MAURITANIA ILLEGAL STAMPS

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Mauritania according to U.P.U. Circular 161

The Universal Postal Union published the following Circular on April 28, 2003 denouncing illegal stamps at the request of the Postal Administration for Mauritania. This Circular was validated by K. J. S. McKeown, Director of Markets of the UPU Secretariat. The circular is number 161. You can view it in the linked file below:

UPU Circular Number 161

Here is what was stated in the circular.

Dear Sir/Madam

The postal administration of the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA asks me to
inform you of the following:

"Kindly inform all Union member countries and all our philatelic partners within the
World Association for the Development of Philately that we are greatly concerned
by the continuing proliferation of illegal postage stamps, a phenomenon of which
our postal administration is a victim.
"We have just learnt of the appearance of a whole series of fraudulent postage
stamps inscribed "REPUBLIQUE ISLAMIQUE DE MAURITANIE" on various
websites and in philatelic promotional publications. We have recorded no fewer
than 95 illegal stamps.
"We therefore wish to protest in the strongest terms against these illegal postage
stamps. The deceitful advertising goes so far as to state that "the origin of these
stamps may be questionable and may be listed as illegals. We therefore suggest
that you buy them only because you like them. We offer them because they are on
the market". As well as having face values in UM and a rather high selling price,
most of these stamps are sold in perforated and imperforate formats. Worse still,
the imperforate versions sell for double the price of perforate ones.
"The negative publicity these illegal postage stamps generate for our country
amounts to a serious attack on the moral, religious and economic integrity of
Mauritania, its postal service and the Universal Postal Union as a whole. It is a
serious and flagrant violation of article 6 of the Universal Postal Convention and the
associated provisions of the Letter Post Regulations. It is, in particular, a violation of
the national legislation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and in particular its law
on the Post and its provisions on counterfeit postage stamps.
"Under the terms of this law, the Mauritanian Postal Corporation alone is authorized
to issue and disseminate postage stamps in the name of the Islamic Republic of
Mauritania.
"This situation is further aggravated by the fact that the logos of various
organizations are reproduced on most of the illegal postage stamps. These
organizations may be led to believe that we have used their logos without
permission and these organizations could take legal action against us for breach of
copyright.

"We call upon all parties to redouble their efforts to combat the scourge of illegal
postage stamps and to exercise increased vigilance with regard to the production
and distribution of such stamps in their respective countries. We are counting on the
cooperation of all to help identify and track down the criminals responsible.
"We would take this opportunity to state that our postal administration has not
issued any postage stamps since the end of 2000. Legally valid postage stamps
may be purchased directly from the following address:

MAURIPOST
Service philatélique
Direction générale
B.P. 10000
NOUAKCHOTT
MAURITANIA
Fax: (+222) 525 51 74

"A list of the illegal postage stamps identified to date is annexed."

Yours faithfully,

K.J.S. McKEOWN
Director of Markets

The circular goes on to describe counterfeit illegal stamp sets inscribed with their country name REPUBLIQUE ISLAMIQUE DE MAURITANIE.

This research was extremely easy to complete namely because of the limited number of counterfeits made by the counterfeiters. The counterfeit stamps made in the name of Mauritania in 2002 and 2003 were all made by the British producer and distributed (to this day) by his crony illegal stamp dealing buddies. The statement shown in the circular about "deceitful advertising" was and is to this day used by Marlen Stamps in the U.S.A. under tons of counterfeit stamps offered by this goon. He is one of the main distributors in the U.S. connected directly with the producer who has been exposed. It is so obvious who it is. To understand who the producer is, just visit my section on the Niger illegal stamps. You will find the connections with this producer are vast throughout the study of the illegal stamp phenomena. This ghoul still selling and is involved in the production of them to this day.

Luckily for Mauritania, the postal authorities were alerted early in "the game" and they quite accurately caught and described many of the counterfeit sets the British producer (He is actually from Argentina) made in 2002 and 2003 in the name of Mauritania and quickly had circular 161 made. In many sections of this study it shows, as soon as a circular was published, production stopped and the freak runs and hides.

No more illegal stamps in the name of Mauritania could I find dating after 2003 until 2010 when the ghoul produced a huge set on the topic of famous actors and actresses being exclusively sold by one distributor who we managed to get kicked off of eBay several years ago.

Then there is another huge gap in time until 2016 when the Eastern European counterfeit producers made several counterfeit series in the name of Mauritania dating between 2016 and 2018. After that, silence to the present time in 2021. Will they start up again? It is possible as long as the U.P.U. and its member countries and the stamp collecting community as a whole continues to tolerate these few peoples criminal activity which they now blatantly proliferate all over the internet. Until they are taken down with brute force by legal actions for their past and present crimes and they and their counterfeit productions are fully eradicated from the market, the production of new counterfeits in the name of any country can and will continue. All of the following counterfeit illegal stamp images are taken from their current and past sales of them along with images taken from numerous other criminal minded no good dealers which is spreading. Namely because of no legal actions taken by the countries who have and are being victimized by them.

Mauritania is a very conservative stamp issuing entity of which many of the issues from 2000 forward are now hard to find. It is funny to see in a couple of year searches (namely 2002 and 2017) when Mauritania did not issue any stamps, that you find numerous listings of the counterfeits boldly displayed as if real.

These counterfeit illegal stamps, yes counterfeit as noted in the circulars, are everywhere now. They are in collections and dealer stocks all over the world. They are still to this day being proliferated by the same criminals who were involved in the production and proliferation of them when they were first produced! Anyone selling them should be shunned because either they are selling them with full intent to rip you off or they lack the knowledge because of being too lazy or ignorant to do the research to find out what they are. They are obviously not listed in the major catalogs which is the first and most simple way to know there is something wrong with them. Anyone who is selling them that cannot take the time to do this first check is a bogus seller in my book and is not a seller to be trusted by any means of the word.

To find out what stamps are real and legitimate for Mauritania:

You can visit the UPU WNS website and look at the Mauritania section. Sadly Mauritania has not kept up with listings there and many are missing.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

I have found the Colnect online catalog to be the most helpful.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Mauritania

Many of the illegal stamps are shown in their Illegal Stamps section and noted as such. Still many are not shown as you will see.

The Colnect Online Catalog Illegal Stamp Section for Mauritania

I have also found the Stampworld online catalog to be very useful as well.

The Stampworld Online Catalog for Mauritania

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 counterfeit illegal stamps.

Here we go!

2000

In the year 2000 Impressor S.A. lost the contract to print stamps in the name of Mauritania. This is most likely because of the abusive handling and production of stamps the company did as they have for many countries. This self made agency and printer broke every rule set forth by the U.P.U. for stamp production best practices. The first rule broken being a stamp agent and the printer of the stamps they are the agent over. It is shown and known that this company would continue to print stamps after they lost the contract and put them on the market for sales to unknowing collectors. For some countries it is shown they did this for several years after the contract was ended by the country more than likely because of a breach.

In Circular 161, one Impressor set is definitely singled out and fully described as illegal. That set is the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney set. The description is displayed in four different lines on the second page of the annex, firmly denouncing it as illegal. The Scott Catalog also notes it as illegal. Yet the Michel catalog apparently lists it as the Stampworld Online Catalog lists them following their rule of listing anything listed by any catalog which I tend to disagree with in cases like this. The Colnect catalog does not list it but they do not list it in their "Cinderella" section either. The set is rarely offered and the ones who offer it are again notorious illegal stamp dealers only. It does not matter that Michel or Yvert list them because it is shown in numerous cases that certain editors within the companies were corrupted by the bad agencies and counterfeit illegal stamp producers and their corrupt dealers into getting them listed.
Therefore the listing of this set by any catalog is to be ignored as the postal authority of Mauritania stands by their denouncement stating this set of stamps are
Counterfeit Illegal Stamps!

I place the images for this set in the order as described in Circular 161.

2000 MAURITANIA Olympic Games in Sydney Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 1

Defined by the different sports and the satellite in the margin.



2000 MAURITANIA Olympic Games in Sydney Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Se-tenant Sets of 4

These are the two se-tenant sets as described in the circular.



2000 MAURITANIA Olympic Games in Sydney Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 4

Defined by the different sports being tennis, horse-riding, swimming and volleyball.



2000 MAURITANIA Olympic Games in Sydney Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 4

Defined by the different sports being judo, table tennis, cycling and fencing.

2002

The British producer attacked Mauritania with a vengeance in 2002 creating a mass of counterfeit souvenir sheets of six in the name of this country. This is exactly during the time of existence of the bogus printing company Mayfair International Security Printers run under the bogus agencies France Philatelie Ltd. and France Philatelie (2000) Ltd.. They were then distributed through these companies and the Feigenbaum network thus ripping off thousands of collectors worldwide. To this day the same people are selling them. Just about every one of them are offered by the Avion Stamps website which was directly connected with the Feigenbaum Stampdile website. He apparently "ran away" because of the heat I put onto him especially being with the Format International Security Printers modern day forgeries which are also spread across the world now.

Anyone selling the following should be shunned like the plague no matter how "reputable" they are or how "wonderful" their feedback is. Anyone selling them is not respectable in any way.

I will note when they are described in the circular and if there are any errors made within the circular.

The following "Birds" topical counterfeits are displayed in their true order of form. Many unscrupulous sellers are offering only a single sheet or a couple "matching" sheets. Some have broken the sheets into singles sets to hide their true origins. Several have made large "mixed" sets from the different orders. Some only sell the "owls" sheets and so forth. All are described in the first two descriptions in Circular 161.

2002 MAURITANIA Birds Kingfishers with Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6



2002 MAURITANIA Birds of Prey with Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

This set contains eight counterfeit souvenir sheets of six containing Owls, Eagles and Falcons. They are in the order listed on the Avion Stamps website where that order has remained unchanged for over two decades.

Sheet 1 (Owls)


Sheet 2 (Falcons and Eagles)


Sheet 3 (Falcons and Eagles)


Sheet 4 (Falcons and Eagles)


Sheet 5 (Falcons and Eagles)


Sheet 6 (Owls)


Sheet 7 (Owls)


Sheet 8 (Owls)


2002 MAURITANIA Bruce Lee Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6

This one was not caught by the postal authorities of Mauritania.



2002 MAURITANIA Cats with Rotary Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described as "various cats playing together" in the circular.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Ducks with Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are part of the "sets" described at the top of the annex in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Elephants with Rotary Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Firearms Guns Six Shooters with Rotary or Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Game Birds with Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6

This one is also part of the "sets" described at the top of the annex in circular 161.



2002 MAURITANIA Lighthouses with Rotary Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Locomotives Trains with Rotary Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


Sheet 3


Sheet 4


Sheet 5


2002 MAURITANIA Penguins with Rotary Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Polar Bears with Rotary Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are described in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Scooby-Doo Movie Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6

This one is described in circular 161.



2002 MAURITANIA Sea Birds with Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 6

These are part of the "sets" described at the top of the annex in circular 161.

Sheet 1


Sheet 2


2002 MAURITANIA Song Birds with Scouts Logo Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6

This one is also part of the "sets" described at the top of the annex in circular 161.



In 2003 the British producer and his crony distributors place another mass of counterfeit illegal stamps in the name of Mauritania on to the market.
They got caught!

View Next Page here!

References taken from:
U.P.U. Circular No. 161
Major Stamp Catalogs
Internet Research

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