Production errors

Errors with or in overprints

Move the cursor over the small pictures for an enlarged view

Folded stamp during printing. As the paper was folded when this stamp was overprinted, the red overprint partially appears on the gummed side of the stamp. (GREECE - )


PNNEY instead of PENNY. PNNEY instead of PENNY in the overprint on the right stamp. (MALTA - 1900)


Wrong country name Wrong overprint BABRUDA was corrected into BARBUDA (BARBUDA - )


Wrong country name Wrong overprint : LSEOTHO instead of LESOTHO (LESOTHO - )


Wrong value. The postal rates increased from 4T to 5T when this stamp was printed. Some stamps with the wrong value however came into circulation. (MALAWI - )


Wrong date This conference, foreseen in 1971, took place in 1972. The stamps with a red 1971 overprint were withdrawn and replaced by stamps with a red 1972 overprint. However some stamps escaped their destruction (CEYLON - 1972)


Wrong name In the overprint the name of princess Alexandra was first misspelt Alexandria (MONTSERRAT - )


Two overprints Two overprints : the first one to change the value of the stamp to 5 Cents, the second one to One. Cents still appears in the plural. (LIBERIA - )


Double overprint Double overprint on hungarian stamp (YUGOSLAVIA - )


Missing letter Missing letter R of République in the overprint (LEBANON - )


Inverted overprint Inverted overprint : the old value of the stamp is still visible. (BELGIAN CONGO - )


Inverted overprint Inverted overprint (BELGIAN CONGO - )


Missing countryname Former British stamps overprinted and used by GUYANA to mark the independence attained in 1966. On one stamp in every sheet, the overprint GUYANA is missing and substitued by 1966 (upper left) (GUYANA - 1967)


BABRUDA One of the stamps shows the overprint BABRUDA instead if BARBUDA (BARBUDA - 1976)


Wrong overprint Wrong : Edhingburgh - Correct : Edinburgh (MONTSERRAT - 1987)


Overprint shift Left shift of the overprint (ZAIRE - 1961)


Inverted overprint Inverted overprint CONGO. (BELGIAN CONGO - 1960)


Error in name Wrong : TOMANEN - Correct name of the winner is Jouko TÖRMÄNEN (CONGO REPUBLIC - 1980)


Keep it cheap An overprint every two stamps to face a tariff change, not an common solution. (BELGIUM - 1921)


Typing error In the overprint on one stamp, 1874 is written I874. Correct on the other stamp. (COOK ISLANDS - 1965)


Hidden error 33th anniversary instead of 46th. The error was detected and the wrong figure hidden by a golden strip. (AFGHANISTAN - 1964)


Missing dot ? Overprint with or without a dot ? (ICELAND - 1922)


Wrong birthyear Overprint Hammarskjoeld 1904-1961. His correct name is Hammarsköld and he was born in 1905 (JORDAN - 1961)


Bad place Bad location for an overprint that is almost not visible. (LESOTHO - 1980)


Wrong date Stamp issued in 1923 for the inauguration of the Postal Air Services. The lanch was however postponed until the following year. Meanwhile there had been a change in currency : the surcharge conviently covered most of the wrong date. (RUSSIA - 1923)


Missing letter Wrong overprint : GRIFFTH instead of GRIFFITH. (AITUTAKI - 1988)


Inverted overprint Private issue celebrating the end of World War II. Inverted overprint and corrected stamps. (BELGIUM - 1950)


Double overprint Double overprint (INDIA - 1971)


Overprint shift Chain stamp with misplaced overprint, half on the stamp, half on the horizontal tab. (GREECE - 1920)


Inverted overprint Stamp with inverted and correct 'Red Cross' overprint. (GREECE - 1937)


Wrong letter OFFICIAI instead of OFFICIAL in overprint. (UNITED KINGDOM - 1896)


Error in overprint Wrong abbreviation in overprint : ANV instead of ANNIV. (AFGHANISTAN - 1957)


Missing 5 Omitted 5 in the overprint. (PARAGUAY - 1907)


M or m ? According to the German spelling rules, the M of 'Mark' should be capitalized. This was corrected on later issues. (MEMEL - 1922)


Capita letter According to the German spelling rules, the P of 'Pfennig' should be capitalized. This was corrected on later issues. (MEMEL - 1922)


One wrong letter Error in overprint. Wrong : KETAHKOTAAN - Correct : KEMAHKOTAAN. (JOHORE - 1891)


Missing value Missing 4c in the overprint of one stamp of every sheet. (BARBADOS - 1972)


Wrong value The intended overprint was '.35' . On one stamp of every sheet appears aa wrong overprint '.33' . (SRI LANKA - 1980)


Mixed letters Pre-cancel error : OIHO instead of OHIO. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 1990)


Second overprint U.S. Postal card with a second inverted 1 CENT overprint in the left low corner. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - )


Upside down Inverted overprint (YUGOSLAVIA - 1941)


Upside down Inverted overprint (LIBERIA - 1921)


Missing plane The little plane is missing in the overprint of one of the stamps. (COOK ISLANDS - 1966)


Inverted Inverted overprints. (RUSSIA - 1919)


Inversion Inverted overprint. (NEW CALEDONIA - 1883)


Wrong character * instead of - between the figures on the overprint. (SIERRA LEONE - 1963)


Wrong character / instead of - between the figures on the overprint. (SIERRA LEONE - 1963)


Wrong character . instead of - between the figures in the overprint. (SIERRA LEONE - 1963)


Wrong figure Overprint in local writing first showed a 2, and was afterwards corrected in a 4. (INDOCHINA - 1919)


Dot in overprint Missing dot or additional dot ? Not clear, but at least one of the overprints is not correct. (GIBRALTAR - 1964)


Inverted letter Inverted E in overprint - Wrong and correct stamp. (GREECE - 1936)


Overprint Double overprint (PORTUGUESE COLONIES - 1900)


Overprint Double overprint (GUATEMALA - 1900)


Overprint Inverted overprint. (BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA - 1918)


Overprint Stamp with inverted overprint. (COSTA RICA - 1911)


Wrong side Overprint of a Pétain-stamp with a Lothringer cross. The lower bar however is on the right side, not on the left. (FRANCE - 1944)


Wrong side Stamp with and without offset on the gummed side. (YUGOSLAVIA - 1941)


Inverted overprint Stamp of the Österreiches Feldpost with inverted and correct overprint. (POLAND - 1918)


Wrong star Various Turkish stamps were overprinted with a six-pointed Christian star instead of the five-pointed islam star. This was corrected in later overprints. (TURKEY - 1915)


Upside down overprint A change from 2F40 to 2F50 by an overprint seemed not successful, due to an inversion of this overprint. (BELGIAN CONGO - )


Inverted overprint The overprint had to hide the old facial value ... but was printed inverted on the stamp. (BELGIAN CONGO - 1967)


Inverted overprint Fiscal stamp with inverted overprint. (GUATEMALA - 1890)


Small letter Small O in ONE on this red overprint. (DOMINICA - 1916)


Not valid Stamps marked 'SPECIMEN' are not valid for postal use, but were accepted here on a registered mail. (SWEDEN - 1986)


Wrong overprint Sheets were overprinted to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Prince Charles. On some sheets, the overprint is 1948-1948 instead of 1948-1988. (GUYANA - 1988)


Wrong value Sheetlet of 7 stamps, incorrectly surcharged $1.60 instead of $1.50. (NEVIS - 1985)


Lack of imagination What a lack of imagination : emphazise the destruction of the city of Agadir by an earthquake with a red cross overprint on an existing stamp. (MOROCCO - 1960)


Wrong city A first stamp showed (see right side) Istanbul instead of Ankara as the location for this international meeting. The error was corrected by an overprint. (KAZAKHSTAN - 2006)


Mixed up Dances were mixed up between two stamps : Dance KANTERE and Dance des POANS. A corrected stamp was issued. (CAMBODIA - 1988)


Mixed up Dances were mixed up between two stamps : Dance KANTERE and Dance des POANS. A corrected stamp was issued. (CAMBODIA - 1988)


Wrong colour Those stamps were ordered with a red overprint, but delivered with a black one. Most of the stamps were destroyed. (NEPAL - 1960)


Upside down One of these overprints was put upside down, up to you to decide whitch one. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - )


Upside down One of these overprints was put upside down. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - )


Correction by overprint This stamp was already printed when the Brexit-date was postponed. The problem was solved by an overprint. (AUSTRIA - 2019)


Wrong cut Wrong: CHRIS - TMAS Correct: CHRIST-MAS (ANGUILLA - 1969)


Wrong anniversary Stamp issued in 1960 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the death of native poet Ma'ruf al Rusafi. First issued with a wrong date (1959), was corrected afterwards. (IRAQ - 1960)