Indexes:     Country   Detective / Author   Year of Issue  

Topical (thematic) postage stamp collecting is the hobby of trying to identify and accumulate philatelic items related to a single "theme". (Other examples can be seen on my topical pages about Chess, Saint-Exupéry, Anti-Smoking...) "Detective Fiction on Stamps" is a relatively small topic, but at least three dozen countries have issued postage stamps (and other philatelic items) which are connected to or commemorating fictional detectives, their creators or cinematic portrayals. In some cases the stamps were specifically issued with the theme of detective fiction, notably the 1972 Nicaragua set for the Interpol anniversary: the 12 most famous fictional detectives, and the 1979 San Marino issue. Sometimes, as in the case of the Edgar Allan Poe, Georges Simenon, Ngaio Marsh or G.K. Chesterton issues, the stamps were in honor of the authors, without specific reference to their detectives. Still others commemorate screen actors, such as the U.S. Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe / Sam Spade), and Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry), or Great Britain Peter Sellers (Inspector Clouseau - The Pink Panther) issues. There are cartoon detectives, like Dick Tracy from the U.S., Roberto Alcázar and Pedrín from Spain, Detective Conan from Japan... Some items aren't quite detective stamps... Consider the British Royal Mail Agatha Christie Prestige Stamp Booklet -- for which no Agatha Christie stamp was issued, and the Sherlock Holmes £1 stamp booklets which, similarly, don't contain any Sherlock Holmes stamps... but they're postal items with relevance to the theme, and so they're included. (How far can this be stretched? How about a Canada stamp booklet with a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes on the inside of the cover!) Of course Sherlock Holmes is the champion, with a page of his own, The Philatelic Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie isn't far behind... But in all cases, whatever your interest, you'll find lots of information about the detectives, stories, authors, countries and stamps, as well as close-ups of the stamps themselves. So now, the game's afoot... Click on a country below to jump to its page... or use the Detective / Author Index to locate your favorite... Detective Fiction on Stamps

Country

Alderney 2009, Sherlock Holmes Antigua & Barbuda 2000, Agatha Christie Belgium 1991, Blake & Mortimer (Edgar P. Jacobs) (comic strip) Belgium 1994, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) Belgium 2003, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) Belgium 2004, Edgar P. Jacobs, Blake & Mortimer (comic strip) Belgium 2008, Stanislas-André Steeman and Jef Geeraerts Belgium 2012, Blake & Mortimer (Edgar P. Jacobs) Bhutan 1990, Nothumberland Hotel (Sherlock Holmes) Botswana 2008, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Bulgaria 2009, Edgar Allan Poe, 200th anniversary Canada 1991, Sherlock Holmes on booklet cover Canada 2008, Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) Central African Republic 2015, Agatha Christie Chad 1996, Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) Comoro Islands 1980, Sherlock Holmes Congo 2013, Sherlock Holmes Czechoslovakia 1969, G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown) Dominica 1991, Sherlock Holmes: Reichenbach Centennary Dominica 1996, 100 Years of Cinema: 10 Fictional Detectives Dominica 2000, Satyajit Ray Finland 2008, Mika Waltari - Inspector Palmu France 1994, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) France 1996, 6 Heroes of French Detective Fiction France 2003, Vidocq France 2004, Blake & Mortimer (comic strip) France 2007, Dupondt (comic strip) France 2013, 36 Quai des Orfèvres (Inspector Maigret) Funafuti/Tuvalu 1984, Locomotive "Sherlock Holmes" Germany 2001, Jean Gabin / Inspector Maigret Great Britain 1985, British Films: P. Sellers (Inspector Clouseau - Pink Panther) Great Britain 1990, Agatha Christie commemorative cachet and postmarks Great Britain 1991, Agatha Christie Booklet Great Britain 1987-88, Sherlock Holmes booklet covers Great Britain 1993, Sherlock Holmes Great Britain 1997, Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes) Great Britain 2005, Inspector Morse Great Britain 2009, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle / Sherlock Holmes Great Britain 2013, Peter Cushing / Sherlock Holmes Great Britain 2016, Agatha Christie Guernsey 1996, 100 Years of Cinema: 5 Fictional Detectives Guinea 1998, The Maltese Falcon (Sam Spade) Guinea 2001, Murder on the Orient Express (Agatha Christie) Guinea 2008, Peter Falk (Colombo) - Emmy Awards Guinea 2010, 80th Annivary of death of Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Guinea-Bissau 2011, Tribute to Peter Falk (Colombo) Guyana 1993, Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon) Hungary 1948, Writers: Edgar Allan Poe (C. Auguste Dupin) India 1994, Satyajit Ray (Detective Feluda) Isle of Man 2003, Agatha Christie Isle of Man 2006, Agatha Christie Israel 1995, Cinema - 100 Years: P. Sellers (Inspector Clouseau - Pink Panther) Japan 2006, Detective Conan Japan 2009, Detective Conan Japan 2009, Detective Conan - 50th Anniversary of Japanese Weekly Comic Books for Boys Japan 2014, Detective Conan Liechtenstein 2012, Sherlock Holmes Mali 1994, Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) Monaco 2009, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Monaco 2009, Edgar Allan Poe Netherlands 2009, Maigret New Zealand 1989, Ngaio Marsh (Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn) Nicaragua 1972, 50th Anniv. of Interpol: 12 Most Famous Fictional Detectives Niger 1999, Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) Republic of China 2007, Detective Conan San Marino 1979, Maigret, Mason, Wolfe, Queen, Holmes San Marino 2009, Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes, Philip Marlowe São Tomé e Príncipe 2009, Edgar Allan Poe Sierra Leone 2001, Agatha Christie (Orient Express) Solomon Islands 2015, Agatha Christie Solomon Islands 2017, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Somali Republic 2000, Agatha Christie South Africa 2000, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Spain 1998, Mortadelo and Filemón (comic strip) Spain 2000, Roberto Alcázar and Pedrén (comic strip) Sweden 2010, Swedish Crime Writers Switzerland 1994, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) Switzerland 2007, Conan Doyle, The Final Problem Turks & Caicos Islands 1984, Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes United States 1949, Edgar Allan Poe (C. Auguste Dupin) United States 1995, Dick Tracy (comic strip) United States 1997, Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade) United States 2009, Edgar Allan Poe United States 2009, Dragnet (Sgt. Joe Friday / Jack Webb) United States 2009, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) United States 2012, The Maltese Falcon (John Huston)

Detective / Author

Agatha Christie Antigua & Barbuda Central African Republic Dominica (Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple) Great Britain 1990 (Agatha Christie birthday - cachet and postmark) Great Britain 1991 (Agatha Christie booklet) Great Britain 2016 (Agatha Christie) Guinea (Murder on the Orient Express) Guernsey (Miss Jane Marple) Isle of Man 2003 (Agatha Christie's 'Manx Gold') Isle of Man 2006 Nicaragua (Hercule Poirot) Sierra Leone (Murder on the Orient Express) Solomon Islands Somali Republic Uganda (Murder on the Orient Express) Arsène Lupin France Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Alderney Comoro Islands Dominica 1991 Dominica 1996 Great Britain 1987-88 booklet covers Great Britain 1993 Great Britain 1997 (Hound of the Baskervilles) Great Britain 2009 Guernsey Guinea 2010 Liechtenstein 2012 Monaco Nicaragua San Marino 1979 San Marino 2009 Solomon Islands 2017 South Africa Switzerland Turks & Caicos Is. Auguste Dupin Hungary (Edgar Allan Poe) Nicaragua San Marino 2009 United States (Edgar Allan Poe) Blake & Mortimer Belgium 1991 Belgium/France 2004 Belgium 2012 Charlie Chan Dominica Guernsey Nicaragua Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn New Zealand (Ngaio Marsh) Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse) Great Britain Colombo (Peter Falk) Guinea - 2008 Guinea-Bissau - 2011 Dashiell Hammett (Sam Spade) Dominica Guinea Nicaragua Nicaragua (Humphrey Bogart) United States (Humphrey Bogart) Detective Conan Japan 2006 Republic of China Japan 2009 Japan 2009 (50th Anniversary...) Japan 2014 Dick Tracy Dominica United States Dirty Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) Chad Mali Niger Disney Disney Dorothy L. Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey) Nicaragua Dupondt (Detectives Dupont & Dupond (Hergé) France Earl Derr Biggers (Charlie Chan) Dominica Guernsey Nicaragua Edgar Allan Poe (Auguste Dupin) Bulgaria 2009 Hungary 1948 Monaco 2009 Nicaragua 1972 San Marino São Tomé e Príncipe 2009 United States 1949 United States 2009 Edgar Pierre Jacobs (Blake & Mortimer) Belgium 1991 Belgium/France 2004 Belgium 2012 Ellery Queen Nicaragua San Marino Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason) Canada Nicaragua San Marino United States Fantômas France Father Brown Czechoslovakia Nicaragua Feluda India Dominica Gaston Leroux (Rouletabille) France Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) Belgium / France / Switzerland 1994 Belgium 2003 France Nicaragua San Marino G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown) Czechoslovakia Nicaragua Håkan Nesser (Van Veeteren, Inspector Barbarotti) Sweden Hercule Poirot Central African Republic (Agatha Christie) Dominica Great Britain (Agatha Christie booklet) Great Britain (Agatha Christie) Nicaragua Hergé [Georges Prosper Remi] (Dupond & Dupont) France Henning Mankell (Kurt Wallander) Sweden Inspector Barbarotti Sweden Inspector Clouseau (The Pink Panther) Dominica Guernsey Great Britain Israel Inspector Maigret Belgium/France/Switzerland (Georges Simenon) Belgium 2003 (Georges Simenon) France 1996 France 2013 (36 Quai des Orfèvres) Germany 2001 (Jean Gabin) Netherlands Nicaragua San Marino Inspector Morse Great Britain Inspector Palmu Finland Jean Gabin Germany 2001 (Inspector Maigret) Jef Geeraerts Belgium John Huston United States 2012 (The Maltese Falcon) Kurt Wallander Sweden Léo Malet (Nestor Burma) France Lord Peter Wimsey Nicaragua Manfred Lee & Frederic Dannay (Ellery Queen) Nicaragua San Marino Martin Beck Sweden Maurice Leblanc (Arsène Lupin) France Mika Waltari (Inspector Palmu Finland Miss Jane Marple Central African Republic (Agatha Christie) Dominica Great Britain (Agatha Christie booklet) Great Britain (Agatha Christie) Guernsey Mortadelo y Filemón Spain Nero Wolfe Nicaragua San Marino Nestor Burma France Ngaio Marsh (Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn) New Zealand Nick Charles Dominica No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Botswana Peter Cushing (Sherlock Holmes Great Britain Perry Mason Canada (Raymond Burr) Nicaragua San Marino United States Philip Marlowe Dominica Guernsey Nicaragua San Marino United States Pierre-Alexis Ponson de Terrail (Rocambole) France Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain (Fantômas) France Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) Canada United States Raymond Chandler (Philip Marlowe) Dominica Guernsey Nicaragua San Marino United States Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe) Nicaragua San Marino Roberto Alcázar and Pedrín Spain Rocambole France Rouletabille France Sam Spade Dominica Guinea Guyana Nicaragua United States Satyajit Ray India Dominica Sherlock Holmes Alderney Bhutan Canada Comoro Islands Congo Dominica 1991 Dominica 1996 Funafuti/Tuvalu (locomotive) Great Britain 1993 Great Britain 1987-88 booklet covers Great Britain (Hound of the Baskervilles) Great Britain 2009 Great Britain 2013 (Peter Cushing) Guernsey Guinea 2010 Liechtenstein 2012 Monaco Nicaragua San Marino 1979 San Marino 2009 Solomon Islands 2017 (Conan Doyle) South Africa (Conan Doyle) Switzerland (Conan Doyle) Turks & Caicos Is. Sjöwall-Wahlöö (Martin Beck) Sweden Stanislas-André Steeman Belgium Van Veeteren Sweden Vidocq France Vincke and Verstuyft (Detectives Eric Vincke and Freddy Verstuyft) Belgium

Year of Issue

(most recent first)

2017 Solomon Islands 2017, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) 2016 Great Britain 2014, Agatha Christie 2015 Central African Republic 2015, Agatha Christie Solomon Islands 2015, Agatha Christie 2014 Japan 2014, Detective Conan 2013 Congo 2013, Sherlock Holmes Great Britain 2013, Peter Cushing (Sherlock Holmes) France 2013, 36 Quai des Orfèvres 2012 Belgium 2012, Blake and Mortimer Liechtenstein 2012, Sherlock Holmes (Famous Figures from Classical Literature) United States 2012, The Maltese Falcon (John Huston) 2011 Guinea-Bissau 2011, Tribute to Peter Falk (Colombo) 2010 Guinea 2010, 80th Anniversary of death of Conan Doyle Sweden 2010, Swedish Crime Writers 2009 Alderney 2009, Sherlock Holmes Bulgaria 2009, Edgar Allan Poe Great Britain 2009, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Japan 2009, Detective Conan Japan 2009, Detective Conan - 50th Anniversary ... Comic Books for Boys Monaco 2009, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Monaco 2009, Edgar Allan Poe Netherlands 2009, Maigret São Tomé e Príncipe 2009, Edgar Allan Poe San Marino 2009, Dupin, Holmes, Marlowe United States 2009, Edgar Allan Poe United States 2009, Dragnet (Sgt. Joe Friday / Jack Webb) United States 2009, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) 2008 Belgium 2008, Stanislas-André Steeman and Jef Geeraerts Botswana 2008, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Canada 2008, Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) Finland 2008, Mika Waltari - Inspector Palmu Guinea 2008, Peter Falk - Colombo 2007 France 2007, Dupont & Dupond Republic of China 2007, Detective Conan Switzerland 2007, Conan Doyle, The Final Problem 2006 Isle of Man 2006, Agatha Christie Japan 2006, Detective Conan 2005 Great Britain 2005, Inspector Morse 2004 France 2004, Blake & Mortimer (comic strip) Belgium 2004, Edgar P. Jacobs, Blake & Mortimer (comic strip) 2003 Isle of Man 2003, Agatha Christie Belgium 2003, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) France 2003, Vidocq 2001 Germany 2001, (Jean Gabin - Inspector Maigret) Sierra Leone 2001, Agatha Christie (Orient Express) Guinea 2001, Murder on the Orient Express (Agatha Christie) 2000 Somali Republic 2000, Agatha Christie South Africa 2000, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) Spain 2000, Roberto Alcázar and Pedrén (comic strip) Antigua & Barbuda 2000, Agatha Christie Dominica 2000, Satyajit Ray 1999 Niger 1999, Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) 1998 Guinea 1998, The Maltese Falcon (Sam Spade) Spain 1998, Mortadelo and Filemón (comic strip) 1997 United States 1997, Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade) Great Britain 1997, Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes) 1996 France 1996, 6 Heroes of French Detective Fiction Dominica 1996, 100 Years of Cinema: 10 Fictional Detectives Chad 1996, Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) Guernsey 1996, 100 Years of Cinema: 5 Fictional Detectives 1995 United States 1995, Dick Tracy (comic strip) Israel 1995, Cinema - 100 Years: P. Sellers (Inspector Clouseau - Pink Panther) 1994 Belgium 1994, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) Switzerland 1994, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) India 1994, Satyajit Ray (Detective Feluda) Mali 1994, Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) France 1994, Georges Simenon (Inspector Maigret) 1993 Great Britain 1993, Sherlock Holmes Guyana 1993, Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon) 1991 Great Britain 1991, Agatha Christie Booklet Dominica 1991, Sherlock Holmes: Reichenbach Centennary Canada 1991, Sherlock Holmes on booklet cover Belgium 1991, Blake & Mortimer (Edgar P. Jacobs) (comic strip) 1990 Great Britain 1990, Agatha Christie commemorative cachet and postmarks Bhutan 1990, Nothumberland Hotel (Sherlock Holmes) 1989 New Zealand 1989, Ngaio Marsh (Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn) 1987 Great Britain 1987-88, Sherlock Holmes booklet covers 1985 Great Britain 1985, British Films: P. Sellers (Inspector Clouseau - Pink Panther) 1984 Turks & Caicos Islands 1984, Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes Funafuti/Tuvalu 1984, Locomotive "Sherlock Holmes" 1980 Comoro Islands 1980, Sherlock Holmes 1979 San Marino 1979, 5 Fictional Detectives 1972 Nicaragua 1972, 50th Anniv. of Interpol: 12 Most Famous Fictional Detectives 1969 Czechoslovakia 1969, G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown) 1949 United States 1949, Edgar Allan Poe (C. Auguste Dupin) 1948 Hungary 1948, Writers: Edgar Allan Poe (C. Auguste Dupin)

The cartoon is by the Danish cartoonist, Storm-P.
But who are these sleuths?

1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8 1. Porfiry Petrovic (Dostoevski) (Crime and Punishment) 2. Inspector Maigret (Georges Simenon) 3. Father Brown (G.K. Chesterton) 4. Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) 5. Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie) 6. Inspector Cardby (David Hume) 7. Lord Peter Wimsey (Dorothy L. Sayers) 8. Reggie Fortune (H.C. Bailey)

Let me know if you have a different idea...

4/11/10 - Verner Andersen writes that some members of The Danish Baker Street Irregulars (Sherlock Holmes Klubben i Danmark) don't agree with my choice for #7 either, since "Storm-P was not very fond of Lord Peter Wimsey." They think that he's Arsène Lupin. 2/9/10 - Bill Huey thinks #7 is more likely to be Rocambole than Lord Peter Wimsey: Wimsey had no moustache and wasn't as tall and thin. 10/3/12 - James Gibbs suggests, "Could #7 be Philo Vance?" (I'm sticking with Lord Peter because of the similarity to the image below (rear left)... ST) While looking for more images of Peter Wimsey and/or Rocambole, I ran into this!: by Henry Lauritzen. The key can be found where the image was found - on the front page of Swedish Crime Writers' Academy (Svenska Deckarakademin) - or below

Although there's not too much on the web
combining Detective Fiction and philately,
here's one that's close: The Mystery Box.

Other topical stamp pages at this site:

The Philatelic Sherlock Holmes
Chess on Stamps
Robert Louis Stevenson on Stamps
Anti-smoking on Stamps
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

back row: Lord Peter Wimsey, Gideon Fell (by John Dickson Carr), Jules Maigret, Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Ellery Queen front row: Jane Marple, Father Brown, Auguste Dupin (= Edgar Allan Poe), Hercule Poirot, Nero Wolfe

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