Only a post administration of a corresponding country or its authorized philatelic agents have a right to produce official postage stamps. Only legal stamps cover the costs of post services. If an agency violates the signed contract, its produced stamps cannot be regarded as legal and have no value.

Every important question regarding stamp production (themes, designs, denomination, release date, edition) is thoroughly discussed between the agent and the post administration. The responsibility to produce only high quality postage stamps lies on the philatelic agent.

Philatelic agents, post administrations, retailers and stamp collectors should be concerned about the harm of the circulation of illegal postage stamps as it affects them all.

The descriptions and the lists of the official postage stamps come out in the official websites and stamp catalogues of the authorized philatelic agents: Scott (USA), Yvert and Tellier (France), Michel (Germany). The listings of postage stamps are also likely to be found in various philatelic periodicals.

Fake stamps ≠ illegal stamps.

“Illegal stamps” can be also correctly called “unofficial stamps” or “bogus stamps”. “Phantasy stamps” or “cinderella stamps” are not the exact phrases but are still frequently used to describe illegal postage stamps.

Illegal stamps and fake stamps should not be confused because they have different meanings.

Fake stamps might also be called “counterfeit stamps” and denominate the illegal copies of the official postage stamps. A lot of countries consider this activity as a criminal offence. To produce fake stamps, a person would try to receive the originals or the files from which they were produced and make identical copies, later presenting them as official stamps.

Illegal stamps are private newly produced labels that imitate usual stamps and whose producer pretends to have an official contract with the post administration under whose name the stamps are produced.

Producing stamps without an agreement with a concerned post administration is illegal and the sale of such stamps is cheating vis-à-vis a collector (except when the collector is aware about the real status of postage stamps). The sale of illegal stamps damages the activities in the field of philately and affects a time-honored tradition of stamp collecting.