IRAQ AND KURDISTAN ILLEGAL STAMPS
2007 Through 2021

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Iraq and Kurdistan according to U.P.U. Circular 2013 No. 61

On May 6, 2013 the postal administration for Iraq by request to K.J.S. McKeown (Director of Markets Development) posted to the Universal Postal Union a circular warning of the discovery of a large number of illegal stamps inscribed Kurdistan that are on the market. The circular is number 71. You can view it in the linked file below:

UPU Circular Number 61

For more background on the history and status of Kurdistan stamps, please visit the introduction page.

2007

After the massive production by the British illegal stamp producer in 2005, no more illegal stamps were produced by him until 2007. Apparently, possibly due to low sales, the British producer overprinted one of the illegal stamp sets made in 2005 and produced a couple of gold foil counterfeit souvenir sheets. These again, point the finger right at who that producer and his main distributor are.

Kurdistan 2007 Dogs Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 4 Gold on Silver Foil



Kurdistan 2007 Dogs Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 4 Silver on Gold Foil



The criminals then proceeded to overprint the 2005 "History of Space Exploration" counterfeit souvenir sheets with different overprints on the four illegal stamps on the sheet. One says "The First Western European in Space" and several with imprint of Skylab, ect. Also increasing the values to make them look more valuable. What a scam!

Kurdistan 2007 History of Space Exploration Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 4 From 2005 Overprinted

Group 1


Group 2


As suddenly as the British producer appears, he disappears. In 2007 Kurdistan produces one stamp.

Kurdistan 2007 Scenic View Stamp

2009

In 2009 Kurdistan proceeds to make more stamps.

Kurdistan 2009 Scenic Views Stamps

These exist perforated and imperforate. This image made with the best images I could find while creating this reference page.



Kurdistan 2009 Flowers Tulip Stamp



Kurdistan 2009 Football Soccer Asian Youth Stamp

2010

Kurdistan 2010 Post Festival Stamp



Kurdistan 2010 Newspaper Freedom of Speech Stamp



Kurdistan 2010 Women Working Stamp



Kurdistan 2010 Ancient Grotto Stamp

2011

Kurdistan 2011 International Day of Disabled Persons Stamp



Kurdistan 2011 Kingdom of Kurdistan Flag Stamp

This flag was used back in 1919 to 1925.



Kurdistan 2011 National Emblem Stamp



Kurdistan 2011 Regional Government Emblem Stamp

2012

Kurdistan 2012 Child Gathering Food Stamp



Kurdistan 2012 Halebja Monument Stamp



Kurdistan 2012 Lalesh Temple Stamp



Kurdistan 2012 Effects of Khens Stamp

2013

Kurdistan 2013 Assyrian Alphabet Stamp



Kurdistan 2013 Turkumah Cloths Stamp



Kurdistan 2013 Erbil Capital of Tourism Stamp



Kurdistan 2013 Elections Stamp

2015

Kurdistan 2015 Environment Day Stamp



Kurdistan 2015 Birds Chukar Partridge Stamp



Kurdistan 2015 Fight Against ISIS Stamp

Inscribed "Terror Don't Have Religion".



Kurdistan 2015 Alwand Bridge Stamp

2017

Kurdistan 2017 First School in Erbil Stamp



Kurdistan 2017 Nature of Kurdistan Stamp



Kurdistan 2017 Nature of Kurdistan (different) Stamp



Kurdistan 2017 Ibrahim Amin Baldar Stamp

2018

Kurdistan 2018 Mountain Village Stamp



Kurdistan 2018 Castle Fortress Stamp



Kurdistan 2018 Painting Princess on Horse Stamp



Kurdistan 2018 Children with Spring Flowers Stamp



It was said that these were the last stamps made by Kurdistan. As we can see they were proposing to make another celebrating Pope Francis visit to Iraq. That never happened. Here is an image of the proposed design.

Kurdistan 2021 Proposed and Rejected Pope Francis and Map Illegal Stamp



To this day in 2022 there has been no change in the status of stamps being produced by Kurdistan officials. Circular 61 clearly defines the official ruling on their status by the Iraq postal administration. Anyone wanting to contest that status can take it up with the the Iraq Post. I am only documenting what that status is in regards to any stamp, proposed or not, that has or will be produced by the unrecognized Kurdistan post. Should it change in the future, then of course from that point forward, the stamps would be legitimate postage stamps. As for now, all are considered Cinderella stamps.

References taken from:
U.P.U. Circular No. 61
Major Stamp Catalogs
Internet Research

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