Country Identification of Contemporary Stamps - An Introduction

For novice collectors identifying the country of origin for a stamp can be confusing. Some countries have the country name inscribed in the national language or have their name in their official language spelled out in English. Adding more perplexity is the fact that many countries have undergone name transformations over the years for political and/or other reasons and resulting in different names being inscribed in stamps from different periods for the same country.

The list below focuses on contemporary stamps that have country name inscriptions in a language other than English. The most common example is listed when there are multiple designs. Future posts on country profiles will look at older issues that have other inscriptions:


Country Name (click for link to philatelic bureau)Flag (Click for location info in google maps)Stamp Sample (Click for purchase options on eBay)Identification Hints
AzerbaijanInscription reads ‘AZӘRBAYCAN’
BelgiumInscription reads ‘BELGIË-BELGIQUE’ or ‘BELGIQUE-BELGIË’
Bosnia HerzegovinaInscription reads ‘Republika Bosna Hercegovina’
Bosnia Herzegovina (Croat)











Inscription reads same as above
Bosnia Herzegovina (Serb)























BrazilInscription reads ‘Brasil’
Cape VerdeInscription reads ‘CABO VERDE’
Central African RepublicInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE’
ChadInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE DU TCHAD’
Comoro IslandsInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE FEDERALE ISLAMIQUE DES COMORES’
People’s Republic of CongoInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO’
CroatiaInscription reads ‘HRVATSKA’
Czech RepublicInscription reads ‘ČESKĂ REPUBLIKA’
DenmarkInscription reads ‘DANMARK’
Dominican RepublicInscription reads ‘REPUBLICA DOMINICANA’
Equitorial GuineaInscription reads ‘REPǓBLICA DE GUINEA EQUITORIAL’
EstoniaInscription reads ‘EESTI’
Faroe IslandsInscription reads ‘FØROYAR’
French PolynesiaInscription reads ‘POLYNESIE FRANCAISE’
French Southern Antartic TerritoryInscription reads ‘TERRES AUSTRALES ET ANTARCTIQUES FRANCAISES’
GabonInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE GABONAISE’
GermanyInscription reads ‘DEUTSCHLAND’
Great BritainHead instead of inscription.
GreeceInscription reads ‘HELLAS’
GreenlandInscription reads ‘GRØNLAND’
GuineaInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE DE GUINEE’
Guinea-BissauInscription reads ‘GUINÉ-BISSAU’
HaitiInscription reads ‘RÉPUBLIQUE D´HAITI’
HungaryInscription reads ‘MAGYARORZÁG’
IrelandInscription reads ‘ÉIRE’
ItalyInscription reads ‘ITALIA’
Ivory CoastInscription reads ‘RÉPUBLIQUE DÉ CÓTE D´IVOIRE’
JapanInscription reads ‘NIPPON’
LaosInscription reads ‘LAO PDR’
LatviaInscription reads ‘LATVIJA’
LebanonInscription reads ‘LIBAN’
LithuaniaInscription reads ‘LIETUVA’
MacaoInscription reads ‘MACAU’
MacedoniaInscription reads ‘MAKEДOHИJA’
Malagasy























Inscription reads ‘MADAGASIKARA’
MauritaniaInscription reads ‘RÉPUBLIQUE ISLAMIQUE DE MAURITANIE’
MoroccoInscription reads ‘ROYAUME DU MAROC’
MozambiqueInscription reads ‘MOÇAMBIQUE’
Netherlands-AntillesInscription reads ‘Netherlandse Antillen’
New CaledoniaInscription reads ‘NOUVELLE-CALEDONIE’
Northern CyprusInscription reads ‘KUZEY KIBRIS’
North KoreaInscription reads ‘DPR KOREA’
NorwayInscription reads ‘NORGE’
PhilippinesInscription reads ‘PILIPINAS’
PolandInscription reads ‘POLSKA’
RussiaInscription reads ‘ROSSIJA’
Saudi ArabiaInscription reads ‘SR’
SerbiaInscription reads ‘CPБИJA’
SlovakiaInscription reads ‘SLOVENSKO’
SloveniaInscription reads ‘SLOVENIJA’
South KoreaInscription reads ‘KOREA’
SpainInscription reads ‘ESPAŃA’
St. Pierre MiquelonInscription reads ‘SPM’
St. Thomas & Prince IslandsInscription reads ‘S.TOMÉ PRÍNCIPE’
SurinamInscription reads ‘SURINAME’
SwedenInscription reads ‘SVERIGE’
SwitzerlandInscription reads ‘HELVETIA’
Togo











Inscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE TOGOLAISE’
TunisiaInscription reads ‘REPUBLIQUE TUNISIENNE’
TurkeyInscription reads ‘TÜRKÍYE’
UkraineInscription reads ‘UKRAINA’
Vatican CityInscription reads ‘VATICANO’
Wallis & FatunaInscription reads ‘WALLIS et FUTUNA’



Last Updated: 09/2015.

25 comments :

Anonymous said...

Nice ARticle!!!

RJ
nonator@uchastings.edu

Ellen C. said...

My husband and I are starting up a stamp collection for my son so I'd love to win. Thanks for the chance.

sweetascandy579 at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

Hope to win!

abogadolaw@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I hope to win for my son

pinkveganmiso(at)yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Very informative. I did not know some of the information posted here about certain countries before. Thanks

JL
attorneyatwork@hotmail.com

Loreza said...

Nice

loren25md@yahoo.ca

Anonymous said...

hope to win this time... (:
thanks for the opportunity

Neta
tusha3@walla.com

Reginaallen86 said...

Very informative and entertaining, new to the site, Winning would be great

Reginaallen86@Gmail.com

Anonymous said...

SR mean Saudi Riyal which is the currency of Saudi Arabia.

Recent Saudi stamps such as shown in the list above only have the coat of arms instead of country name inscription (crossed scimitars under a date tree). Older stamp may have the inscription KSA.

mnshy@tm.net.my

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I'm helping my 7 and 5 year old sons to start their stamp collections, so winning would be great for them.

Tomer from Israel

tomerto@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Very interesting the site. It's a pitty that my own country(Romania) is not yet on the list.
time_to_dream@yahoo.com

schandra14 said...

Very good idea to promote philately to the youngstar .I am from India & I am also interested in such new ideas from the website
schandra14@yahoo.com

velka3 said...

Winning will give me a boost to carry on collecting stamps

Anonymous said...

My mother started me on stamp collecting when I was young...but over the years I must have misplaced my stamp album and lost all my childhood collection. Am trying to restart my collection again as adult but have so desperately few stamps now. Thanks for the website, I love this page as I have received some stamps in their native language but not too sure what country they are from. This is definitely on my bookmark!
My email: j0ty@hotmail.com

CESAR said...

I am a 48 years old high School Teacher I live in Peru South America.
I encourage to my students to collect stamps and we are organizing a stamp club at school.
So I need stamps for my students.
Thanks for your support. Feel free to contact me to:
Professor.
CESAR PEREZ DIOSES

cesar_perezds@yahoo.es

Jenn Milt Art said...

how cool, would love to win these stamps!

jrerwin6@gmail.com

Angel said...

My son is still hoping to win your stamps!

Dave Roller said...

I WOULD LOVE TO WIN THESE STAMPS! I am hosting a state quarter give-a-way on my blog. I think stamps and coin give-a-ways compliment each other well.

Mary said...

This is very neat! My husband collects stamps and I love looking at them. He hopes to get his son into collecting as well

Angi said...

Thanks so much for the Country ID list. I've had some trouble figuring out WHERE some of my stamps are from, and your list will help tremendously!

Angi H
Louisville, KY

Digital Misfit said...

I would love this stamp collection. I have an unsorted collection of stamps that I inherited from my father. About 70% of the stamps are Canada and USA, but there are some beautiful international ones.

heidig@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi interesting site
Hope 2 win this time
dr_acka@yahoo.co.in

Anonymous said...

Hoping to win

thelawyer01@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Oh I'd love to win this for my dad! Thanks for the chance! southerner@aol.com

Renee G said...

Oh I'd love to win.

rsgrandinetti(at)yahoo.com

Labels

401k ( 15 ) Abad Turtle Beach ( 1 ) Abrams Capital Management ( 5 ) Acoustic Electric Guitars ( 1 ) Acoustic Guitars ( 1 ) ACT ( 1 ) Activist ( 4 ) Address Change ( 2 ) Advanced Placement ( 4 ) air asia ( 2 ) airlines ( 2 ) Akre Capital Management ( 18 ) Alex Roepers ( 5 ) AP ( 4 ) apartments ( 2 ) Appaloosa ( 15 ) ARIUS ( 1 ) Arlington Value Capital ( 3 ) Atlantic Investment Management ( 5 ) Ayemenem ( 1 ) Bangalore ( 3 ) Bangkok ( 2 ) Bannerghatta National Park ( 1 ) barbuda ( 2 ) Battery Park ( 1 ) Baupost ( 2 ) Baupost Group ( 17 ) bay area ( 2 ) BDCs ( 3 ) Benjamin Graham ( 2 ) Benjamin Graham Model ( 2 ) Berijam Lake ( 2 ) Berkshire Hathaway ( 35 ) best sites ( 9 ) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ( 41 ) Bill Ackman ( 19 ) Bill Gates ( 40 ) Blue Ridge Capital ( 16 ) Blum Capital Partners ( 12 ) books ( 4 ) Boone Pickens ( 2 ) BP Capital Management ( 2 ) Brave Warrior ( 3 ) Brave Warrior Advisors ( 16 ) british honduras ( 2 ) Bruce Berkowitz ( 19 ) Bruce Fund ( 38 ) Camcorders ( 3 ) canada ( 4 ) cancun ( 3 ) CANROYs ( 7 ) Cantillon ( 12 ) carl icahn ( 9 ) Carl Ichan ( 8 ) casino ( 3 ) Casio ( 2 ) CBRE ( 2 ) CEF ( 2 ) Charles Akre ( 15 ) Charlie Munger ( 40 ) Chase Coleman ( 16 ) Chou Associates ( 29 ) Christmas gifts ( 7 ) Christopher H. Browne ( 7 ) Chuck Akre ( 13 ) Cisco ( 2 ) Class Action Settlements ( 2 ) CLEP ( 1 ) Coatue Management ( 28 ) Cochin ( 2 ) coin collecting ( 266 ) collectibles ( 266 ) Consumer Product Reviews ( 29 ) cook islands ( 2 ) coonoor ( 2 ) Covered Calls ( 2 ) credai ( 4 ) Daily Journal ( 37 ) Dalal Street ( 8 ) Dan Loeb ( 10 ) DAT ( 1 ) David Abrams ( 5 ) David Einhorn ( 22 ) David Swensen ( 17 ) David Tepper ( 15 ) David Winters ( 15 ) DCF ( 2 ) Digital Piano ( 3 ) Dinakar Singh ( 20 ) Donald Yacktman ( 10 ) dry bulk shipping ( 2 ) Duquesne ( 34 ) Education ( 37 ) Edward Lampert ( 21 ) Egerton Capital ( 39 ) Egypt ( 3 ) Elementary Education ( 10 ) Elementary School Textbooks ( 5 ) eReaders ( 2 ) Eric Mindich ( 13 ) ESL Investments ( 14 ) ESPP ( 6 ) ETF ( 2 ) ETN ( 2 ) Eton Park ( 13 ) Everyday Musings ( 58 ) Exam Prep ( 7 ) Exiting the rat race - how to? ( 19 ) EXPLORE ( 1 ) Fair Value Estimates ( 4 ) Fairfax Financial ( 4 ) Fairfax Financial Holdings ( 14 ) Fairholme ( 19 ) Fairpointe ( 28 ) Family Office ( 18 ) FD Laddering ( 1 ) Financial Independence ( 93 ) Fisher Asset Management ( 10 ) Flash Camcorders ( 3 ) flat ( 4 ) flats ( 2 ) Flip ( 3 ) Francis Chou ( 29 ) free ( 17 ) frugal ( 3 ) Frugal Living ( 34 ) Fund Holdings ( 961 ) futures ( 2 ) FVE ( 2 ) gambling ( 3 ) garmin ( 2 ) Genting ( 2 ) george soros ( 27 ) giveaway ( 15 ) Glenn Greenberg ( 20 ) Glenview Capital ( 14 ) GMAT ( 1 ) Google ( 2 ) Gotham Asset Management ( 7 ) gps ( 5 ) GRE ( 1 ) Greenlight Capital ( 22 ) Guitars ( 3 ) Half Marathon ( 2 ) Hawaii ( 2 ) Hedge Funds ( 1154 ) HELOC ( 1 ) High School Education ( 7 ) High School Textbooks ( 6 ) HOA ( 3 ) hobby ( 17 ) holiday shopping ( 7 ) Holidays ( 3 ) Holyland ( 11 ) Home Improvement ( 2 ) home ownership ( 5 ) Homes ( 18 ) Homeschool ( 18 ) Houses ( 2 ) Housing ( 3 ) Hykon ( 2 ) Ian Cumming ( 15 ) Icahn Enterprises ( 6 ) india real estate ( 5 ) Infinuvo ( 6 ) Insurance ( 3 ) invesco ( 17 ) investing strategies ( 3 ) Investment Portfolio ( 96 ) Investment Research ( 10 ) Investments ( 7 ) iRobot ( 5 ) Irving Kahn ( 13 ) israel ( 5 ) Jason Maynard ( 10 ) Jefferies ( 2 ) Jeffrey Bruce ( 39 ) Jeffrey Ubben ( 23 ) Jerusalem ( 2 ) Jim Chanos ( 20 ) Joel Greenblatt ( 7 ) John Armitage ( 40 ) John Griffin ( 16 ) John Paulson ( 17 ) Joho Capital ( 19 ) Jordan ( 3 ) Joseph Steinberg ( 9 ) Julian Robertson ( 4 ) Kahn Brothers ( 14 ) Kakkanad ( 4 ) Kanyakumari ( 2 ) Kawai ( 2 ) Ken Fisher ( 10 ) kerala real estate ( 5 ) Kids ( 49 ) Kids Yamaha ( 3 ) Kindle ( 2 ) kochi ( 8 ) Kodaikanal ( 2 ) Korg ( 2 ) Kraft ( 2 ) Kuala Lumpur ( 2 ) KWA ( 2 ) Kynikos ( 20 ) laptop ( 5 ) Larry Robbins ( 14 ) Las Vegas ( 2 ) Leon Cooperman ( 30 ) Leucadia ( 2 ) Leucadia National ( 13 ) Lone Pine Capital ( 9 ) long ( 6 ) long call ( 2 ) long puts ( 3 ) Lou Simpson ( 15 ) LSAT ( 1 ) Mahabalipuram ( 2 ) Malaysia ( 3 ) Marathon ( 2 ) Mark McGoldrick ( 10 ) Markel ( 23 ) Mason Hawkins ( 4 ) MCAT ( 1 ) Melinda Gates ( 31 ) memorabilia ( 266 ) MFP Investors ( 37 ) Michael Dell ( 22 ) Michael Price ( 40 ) Middle School Education ( 4 ) Middle School Textbooks ( 3 ) Mini Notebook ( 3 ) MODUS ( 1 ) Mohnish Pabrai ( 22 ) mortgage ( 2 ) Mount Kellett ( 10 ) MSD Capital ( 22 ) Music ( 6 ) Mutual Funds ( 8 ) mysore ( 2 ) Nelson Peltz ( 13 ) Netbook ( 4 ) Notebook ( 3 ) numismatics ( 266 ) O-Duster ( 1 ) Oahu ( 2 ) offers ( 2 ) Ole Andreas Halvorsen ( 10 ) Omega Advisors ( 29 ) online tax ( 4 ) ooty ( 2 ) Options ( 4 ) Pabrai Fund ( 17 ) passive income ( 7 ) pattaya ( 2 ) Paulson & Company ( 7 ) Paulson and Company ( 9 ) PEG ( 2 ) Pershing Square ( 19 ) Phil Fisher ( 5 ) philately ( 283 ) Philippe Laffont ( 28 ) Piano ( 9 ) PLAN Test ( 1 ) portfolio ( 4 ) Prem Watsa ( 17 ) product reviews ( 13 ) Property Taxes ( 2 ) PSAT ( 1 ) R2I ( 24 ) R2I Finances ( 3 ) R2I Housing ( 5 ) Raising Kids ( 41 ) Rat Race ( 15 ) RBS Partners ( 19 ) reading ( 5 ) real estate ( 6 ) Reducing Expenses ( 2 ) REIT ( 3 ) Retirement Portfolio ( 9 ) Reviews ( 81 ) Richard C. Blum ( 12 ) Robert Bruce ( 39 ) Robert Karr ( 19 ) Robotic Vacuum ( 4 ) Roland ( 2 ) Roomba ( 10 ) schooling ( 2 ) Sears ( 12 ) seeking alpha ( 2 ) Services - Reviews ( 33 ) Seth Klarman ( 19 ) Shipping ( 5 ) Shopping ( 3 ) short ( 5 ) short calls ( 2 ) short put ( 2 ) short puts ( 2 ) short selling ( 13 ) Ski ( 5 ) Sled ( 4 ) Solar Stocks ( 13 ) Soros Fund Management ( 14 ) Southeastern Asset Management ( 4 ) Southwest ( 2 ) spin-offs ( 2 ) SQ Advisors ( 15 ) stamp collecting ( 283 ) Stanley Druckenmiller ( 33 ) Statue of Liberty ( 2 ) Stephen Mandel ( 9 ) Stock Analysis ( 84 ) Stock Investments ( 4 ) Stock Portfolio Updates ( 6 ) stocks ( 3 ) summer ( 2 ) tax ( 7 ) TaxAct ( 3 ) TaxCut ( 1 ) Teacher's Editions ( 5 ) Technology ( 5 ) Test Prep ( 11 ) Thailand ( 3 ) Thekkady ( 2 ) theme park ( 2 ) Third Point ( 10 ) Thomas Gayner ( 40 ) Thyra Zerhusen ( 29 ) Tiger Cub ( 34 ) Tiger Global ( 17 ) Tiger Management ( 13 ) Time Square ( 2 ) TOEFL ( 1 ) TPG-Axon ( 20 ) Travel ( 278 ) Travel Reviews ( 82 ) Trian Fund Holdings ( 9 ) trip report ( 21 ) TurboTax ( 3 ) Tweedy Browne ( 10 ) Vacations ( 28 ) value investing ( 25 ) ValueAct ( 9 ) ValueAct Holdings ( 6 ) Vancouver ( 2 ) Video ( 3 ) Viking Global ( 10 ) Wallace Weitz ( 14 ) Warren Buffett ( 32 ) Wayanad ( 4 ) Weitz Investment Management ( 13 ) wilbur ross ( 17 ) William Von Mueffling ( 12 ) Wintergreen Advisors ( 15 ) Yacktman Asset Management ( 10 ) Yale Endowment ( 17 ) Yale University ( 7 ) Yamaha ( 7 ) YDP ( 1 ) YPG ( 1 )