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A chronological listing of world postage stamps depicting design errors.
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1903 (month unknown)
Saint Kitts Nevis
1/2-, 2-, 2 1/2-, 6-pence, 1-shilling, and 2-shilling 6-pence stamps depict Christopher Columbus, circa 1492, looking through a telescope, circa 1608.
Catalog numbers: Scott 1,3,4,6,7,9; Stanley Gibbons 1,3,4,6,7,9
Approximate value: US$41.80 (Scott 2010).
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1904 April 30
United States of America
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Saint Louis, Missouri, April 30 to December 1.
10-cent stamp depicts a map of the USA showing the area of the Louisiana Purchase. But the map omits the original bulge north above the 49th parallel north latitude, and includes a south-east patch extending into Spanish Florida land.
Catalog numbers: Scott 327; Stanley Gibbons 334
Approximate value: US$30 (Scott 2018).
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1907 (month unknown)
Switzerland
2-, 3-, and 5-centime stamps depict William Tell's son with bow drawn with bow-string in front of stock. Later corrected when re-drawn.
Catalog numbers: Scott 126-28; Stanley Gibbons 225-227
Approximate value: US$1.05 (Scott 2010).
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1910 August 15
Newfoundland
2-cent stamp caption about the arms does not match the arms show, which are those granted to the colony itself by order of King Charles I in 1637.
Catalog numbers: Scott 88
Approximate value: US$1.15 (Scott 2014).
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1910 August 15
Newfoundland
300th anniversary of colonization of Newfoundland.
6-cent stamp depicts Sir Francis Bacon, with "z" in "colonization" reversed. A correct version also exists. Also, Sir Francis Bacon became Lord Verulam, though Lord Bacon is sometimes used.
Catalog numbers: Scott 92; Stanley Gibbons 100
Approximate value: US$65 (Scott 2014).
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1912 (month unknown)
Hong Kong
25-cent stamp with incorrect Chinese symbol for "2". Corrected and re-issued in 1919.
Catalog numbers: Scott 117
Approximate value: US$24 (Scott 2010).
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1915 (month unknown)
Belgium
5-franc stamp depicts King Albert I at Furnes with erroneous caption "FRANKEN". Re-issued in 1919 with correct caption "FRANK".
Catalog numbers: Scott 121
Approximate value: US$125 (Scott 2010).
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1915 (month unknown)
Panama
10-centesimo stamp compresses the font so much that the "C" in "CANAL" becomes an "O" or "D".
Catalog numbers: Scott 211; Stanley Gibbons 167
Approximate value: US$0.70 (Scott 2010).
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1915 (month unknown)
Panama
1-centesimo postage due stamp depicts the main gate of San Geronimo Castle, Portobelo, but was intended to show a gate of San Lorenzo Castle, Chagres.
Catalog numbers: Scott J4; Stanley Gibbons D169
Approximate value: US$5 (Scott 2010).
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1916 (month unknown)
Belgium
1.10-franc railway stamp with incorrect denomination "FRANKEN"; corrected to "FRANK" in 1920.
Catalog numbers: Scott Q75
Approximate value: US$21 (Scott 2010).
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1917 September 15
Canada
50th anniversary of Confederation.
3-cent stamp depicts a portion of a painting by Robert Harris of the Quebec Conference in 1864, but omits seven of the fathers of Confederation on the right side. For the 60th anniversary, a 2-cent stamp depicts all of the 134 men pictured in the painting.
Catalog numbers: Scott 135
Approximate value: US$1.25 (Scott 2014).
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1918 (month unknown)
Cochin (India)
1-anna stamp mistranslates "revenue" into the native language, which was soon corrected.
Catalog numbers: Scott 29
Approximate value: US$4.50 (Scott 2010).
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1918 December 12
Czechoslovakia
12 stamps (1- through 200-haleru, 1918-1919) depict Hradcany castle with Sun rising or setting in the background, but from this angle of the castle, the Sun would never be in this position. Later issues (1919-20) omit the circle of the Sun.
Catalog numbers: Scott 1-10,23,30
Approximate value: US$3 (Scott 2014).
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1919 (month unknown)
India
1 1/2-anna stamp is denominated "ONE AND HALF ANNA", which is corrected in 1921 to "ONE AND A HALF ANNAS".
Catalog numbers: Scott 101; Stanley Gibbons 163
Approximate value: US$0.45 (Scott 2010).
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1921 February 18
Jamaica
2 1/2-pence stamp depicts British flag at left with thick white horizontal band below the colored line (incorrect). A corrected version with thick white above the color was issued April 21.
Catalog numbers: Scott 79; Stanley Gibbons 82
Approximate value: US$3.50 (Scott 2010).
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1921 (month unknown)
Germany
5-pfennig (maybe other values too?) stamp with caption including short "s", later corrected to be a long "s" (looks like "f").
Catalog numbers: Scott 137
Approximate value: US$0.20 (Scott 2010).
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1923 July 9
Newfoundland
10-cent stamp depicting Humber River Canyon but is inscribed "Canon". Apparently the original photo used a tilde over the first "n", i.e. "Caņon".
Catalog numbers: Scott 139
Approximate value: US$2.50 (Scott 2014).
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1924 (month unknown)
Newfoundland
24-cent stamp depicting "Topsail Falls near St. John's", but the image shown is the reverse of the original photo.
Catalog numbers: Scott 144
Approximate value: US$45 (Scott 2014).
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1924 December 1
Denmark
10-, 15-, and 20-ore stamps depict King Christian X and King Christian IV, but each image is reversed left-right; correct images are also issued, so this may have been intentional.
Catalog numbers: Scott 165,167,169,171,173,175
Approximate value: US$42 (Scott 2014).
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1926 October 18
United States of America
2-cent stamp depicts scene of the Battle of White Plains, October 28, 1776, but shows the "Stars and Stripes" flag of June 1777 at the left. Also, the "Liberty or Death" flag at the right should have a completely red background.
Catalog numbers: Scott 629; Stanley Gibbons 644
Approximate value: US$1.70 (Scott 2018).
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1927 March 15
Romania
1-lei + 9-lei stamp is incorrectly denominated "1 lei" which is plural.
Catalog numbers: Scott B21; Stanley Gibbons 1061
Approximate value: US$1.50 (Scott 2010).
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1927 (month unknown)
Greece
5-drachma stamp depicts Sir Edward Codlington, omitting "Edward". The error is corrected when re-issued in 1928.
Catalog numbers: Scott 340
Approximate value: US$4.75 (Scott 2010).
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1927 August 1
Romania
50-bani, 4-lei, 4.50-lei, and 6-lei stamps depict the coat of arms flipped left-right (top right should be black).
Catalog numbers: Scott 310,314,315,317; Stanley Gibbons 1068,1072,1073,1075
Approximate value: US$2.50 (Scott 2010).
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