HAITI ILLEGAL STAMPS

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Haiti according to U.P.U. Circular 367 and other resources

On November 21, 2005 the postal administration for Haiti by request to K.J.S. McKeown (Director of Markets) posted to the Universal Postal Union a circular warning of the discovery of illegal stamps created with their country name that are on the market. The circular is number 367. You can view it in the linked file below:

UPU Circular Number 367

The circular describes a number of sets that were created in 2005 depicting images related to Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Sadly Haiti only issued this one circular. Many more illegal stamps in the name of Haiti were created then and up to present times. The following pages will document them and show you what to avoid when buying stamps of Haiti to collect or to resell.

The illegal stamps described in the 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 Haiti 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 Haiti. Please remember that the producers of these illegal stamps 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 Haiti visit the UPU WNS website and look at the Haiti section. You will be amazed to see that only a couple issues dating 2002 and 2003 are listed. This is because since 2003 Haiti has been in political turmoil and has had many other problems. Since 2003 they have not issued any stamps at all! Yet there a ton for sale dating many of the years in which there should be none offered.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

I have found the Colnect online catalog to be very helpful and will give you a much clearer picture of what stamps are real.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Haiti

Some of the illegal stamps are shown in their Cinderella section and noted as such. Still nothing close to what is out there as you will see.

The Colnect Online Catalog Illegal Stamp Section for Haiti

I have found the Stampworld.com Catalog to be very helpful as well.

The Stampworld Online Catalog for Haiti

Here we go!

Many of the following illegal stamps can be found as imperforates and as color proof sets as well. Many exist on fake First Day Covers too.
Most times now (2020) 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.

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.

I will note the illegal stamps that are described in the circular and in Scott catalog.

On this first page I am going to show you two problem sets that were made back in the 1970's and one set of illegal stamps proposed to be made in 2000 that was actually made in 2014! As you will see it only gets worse for Haiti.

1973

In 1973 a set of stamps on the topic of Space Exploration was produced without the authorization of the Haiti Postal Administration. This set was massively produced in many forms from sheetlets to imperforate to color proof sets. Because of this massive production it is probable that a million or more of them are out there. Because it was completely not authorized to be made they are of little value except as a novelty item. Do not let stamp dealers try to convince you that they are rare in any of their forms including "proofs". I have seen the proofs being offered all the way to $500.00 for a set from just one stamp! Don't get caught up in the scam!

Here are some images of what they are.

1973 Unauthorized Space Exploration Stamp Set of 12

This set is noted as unauthorized in the Scott Catalog.



1973 Unauthorized Space Exploration Stamp Sheetlet of 8

All 12 of these unauthorized stamps were printed in this form.



1973 Unauthorized Space Exploration Stamp Set of 12 Overprinted for Centenary of the UPU

This set is also noted as unauthorized in the Scott Catalog.



1973 Unauthorized Space Exploration Stamp Set of 3 Overprinted in Silver for Apollo 17

This set is also noted as unauthorized in the Scott Catalog.



1973 Unauthorized Space Exploration Stamp Set of 3 Overprinted for Centenary of the UPU with Additional Silver Apollo 17 Overprint

This set is not noted as in the Scott Catalog but is unauthorized as well.

1975

In 1975 a huge scandal erupted in Haiti involving government officials within the government and the postal administration which resulted in arrests and convictions. The story is documented on various websites and in many articles as to what happened and who was involved. The set is the 1975 Audubon Birds set. Because the stamps were distributed through various stamp dealers just like the illegal stamps are they should be classified as illegal stamps as none of them ever even saw Haiti.

The set consists of 15 different imaged stamps with 5 different denominations making a total of 75 values. It is reported by Scott catalog that originally in 1975 was 23 of the values. Several years later a number of the "original" stamps and some new stamps mysteriously appeared on the market. For the other values it is unknown exactly if they were printed at that time or later still. The bottom line and clue that they are illegal is that the second set came out several years after and after the trials and convictions made. The dealers and the agent involved in producing them all have a shady history to say the least.

Here are a couple links to public sites that carry the story in one form or another.

Webster University Audubon Stamp Scandal

Philately Lately The History of the Haitian Audubon Stamps

Because tons of them were produced again, they are not worth a lot except as a novelty item. The full set should not be purchased for more than $25.00. I got a set in blocks of four for that price! It is an interesting set but please be aware before purchasing it. Anyone wanting more you should be wary of.

1975 Audubon Birds Stamp Set of 75

This set is noted as unauthorized in the Scott Catalog.

2000

In 2014 numerous sets of stamps were made in the name of Haiti featuring the topic of paintings. During this year an "odd" producer was producing many issues like this set. The producer is based in Spain and during this year made many huge sets in the name of various countries. All are of this "style" which are usually only offered as imperforate versions. Apparently the producer being to cheap to obtain perforating equipment.

The following partial set is all that is on the market on the main venues as of June 2020. There are more sets than this dated 2000. Please visit the Haiti Philatelic Society for a more complete listing of what they are. Here is the link.

The Haiti Philatelic Society UPU Illegals Page

2000 Paintings by Jan Verkolje in Souvenir Sheets of 2

This set was produced in 2014 and back dated to 2000. It was never on the market until 2014. Avoid anything like it.





The production of counterfeit illegal stamps in the name of Haiti really begins in 2005. All being produced by the British producers.

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References taken from:
U.P.U. Circular No. 367
Major Stamp Catalogs
Internet Research

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