This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Flags on stamps

Last modified: 2023-09-30 by martin karner
Keywords: flags on stamps | stamp | coa on stamps |
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See also: [Ed. note: Expired website links were tried to be retrieved. Where this was not possible (or only partially), they were removed.
More links you find on respective national flags on stamps pages.]

Ed. remark: Most of the contents of these pages were originally researched by Ron Lahav in 2005, and by Richard Mallett later on, with additional input by others. Contributions of vexillological nature are duly credited and dated.


About flags on stamps

This is a part of our site’s Bibliography pages under the assumption that stamps are a kind of “source” for officially sanctioned vexillological information, especially about flag design, and also a bit on usage and history. That typically such information is either irrelevant (because the same or better information is published elsewhere) or erroneous is an interesting fact.
António Martins, 5 December 2005

Flag errors in stamps

Many stamps show wrong flags, as some coins show wrong arms!
Ralf Stelter, 22 October 1998

As was already proven in several cases, stamps tend to be very untrustworthy evidence in vexillology. The stamps, especially those of Third World countries are made far away from home and the artists drawing them have little knowledge of the local reality. The errors even when found then tend to be ignored for the sake of the cost their correction would require, especially if the errors were not that large and would be spotted only be a very experienced eye.
Željko Heimer, 23 May 2004

The stamps of many smaller countries are not produced locally at all and most of them don’t even get to the issuing country.
Nahum Shereshevsky, 12 April 1997


List of philatelic catalogues

(Some other catalogues, namely those of a more specialized scope, are mentioned and referenced on the relevant pages: Afinsa, Bale, ЦФА, CFA, IATP, Jugomarka, Zumstein)


Some selected statistics (2007–2010)

Chronological progress of this flags-on-stamps catalog kept by FotW:

16 Set 2010:
3110 flags (and other 529 flag-related items) showing on 2990 stamps issued by 302 entities
11 Jun 2009:
2955 flags (and other 528 flag-related items) showing on 2881 stamps issued by 302 entities
04 Out 2007:
2705 flags (and other 527 flag-related items) showing on 2720 stamps issued by 301 entities
17 Sep 2007:
2046 flags (and other 495 flag-related items) showing on 2465 stamps issued by 301 entities