Last modified: 2024-05-15 by antónio martins
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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.
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, 05 Dec 2005
Not to say that one source is better than the other, but the stamps
themselves are also issued by the government. The stamps in general are not
always accurate, but most stamps are issued by the governments that sell them.
On the other hand, stamps are typically issued by
semi-autonomous institutions that, despite depending on the government,
typically has autonomy in terms of stamp design.
Jorge Candeias, 31 Aug 2001
Many stamps show wrong flags, as some coins show wrong arms!
Ralf Stelter, 22 Oct 1998
I’ve seen so many inaccuracies on stamps, flag wise, that I’m
quite reluctant to treat them as trustworthy sources. To me, stamps are more
or less at the level of flag plates in Encyclopedias in what concerns
reliability. Therefore I guess that caution is not unwise.
Jorge Candeias, 31 Aug 2001
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 Apr 1997
(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, and more)
Chronological progress of this flags-on-stamps catalog kept by FotW:
Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page.