MOZAMBIQUE ILLEGAL STAMPS
MOCAMBIQUE ILLEGAL STAMPS
2004

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Mozambique made in 2004

In 2004 the creation of a huge mass of EUROPA counterfeit illegal stamps was produced in the name of Mozambique. This set has had a controversial background since its creation. The agent Juan Montero making a huge stir about it back in 2007-2008. It is now well known that he was using his website stamp-scandal.com to promote himself as a model citizen going after "the bad guys" in the illegal stamp trade.

Also in the same year another set was authorized by the Mozambique postal administration on the topic of Famous Painters and their Paintings. Unfortunately this was given to Montero's agency and as such, he has a bunch of single stamp souvenir sheets made from the sets that were completely unauthorized and are therefore illegal. Still to this day being sold by distributors.

Here again, are recommended sites to use for reference. As I stated on the introduction, the WNS system is short on what is real. Listing the 2002 Stamperija and IGPC issues a mistake. It ends at 2005, namely because Stamperija gained control again in 2007 and all of the stamps produced by Stamperija for Mozambique fall completely short of the qualifications to be listed in the system.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

I have found the Colnect online catalog to be very helpful. Sadly because of the glut of abusive issues it is a pain to go through all the pages.

The Colnect Online Catalog for Mozambique

Check out their Illegal Stamp section as well. It is upgraded as of 2023 and shows counterfeits that may be missing here.

The Colnect Online Catalog Illegal Stamp Section for Mozambique

I have found the Stampworld.com Catalog to be very helpful as well but there are problems. Again, because of the abuse many of the pages are extremely long. They are listing some of the illegal stamps there as if they are ok simply because one rouge catalog continues to list them. The 2001 World cup Soccer Sheet for one.

The Stampworld Online Catalog for Mozambique

Again, I say the major catalogs should stick with the rules they portray in not listing abusive, overproduced stamps that have no evidence of postal usage. Sadly in the recent years they are breaking their own rules and ethics by listing them. At the rate Stamperija is going, Scott catalog will have to add another catalog just to cover them! Shame on the editors for bowing down to abusive stamp agencies. More than likely their are some "bad apples" within the editing departments who are getting kickbacks for getting the garbage listed!

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 (2021) 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 experts and savvy collectors.

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.

2004

THE 2006 50TH ANNIVERSARY EUROPA COUNTERFEITS

In 2004 a massive scheme was enacted which involved Marino Montero International philatelic agency and Sorbourne Limited owned by George Katz. We now know that the stamps were all made illegally. The countries involved were Mozambique, Saint Thomas and Prince Islands, Chad and Afghanistan. Juan Montero wrote an article on the Mozambique set trying to defray the public into thinking Mr. Katz made the set when it appears it is the complete opposite. Montero was still running the stamp producing company Mayfair International Security Printers located in France. The article in question was written in 2007 after Michel catalog delisted the set. It was taken down at the end of 2008 when his stamp-scandal website was taken down. By using the Internet Archive, I was able to figure out the time line and get a ton of snapshots of the site as it existed. The article is still being hosted by a site called thephilately.com. Why they have it is a mystery but it really should be taken down. The article is slander and false accusations based on this guys story alone. I have "preserved" the article and placed notes showing you the problems with it and why it is not to be fully believed by any means due to the amount of abusive misinformation. Only my opinion mind you. Here is a link to my reproduction.

Mozambique Postal Corruption

The 2004 EUROPA set made for Mozambique is illegal. It is verified as such by the Scott catalog and numerous other sources. The only catalog listing it is the Michel catalog. This is because of the corruption within the catalog editing department at the time which is shown in the article, but in a twisted sense. The Benin counterfeit illegal stamps were produced by Montero, not Katz and definitely not Satas. The set was made and placed onto the market in 2004. The year date on the counterfeit stamps are 2004. A major portion of them are offered as 2006 "issues". This is only because the illegal stamps celebrate the 2006 50th Anniversary of EUROPA. Rather than go by the obvious year of issue, shoddy dealers like to place them as if they are 2006 issues. Almost every dealer on the stamp venues that sell them are counterfeit illegal stamp dealers and unscrupulous dealers. Most have already made it to my illegal stamp sellers lists due to selling other counterfeits. Here is a first image of the main counterfeit souvenir sheet.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 12



Following are a couple snapshots showing the determination they are illegal.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Colnect Determination They are Counterfeit Illegal Stamps

At present in 2022, Colnect has this set listed in the "real" stamps section. It has an "issued" date of 1/22/2006. That should be removed and the illegal stamps should be moved to the Illegal stamps section. Due to Michel still listing them, they cannot....yet. Illegal stamps in many cases have distorted times they are said to be "issued" as you will see in a minute.



2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Lou Guadagno Determination They are Counterfeit Illegal Stamps



The actual "issue" date was January 22, 2005 according to the fake 2005 First Day Covers.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets on Fake 2005 First Day Covers



This shows us they were indeed made in 2004 as the year date inscribed on the illegal stamps shows.

This illegal stamp set was extensively produced as even the Montero bogus article implies. I believe the numbers are even higher. Possible and probable that they have been reproduced numerous times which is the way with counterfeit illegal stamp producers. Run out, just run off another batch.

They made the counterfeit souvenir sheets of two. Noting all are commonly available in perforated and imperforate forms.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 2



They made the counterfeit souvenir sheets of one. Noting again, all are commonly available in perforated and imperforate forms.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 1



They made the counterfeit souvenir sheets of twelve of the individual stamps. Noting again, all are commonly available in perforated and imperforate forms.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 12 Singles



They even made counterfeit color proof sets.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 12 Color Proof Set



What is also interesting is the fact that the inscription "History of the XXI Century" is on all of them. You can see that not one of the illegal stamps made with this inscription are listed by any catalog except this one by Michel. The inscription does prove one thing though. That Montero was involved namely by his own statement in the article that he had a contract to make them.

Finally here are images of just how massive the production was as even almost two decades later the criminal dealers are offering huge bulk lots.

2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 12 Bulk Lot for Sale



2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 2 Bulk Lot for Sale



2004 Mozambique 50th Anniversary of EUROPA Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets Bulk Lot Sales on eBay



Sold by the group of illegal stamp peddlers for years! It is a fact that these "stamps" were produced without authorization of Mozambique, just like the sets made in the name of Saint Thomas, Chad and Afghanistan. An evil scheme made up by a couple bad apples in the stamp world. Michel should be ashamed for continuing to list them despite the mountain of evidence that they are counterfeit goods. They have only contributed to the sale of millions of counterfeit stamps worldwide and need to correct their mistakes once and for all. Agree with the facts and delist them Michel catalog editors! One problem with stamp catalog editing is they never want to admit they are wrong as it diminishes their reputation as a reliable source. Sorry to say that all of the stamp catalogs have become just that....unreliable due to listing bogus issues, counterfeits and abusive stamps made by abusive stamp agencies.

You can do the research yourself and come to the same conclusions. These "stamps" should be shunned by everyone and of course the dealers that are selling them should be shunned as well. It is so obvious who they are!

FAMOUS PAINTINGS

In 2004 Montero had the Famous Paintings set made. The listing of the four souvenir sheets of six by all major catalogs shows us they were authorized to be made. The problem again though is this Montero. Obviously he was not satisfied with just being allowed to make the one set of mini sheets. He went on to make single stamp souvenir sheets of the stamps on the souvenir sheets of six and added a few more as well. None of them are listed by the catalogs. As is what appears to be the case with this "agent", rather than not make them, he did and proceeded to market them as real stamps. To this day you will see them still marketing them as if real.

2004 Mozambique Paintings by Jean Auguste Ingres Genuine Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6
Scott Catalog Number 1729, Michel Catalog Number 2818-2823



Here is the listings in Michel for this set. The translation of the note at the bottom reads in English, "were each printed together in small sheets." No mention of the illegal stamp souvenir sheets shown below which would have had "block" numbers.

2004 Mozambique Paintings Listings in Michel Catalog



2004 Mozambique Paintings by Jean Auguste Ingres Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 1

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3


2004 Mozambique Paintings by James Jacques Tissot Genuine Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6
Scott Catalog Number 1730, Michel Catalog Number 2824-2829



2004 Mozambique Paintings by James Jacques Tissot Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 1

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3


2004 Mozambique Paintings by James Jacques Tissot Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 1

In searching for these counterfeits I found three illegal souvenir sheets that are different than the illegal souvenir sheets taken from the "issued" stamps. It appears they were in the process of making a matched single stamp souvenir sheet for each of the four "issued" souvenir sheets of six. This one is matched to the Tissot set. The other two are not matched to any of the other sets, thus showing us they were in process of creating more sets on other painters and their paintings. It looks like they got stopped hard as they did not have more sets made as the illegal side of the market shows.



2004 Mozambique Paintings by Pierre Auguste Renoir Genuine Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6
Scott Catalog Number 1731, Michel Catalog Number 2830-2835



2004 Mozambique Paintings by Pierre Auguste Renoir Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 1

Part 1

Part 2
Two of the counterfeit souvenir sheets I could find no good images of. They are in this group of 6 sold by Bentley1Stamp on Hipstamp. One of Montero's close illegal stamp peddling buddies.

Part 3


2004 Mozambique Paintings by Edgar Degas Genuine Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 6
Scott Catalog Number 1732, Michel Catalog Number 2836-2841



2004 Mozambique Paintings by Edgar Degas Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of 1

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3


Here are the other two counterfeit souvenir sheets celebrating different painters that were not in the "issued" set.

2004 Mozambique Paintings by Claude Monet Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 1



2004 Mozambique Paintings by Henri Fantin-Latour Counterfeit Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of 1



Anyone who tries to convince you these are anything other than illegal stamps is just intent on ripping you off! Avoid!

In 2005 all went silent except of course the major distribution of the counterfeit EUROPA stamps. In 2006 more illegal stamps appear.

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References taken from:
Major Stamp Catalogs
Internet Research

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