THE FORMAT INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PRINTERS LTD. ARCHIVE

Information and Reference of What was Found in the Archive

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

ZAIRE

Zaire stamps printed by Format International Security Printers Ltd.

The Format Printers only produced four sets of stamps for this country. The competition for the contracts appear quite heavy during Format's time for Zaire. During the 1970's and 1980's it appears Zaire was using multiple philatelic agents.

1979 ZAIRE (CONGO) RIVER EXPEDITION
Scott #902-9, 905a, 909a, SG #952-9, MS960

The 1979 River Expedition set does have proof that it was created by the Format Printers. Namely from my acquisition of what apparently is the unique imperforate proof set of panes which includes the souvenir sheets on a press sheet that Kasimir Bileski obtained in the final sale of the printers archive. The press sheet has no printers logo nor color guides. Other than this press sheet there is no more real proof that Format printed them except for the fact that closely associated companies have tons of examples of different types of errors for the issue listed on their websites. All the errors are what I would consider from printers waste sheets and are common. The stamp panes themselves have no logo or color guides that are visible on the selvage. Because these companies and dealers have so much of this material, it shows us that it was indeed directly retrieved from the Format Printers at the time of printing.
The errors include many color shifts, perforation errors and color inverts. Probably around 100 versions and most likely made in favor to the associated dealers.
Imperforates of the single stamps are quite common including full panes cut from press sheets. Imperforate souvenir sheets cut from press sheets also appear to be quite common as well although many of these dealers are asking very high prices for them. To this day I have never seen a souvenir sheet Bileski style "pair" that could be created from the press sheets they came from. All that have and are being sold are single souvenir sheets with large selvage. A pair could only be two blue souvenir sheets or a blue and a green souvenir sheet. Either being only in a vertical pair as there are only three souvenir sheets (one upper position green and two lower positions blue) all vertically positioned on one side of the press sheet.




Imperforate Stamp Set


1980 CENTENARY OF THE SALVATION ARMY
Scott #960-8 SG #1002-9, MS1010

Imperforates and archival materials exist. They are not common.



Imperforate Stamp Set

Imperforate Souvenir Sheet


1980 TROPICAL FISH
Scott #974-81, 981A, SG #1017-24, MS1025

Imperforates and archival materials exist. They are not common.



Imperforate Stamp Set

Imperforate Souvenir Sheet


1981 SATURDAY EVENING POST COVERS BY NORMAN ROCKWELL
Scott #1005-12, SG #1053-60

Imperforates seem not to exist except on presentation cards. They are not common.



These were the last stamps printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd. for Zaire.

References taken from:
Stanley Gibbons Online Catalog
Scott Catalog
Inventory list for the Format Archive by Robson Lowe
Internet Research

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