one featuring Rubens Barrichello who was his teammate.

2003 Ferrari Michael Schumacher Illegal Stamps






Then the British producer put overprints on the counterfeit stamps.

2003 Ferrari Michael Schumacher Overprinted "World Champion for the 6th time 2003" Illegal Stamps






Here are more Lions titled Carnivora Felidae counterfeit illegal stamps not described in the circular.

2003 Lions Carnivora Felidae Illegal Stamps



Here are more Marilyn Monroe counterfeits not described in the circular.

2003 Marilyn Monroe Illegal Stamps



Here are some monkey counterfeit stamps not described in the circular. Taken from a fake souvenir sheet like the Lions one above. Note the user selling them. Darabanth Auctions. This "company" has been dealing in counterfeit illegal stamps for many years. Not to be trusted and advise is to avoid them because they sell counterfeits to this day as if they are real stamps.

2003 Monkeys Illegal Stamps



Here are more counterfeit Motorcycles stamps (without the Rotary Logo) that are from a souvenir sheet dating 2003 not described in circular 30.

2003 Motorcycles Counterfeit Illegal Stamps



Here are more Panda counterfeits not described in the circular.

2003 Pandas Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Set of 6



Here is another Prehistoric World counterfeit illegal stamp souvenir sheet not described in the circular. It was produced with the Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Elephants souvenir sheets.

2003 Prehistoric World Aquatic Animals Illegal Stamps



2003 Prince William Illegal Stamp Sheet of 9



2003 Space Astronaut Yang Liwei Souvenir Sheet of 1



2003 Top Models Illegal Stamp Sheet of 6



Here is another counterfeit Trains and Locomotives souvenir sheet dating 2003 not described in circular 30.

2003 Trains and Locomotives Souvenir Sheet of 1



In 2004 the massive production of illegal stamps continues.

View Next Page here!

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

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