THE FORMAT INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PRINTERS LTD. ARCHIVE

Information and Reference of What was Found in the Archive

Stamp issues for Bhutan printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd. and items found in the Archive

BHUTAN

Bhutan stamps printed by Format International Security Printers Ltd.

There is no real source of information that describes who printed stamps for Bhutan. Through internet research I was able to find the evidence proving that the Format Printers were the company that printed the following issues.

1974 CORONATION OF KING JIGME SINGYE WANGCHUK
Scott #157-63, SG #277-81, MS282
Limited quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.




1974 CENTENARY OF THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION Scott #164-8, C27-30, SG #283-90, MS291
Printed in panes of 50 and in sheetlets of 5 plus label
Limited quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.



Sheetlets of 5 Plus Label


1974 WORLD POPULATION YEAR
Scott #169-72, 172a, SG #292-5, MS296
Limited quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.




1975 BUTTERFLIES
Scott #173-81, SG #297-304, MS305




1975 APOLLO SOYUZ LINK-UP IN SPACE Scott #182-3, 183a, SG #315-6, MS317
Printed in se-tenant sheetlets of 10
Limited quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.



Se-tenant Sheetlet of 10


1975 HANDICRAFTS
Scott #184-93, SG #318-26, MS327




1976 RHODODENDRONS
Scott #203-11, SG #328-35, MS336




1976 12TH WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES, INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA
Scott #212-20, SG #337-44, MS345
Limited quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.




1976 FLOWERS
Scott #221-9, SG #358-65, MS366




1976 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLOMBO PLAN
Scott #230-7, SG #367-74



1976 5TH NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT CONFERENCE, COLOMBO, SRI LANKE
Scott #238-9, SG #unknown



1976 UNISSUED 5TH NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT CONFERENCE, COLOMBO, SRI LANKE

It has been referenced that a quantity of this set was issued to the Thimphu post office but later most were destroyed.
Due to the common practices of the printer saving unissued and rejected stamp issues and moving them to stamp dealers in bulk for resale to collectors I would not consider these to be extremely rare. Because of the availability of full panes of these and the availability of them through quite a few stamp dealers, it is quite evident that there are at least several thousand that still exist. Therefore, as with many other unissued items produced by the Format Printers, they should be valued at around $5.00 a set.



1978 ANNIVERSARIES AND EVENTS
Scott #240-6, SG #383-???, MS384g
Limited quantities of imperforates of these issues exist.
Scott catalog notes the existence of the souvenir sheets. It appears that finding a seller offering the complete set including all the souvenir sheets is quite difficult now.
A number of these issues as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare.


25th Anniversary of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Souvenir Sheet

American Bicentennial Souvenir Sheet

Centenary of the 1st Telephone Call by Alexander Graham Bell Souvenir Sheet

50th Anniversary of Charles A. Lindbergh's Trans-Atlantic Solo Flight Souvenir Sheet

Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics Souvenir Sheet

75th Anniversary of the Zeppelin Souvenir Sheet

75th Anniversary of the Nobel Prize Souvenir Sheet


1979 6TH NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT CONFERENCE, HAVANA
Scott #292-3, SG #415-6



1980 DEATH CENTENARY OF SIR ROWLAND HILL (1979)
Scott #305-9, SG #428-31, MS432
Limited quantities of imperforates of these issues exist.
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. A few uncut press sheets were found in the archive. All were broken into gutter varieties and souvenir sheet pairs imperforate between. They are extremely rare.




1981 MONASTERIES
Scott #310-16, SG #433-9
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988.



1981 ROYAL WEDDING OF PRINCE CHARLES AND LADY DIANA
Scott #317-21, SG #440-3, MS444
The 5nu and 20nu values were issued in sheetlets of 5 plus label
Limited quantities of imperforates of these issues exist.
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. A number of uncut press sheets were found in the archive. Most were broken into gutter varieties, souvenir sheet pairs imperforate between and sheetlet pairs or singles with large selvage. They are extremely rare. Several uncut press sheets still exist intact and are of the utmost rarity!



1981 Royal Wedding 5nu Sheetlet of 5 Plus Label

1981 Royal Wedding 20nu Sheetlet of 5 Plus Label


1982 WORLD CUP SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Scott #327-31, SG #450-3, MS454
Issued in Sheetlets of 5 plus label.
Limited quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.




1982 World Cup Soccer Sheetlets of 5 Plus Label


1982 21ST BIRTHDAY OF PRINCESS DIANA
Scott #327-31, SG #450-3, MS454
The 10nu and 15nu values were only issued in Sheetlets of 5 plus label.
Unusual quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.




1982 21st Birthday of Princess Diana Sheetlets of 5 Plus Label


1982 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOY SCOUTS
Scott #335-9, SG #460-3, MS464
Limited quantities of imperforate souvenir sheets of this issue exist.




1982 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Scott #351-60, SG #480-7, MS488
5000 sets or more of imperforates of these issues exist.
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. A number of uncut press sheets were found in the archive. It appears all were broken into gutter varieties and souvenir sheet pairs imperforate between and single souvenir sheets with large selvage. They are extremely rare!


1982 250th Anniversary of the Birth of George Washington Souvenir Sheet

1982 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Franklin D. Roosevelt Souvenir Sheet


1982 BIRTH OF PRINCE WILLIAM OF WALES
Scott #361-3, SG #475-8, MS479
The 10nu and 15nu values were only issued in Sheetlets of 5 plus label. It appears most have been broken for singles because of inflated pricing
Unusual quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.




1982 Birth of Prince William (Royal Baby Overprint) from Sheetlets of 5 Plus Label


1983 500TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF RAPHAEL
Scott #375-80, SG #489-92, MS493
Other than pieces from the unique press sheets found in the archive of the normal perforated issue as in gutters pairs of the single stamp issues and several pairs of both souvenir sheets attached and a couple single souvenir sheets with large selvage, nothing else seems to exist for this issue in the way of varieties. They are extremely rare!


1983 Expulsion of Heliodorus Souvenir Sheet

1983 Mass of Bolsena Souvenir Sheet


1983 BICENTENARY OF MANNED FLIGHT
Scott #386-90, SG #506-9, MS510
Imperforates exist but appear to only come from archived materials. This could change.
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. A number of uncut press sheets were found in the archive. It appears all were broken into gutter varieties and souvenir sheet pairs imperforate between and single souvenir sheets with large selvage. They are extremely rare!


1983 Bicentenary of Manned Flight Souvenir Sheet


1984 LOCOMOTIVES
Scott #420-31, SG #531-8, MS539
No imperforates seem to exist except from archived materials. This could change.
A small number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. They are extremely rare!




In 1985 a set of stamps depicting orchids was designed and produced to the point of imperforate proofs which exist on Format presentation cards but was never issued.

1986 SEVEN PRECIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF THE UNIVERSAL KING
Scott #530-6, SG #636-42
No imperforates seem to exist except from archived materials. This could change.
A small number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. They are extremely rare!



1986 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GIRL GUIDES
Scott #559-63, SG #664-7, MS668
Unusual quantities of imperforates of this issue exist.
Numerous "errors" of the overprint exist.
They can be considered "made for collector errors".




1986 HALLEY'S COMET
Scott #564-73, SG #669-76, MS677
5000 sets or more of imperforates of these issues exist.
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. A number of uncut press sheets were found in the archive. It appears all were broken into gutter varieties and souvenir sheet pairs imperforate between and single souvenir sheets with large selvage. They are extremely rare!


1986 Halley's Comet Over the Himalayas Souvenir Sheet

1986 Halley's Comet Over Domed Temple Dug-gye Jong Souvenir Sheet

1986 CENTENARY OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
Scott #574-83, SG #678-85, MS686
5000 sets or more of imperforates of these issues exist.
A number of this issue as perforated, imperforate proofs came onto the market after the liquidation of the Format International Security Printers Ltd. in 1988. There are some varieties that are legitimately rare. A number of uncut press sheets were found in the archive. It appears all were broken into gutter varieties and souvenir sheet pairs imperforate between and single souvenir sheets with large selvage. They are extremely rare!

These were the last stamps printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd. for Bhutan. The company went into bankruptcy in 1989.


1986 Statue of Liberty and Nippon Maru Sailing Ship Souvenir Sheet

1986 Statue of Liberty and Flat Bottom Sail Boats Souvenir Sheet

References taken from:
Scott Catalog
Internet research
Inventory list for the Format Archive by Robson Lowe

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