Design errors

Motion and Transportation

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Falling motorcycle. This motorcycle cannot stand up, as the device to lift the back wheel is not in position. (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 1925)


A strange way to hold the frontwheel of this motorcycle in position A strange way to hold the frontwheel of this motorcycle in position (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 1922)


Dangerous bus. Look carefully at the yellow bus. It is obvious that the front side of the bus is left. Which means that the doors have been drawn on the left side of the bus. In that way, people have to enter and leave the bus in the middle of the road ! (GERMANY - 1965)


Wrong traffic lights In Italy, as in most European countries, the red colour is always at the top in traffic lights. (ITALY - 1957)


Missing wheels. Missing left frontwheel of this coach, that should have been visible like the rear one. (GERMANY - 1973)


Strange wipers The windshield wipers of the small right van are not parallel. (GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC - 1960)


Strange wipers One of the windshield wipers is pointing to the left, the other one to the right. (GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC - 1960)


Missing spokes. A bicycle wheel has 32 spokes, not 24 or 28 as pictured on those stamps. (GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC - 1956)


Curved road Stamp issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1.500 miles highway linking British Columbia to Alaska. Comparing to the original photo, the straight road has been curved. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 1992)


Missing spanners. Bicycle wheels without spanners. (ITALY - 1968)


No issue. There is a carriage way under the railway bridge, which was omitted on the left side. When the tamp was reissued, this error was corrected. (KENYA UGANDA TANZANIA - 1935)


Wrong name Wrong : ALPHA - Correct : ALFA (LIBERIA - 1993)


Different dates. According to one of those stamps, the bicycle was invented in 1809. But according to the other one, it happened nine years later. (MALI - 1968)


Strange car. The red right car has been equipped with red break lampps in front… (GERMANY - 1986)


Icy road ? Why show a winter scene on an icy road, as this tunnel was inaugurated in June (YUGOSLAVIA - )


Strange bicycle Fold-up bicycle for military use. But the handle bar has been placed in front of the saddle. This means that the saddle is linked to the front wheel, and the steering bar to the rear wheel. (TOGO - 1978)


Wrong side. The doors of this autobus are at the wrong side. (SWITZERLAND - 1953)


Upside down The Citroën sign on the front of the car is upside down. (MONGOLIA - 1989)


Dangerous transportation Bicycles without brakes, and horses without reins. (GERMANY - 1987)


Missing glove Visiting the moon on the moon buggy, without gloves ! (GRENADA - 1971)


Wrong coulours Each category has a specific colour for number plates, and different engine categories do not compete in the same race. (YUGOSLAVIA - 1989)


Dangerous A sprint on bicycles without brakes. (ITALY - 1962)


One A too much The Ford AA model is a van. This is a Ford A. (BARBADOS - 1983)


Wrong years Schumacker : as the years he became worldmaster were wrong, a new stamp was issued. (AUSTRIA - 2006)


Wrong side The street signs were first designed at the wrong side of te road, the stamp was corrected. (NIGERIA - 1973)


Unrealistic bicycles A pump on a bicycle in a competition in 1972 is not realistic. And a piece of the frame is missing between the saddle and the pedals on both bicycles. (ALGERIA - 1972)


Wrong colors At the time this stamp was issued, the traffic lights in China had the green light at the top, and the red light at the bottom. (CHINA - 1981)


Wrong bicycle This is a competition bicycle. But at the 2nd national Worker's game in 1985, it was decided to use ordinary bicycles. (CHINA - 1985)


Wrong period. This mail coach is not from the19th century, but from the 18th century. (FALKLAND ISLANDS - 1974)


Against the rules According to the French law, living humans should not appear on stamps. Apparently an exception was made for the French champion Jacques Anquetil. (FRANCE - 1972)


Missing stage This tour started and ended in Prague. The last stage from Pilsen back to Prague was forgotten. (GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC - 1957)


Dangerous The horse with rider does not have neither swipe nor harness, and the rider must sit on the left horse as the right horse is the 'hand-horse'. (GERMANY - 1969)


Not efficient The left horse is pulling on a chain, the right horse on nothing. and the draught-horse is connected with the pole in an impossible way. (GERMANY - 1985)


Wrong year This car is not a Tourenwagen 1913 from Daimler Benz but rather the equivalent from 1924. (GERMANY - 1982)


Missing wheel This three-wheeler seems to have lost one of its front wheels. (HUNGARY - 1963)


Wrong car This is not an early Daimler from 1886, but rather a Benz Motorwagen with 3 wheels (the Daimler had 4). (HUNGARY - 1986)


Strange relation 500 years of the wheel and horse in America. It is rather farfetched to link the wheel and the horse to a Grand Prix race. (MEXICO - 1992)


Wrong name of car. WOLKSWAGEM instead of Volkswagen. (PORTUGAL - 1994)


Wrong registration Whool-laden lorry with the registration number 11-957. But in 1935 new regulations stipulated that a lorry such as thisshould carry the letter H before the nimber. (NEW ZEALAND - 1936)


Too old The 1895 Benz and the 1904 Oldsmobile are veterans (built before 1905), not vintage cars (built beween 1917 and 1933). (NEW ZEALAND - 1972)


Missing leg Only eleven legs for three horses. (SWEDEN - 1936)


Incomplete bicycle Incomplete bicycle : no pedals, chain and spokes in the wheels. (POLAND - 1948)


Wrong date This car was first built in 1901, not in 1909. (RUSSIA - 1973)


Small detail The arms of Transvaal include a weldwagon, which has a single draught-pole, the oxen being outspanned, not two shafts like on a stamp of 1894. (SOUTH AFRICA - 1894)


Not connected The yoke of this outspanned ox wagon stands upright, although it is only loosely connected to the pole. (SOUTH AFRICA - 1927)


Impossible number The number on the registration plate was an impossible combination of figures. It was removed when the stamp was issued. (TURKEY - 1977)


Wrong date This Mercedes was of course not built in 1910, but in 1950. (PORTUGAL - 1994)


Missing spokes Bicycle with wheels without spokes, and without brakes. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 1902)


Missing part The MACK fire trucks have all a little bulldog on the front. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 1948)


Wrong side In this old car, the driver was seated at the right, not at the left side. (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - 1952)


Different dates According to one of those stamps, the bicycle was invented in 1809. But according to the other one, it happened nine years later. (NIGER - 1968)


Wrong car The car pictured on this stamp is not an 1934 M.G. MIDGET PA, but actually a 1934 PANHARD LEVASSOR. (EQUATORIAL GUINEA - 1992)


Too close The pedals are too close to the frame, the lever will be insufficient to develop enough power. (ARGENTINA - 1963)


Wrong letters This is not a valid Dutch registration number of a car, but probably the phone number of a friend of the designer. (NETHERLANDS - 1980)


Missing parts The reins and chains of the left horse are interrupted. (GERMANY - 1989)


Wrong bicycle design The designer of this stamp obviously does not know how the bicycle is designed. (FRANCE - 2002)


Missing part Van without windshield wiper (CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - 1979)


Missing cable Cable is not reaching the brake on the frontwheel. (MOROCCO - 1960)


Not connected The horses are not connected to the carriage. (SPAIN - 1963)


Not a nice exemple ! It is unrealistic that after a frontal crash, other cars continue their way and do not stop to help the victims. (BOTSWANA - 1990)


Wrong country The Bugatti is a French car, not an Italian one. (NIGER - 1981)


Missing wheels The 2 right wheels atr missing. (FRANCE - 2013)


Wrong side The car is parked or is driving at the wrong side of the street. (CANADA - 1982)


Misssing hyphen ROLLS-ROYCE without hyphen (BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - 1996)


Wrong side According to this traffic sign, cars have to drive at the left side of the road to pass the Gotthard tunnel (SWITZERLAND - 1980)


Wrong spelling Wrong : Che´vrolet - Correct : Chevrolet (MALAWI - 1990)


Missing letter Wrong : Tyrell - Correct : Tyrrell. (PARAGUAY - 1978)


Missing hyphen ROLLS-ROYCE without hyphen (LIECHTENSTEIN - 2014)


Error in name The name of this car in the Disney movie is HERBIE, not HERBY (TANZANIA - 1990)


Bicycle errors Two errors : missing chains, and on one bicycle the plateau was featured is at the left side instead of right (FRANCE - 2013)


Wrong side In Lao, cars drive at the right side of the road. (LAO - 2000)


Dangerous transport Strange way to load logs onto a truck (UNITED NATIONS - 1968)


Missing frame Bicycles without frame (RUSSIA - 1986)


Missing part Car with missing windshield wipers (VIET NAM - 1973)


Without driver Horses are moving, but there is no driver (CUBA - 1961)


Missing brakes Bicycle without brakes (MONGOLIA - 1964)


Free horses The two front horses are not connected (GERMANY - 2014)


Error in name The correct name of this car is Benz VIKTORIA, not VICTORIS (AFGHANISTAN - 1984)


Missing legs Not enough legs for six horses (INDIA - )


Missing members Not only dangerous for the children, but also a missing arm and leg (CZECH REPUBLIC - 2015)