CONGO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC ILLEGAL STAMPS

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Congo Democratic Republic

The following research and discovery of illegal stamps in the name of the Congo Democratic Republic is a vast and complex subject. Nobody has taken the research and findings to the level I am taking this to. On this introductory page I will present several of the oldest U.P.U. Circulars that were filed and the first illegal stamps that were produced for this country.

I have found direct correlation between the production of illegal stamps in the name of the Congo Democratic Republic and the Congo Republic. The Congo Democratic Republic has not only been plagued with illegal stamps but by abusive stamps issues created by Impressor S.A. who has direct communications with certain illegal stamp producers as the evidence will show a complete stoppage of illegal stamp production in the name of the Congo Democratic Republic during the years that Impressor S.A. gained contracts with the country. At those time increased productions of illegal stamps in the name of the Congo Republic were made and yes, all at that time were being produced by UK based illegal stamp producers.

The Universal Postal Union published Circular 418 on November 10, 1997 denouncing illegal stamps at the request of the Postal Administration for the Congo Democratic Republic. This circular is noted in a list of circulars posted by the U.P.U. between the years 1996 through 2003.

Dear Sir/Madam

The administration of the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO asks me to inform you of the following:

We are writing to inform the postal administrations of UPU member countries that we have many cuttings from philatelic magazines referring to the issue by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire) of a certain number of philatelic products still printed with the country's old name (Zaire). These Issues were certainly put into circulation by the firm IMPRESSOR S.A.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo wishes to advise that the above-mentioned issues are fraudulent and are therefore not admitted for philatelic sale by its postal Services.

They are as follows:
- France Philatelic
- Chinese Procession
- John Lennon
- Cats
- Dogs
- Elvis Presley
- Music Entertainers: Freddy Mercury, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Sammy Davis Jr., David Bowie, Nat King Cole, Madonna, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley.

For 1997, only the issues entitled flore, minéraux (flora, minerals) and Jamborée, circulation of which was approved by ministerial decree, are recognized as valid.

Yours faithfully,

M S RAMAN
Assistant Director-General

From that time forward only one other circular has been presented by the Congo Democratic Republic.

There were many 1997 illegal stamps made for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The reference sections for both countries will show you a pattern that once again shows Impressor S.A. in control of the illegal stamp producers having them stop production of illegal stamps when Impressor gained contracts, allowing them to run them after they lost the contracts and so forth. The history will unfold and will amaze you as to how incredibly devious these producers and dealers of counterfeit illegal stamps are.

As of now (2019) they are still producing them in mass for Congo Democratic Republic. In 2015 a new producer came onto the market based in Russia. the UK producers appear to have stopped. This new producer is worse, producing illegal stamps for many countries including countries who were never effected by illegal stamps before. an example being Egypt.

I have found that for the Congo Democratic Republic, the illegal stamps started in 1997. Production of illegal stamps escalated to massive amounts until 2006 when they suddenly stopped completely. In 2005 Impressor S.A. again got contracts with the country. I guess the the postal administration had not learned their lesson with the 1997 scam caused by Impressor S.A.. Impressor maintained control until 2015. Several sets and souvenir sheets created by Impressor between 2008 and 2011 are not listed by catalogs and I will show those on a separate page. I have not seen any new issues from the Congo Democratic Republic dating later than 2014 and the catalogs all agree.

In 2012 it appears the Russian illegal stamp producer began. Having no regard for Impressor's influence they are producing illegal stamps to this day for Congo Democratic Republic. The UK based producers have stopped entirely. My guess is they are busy enough producing fake Congo Republic stamps. At least for now.

Most of the illegal stamps described here 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 the Congo 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 Congo Democratic Republic. 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.

At the time of creating the pages for Congo Democratic Republic I have found the WNS system to be completely unreliable as a source because only two stamps are listed on the site for 2002 and then.....nothing.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

I have found the Colnect online catalog to be helpful although there are "conflicts" between what is listed there and what is on the Stampworld Catalog. I consider Colnect to be the most reliable online source at this time.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Congo Democratic Republic

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 Congo Democratic Republic Illegal Stamps

I have found the Stampworld.com Catalog to be helpful as well although again as stated there are "conflicts". They list stamps that are described as illegal stamps by the 1997 circular simply because Michel catalog (known to be influenced by dealers) is listing them.

The Stampworld Online Catalog for Congo Democratic Republic

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.

You will find the styles and designs in most cases of the following illegal stamps completely different.

Here we go!

All imaged illegal stamps on this page are for the year 1997.

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 (2019) 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", "cinderellas", "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.

COUNTERFEIT USAGE

The criminals behind "downplaying" the fact that illegal stamps are counterfeit stamps try to separate them by stating they are not created to defraud the postal administration and thus are not counterfeit. Indeed, they are created to defraud collectors in general but as this image proves, they have been used to defraud the postal administration as well, thus they cannot be deemed as anything else other than what they are:
COUNTERFEIT Illegal Stamps!!

Proof of Counterfeit Usage of Democratic Republic of Congo Illegal Stamps

1997

The circular above describes what stamps are considered genuine and what are illegal stamps. Being "printed" by Impressor S.A. does not make them legitimate by any means. Civil war and many other factors have plagued this country to present day. The circular still cannot be argued with by anyone though as the 1997 circular was presented by the ruling government which still is in control to this day. Therefore the 1997 circular and one succeeding circular stand as a source no matter what some "stamp dealer" says.
Sadly certain catalogs wish to list them as legitimate. Sadly the Stampworld catalog lists them. The Colnect catalog does not list anything for 1997. Scott Catalog does not list anything for 1997 under Congo Democratic Republic. They do list items under Zaire for this year. They note though that all stamps listed in the year 1997 are of questionable validity.
Change is needed.

Following are images of the illegal stamps I have found offered for Congo Democratic Republic dating 1997. There may and probably are more. All of these I found in searches on eBay and Delcampe and all are illegal stamps made by producers bent on ripping you off!

I present them in alphabetical order of titles as there is no logical order for illegal stamps.

I list the Zaire illegal stamps even though listed in one catalog as legal stamps until anyone can prove them to be legitimate issues with numerous examples of postal usage covers. At this time....none of them have any proof of usage at all.....

1997 Animals in Block of 4



1997 Animals Zebra in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Birds in Block of 4

Noting that the fake cancels on the 1997 counterfeit illegal stamps are dated 1998.



1997 Birds in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Butterflies in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Cats in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Zaire Cats in Sheet of 9

This is one of the Impressor S.A. sets with the Zaire country name noted in the circular above. It is listed in Michel catalog as 1304-1312. Why?



1997 Zaire Cats in Souvenir Sheet of 1

Listed in Michel as BL 74.



1997 Dinosaurs in Souvenir Sheets of 6



1997 Dinosaurs in Souvenir Sheet of 6 (different)

Noting the color bar at the bottom shows the printer to be the same printer as the Feigenbaum St. Vincent 1985 Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley unauthorized reprints. Yet another piece proving the connections.



1997 Dinosaurs in Block of 4



1997 Dinosaurs in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Zaire Dogs in Sheet of 9

This is one of the Impressor S.A. sets with the Zaire country name noted in the circular above. It is listed in Michel catalog as 1294-1302. Why?



1997 Zaire Dogs in Souvenir Sheet of 1

Listed in Michel as BL 73.



1997 Dogs in Block of 4



1997 Dogs in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Dolphins in Souvenir Sheet of 6

Note the color guide again.....



1997 Elephants in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Zaire Elvis Presley in Sheet of 9

This is one of the Impressor S.A. sets with the Zaire country name noted in the circular above. It is listed in Michel catalog as 1283-1291. Why?



1997 Zaire Elvis Presley in Souvenir Sheet of 1

Listed in Michel as BL 72.



1997 Flowers Orchids in Block of 4

Here is yet another example of a fake cancel stating made in 1998 on counterfeit illegal stamps made and dated in 1997.



1997 Flowers Orchids in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Gorillas in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Insects in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Zaire John Lennon in Sheet of 9

This is one of the Impressor S.A. sets with the Zaire country name noted in the circular above. It is listed in Michel catalog as BL 109. Why?



1997 Zaire John Lennon in Souvenir Sheet of 1

Listed in Michel as BL 110.



1997 Koala Bears in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Marilyn Monroe in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Zaire Music Entertainers in Sheet of 9
Freddy Mercury, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Sammy Davis Jr., David Bowie, Nat King Cole, Madonna, Tina Turner, Elvis Presley

This is one of the Impressor S.A. sets with the Zaire country name noted in the circular above. It is listed in Michel catalog as 1265-1273. Why?



1997 Pandas in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Sharks in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Shellfish in Block of 4



1997 Shells in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Snakes in Souvenir Sheet of 6



1997 Titanic in Souvenir Sheet of 4



1997 Titanic in Souvenir Sheet of 1



1997 Whinnie the Pooh in Sheet of 9



In 1998 and 1999 counterfeit illegal stamps continue to be produced in the name of Congo Democratic Republic although the production slowed considerably.

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References taken from:
U.P.U. Circular 418
Major Online Stamp Catalogs
Major Stamp Catalogs
Internet Research

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