Berne, 13 January 2003

International Bureau Circular 2

Afghanistan – Illegal postage stamp issues

Dear Sir/Madam

The postal administration of AFGHANISTAN asks me to inform you of the following:

Unidentified individuals have been seeking to discredit our country through the circulation of illegal postage stamps.

I would draw the attention of all Union member countries and all philatelic partners to the fact that new postage stamps supposedly issued by Afghanistan, such as the ones annexed to this letter, continue to be produced and disseminated.

As these stamps are inscribed 'AFGHAN POST', there is no doubt that they harm the moral, religious and economic integrity of Afghanistan, as well as the postal service and the Union as a whole.

These stamps are, moreover, illegal. They have been issued without our administration's knowledge and in violation of articles 6 and 25.2.3 of the Universal Postal Convention, the UPU Regulations and the legislation of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan.

These stamps have no value as collector's items or for postal prepayment.

Our administration wishes to alert all the postal administrations of Union member countries, the philatelic community and collectors to the existence of these illegal postage stamps and urge them not to accept these stamps as postal prepayment or purchase them.

The postal administration of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan would also be grateful if the postal administrations of Union member countries would inform their philatelic partners of the existence and dissemination of these illegal stamps and exercise increased vigilance in their respective countries.

A list of the illegal postage stamps is annexed.

Yours faithfully,

K.J.S. McKEOWN
Director of Markets

Annex

Illegal postage stamp issues produced in the name of Afghanistan

Boats - Three horizontal miniature sheets of nine postage stamps each. Each miniature sheet features different kinds of boats, and is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". Each miniature sheet contains the following values: 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000. There are other pictures of boats in the margins of each miniature sheet.

Horses - Two horizontal miniature sheets of nine postage stamps each. Each miniature sheet features different breeds of horse, and is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". Each miniature sheet contains the following values: 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000. There are other pictures of horses in the margins of each miniature sheet.

Chess - Two horizontal miniature sheets of nine postage stamps each, each depicting a different chess position, inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". One sheet contains stamps with a value of 20,000 each, the other stamps with a value of 40,000 each. There are other chess images in the margins of the sheet.

Chess - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps, each depicting a different chess position, inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". Each postage stamp has a value of 50,000. Other chess pieces are depicted in the margins of the sheet.

Fauna - One horizontal miniature sheet of nine postage stamps, each depicting a different member of the eagle family, together with a value and the inscription "Afghan Post".

Fauna - Two vertical miniature sheets of nine postage stamps, each depicting three different breeds of cat and inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The values are 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000 AFG. Other cats are depicted in the margins of the sheet.

Fauna - One vertical miniature sheet of nine values entitled "CATS OF THE WORLD". Each postage stamp depicts a different breed of cat, has a value of 3,000 AFG and is inscribed "Afghan Post".

 Fauna - Two vertical miniature sheets of nine postage stamps, each depicting three different breeds of dog and inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The values are 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000 AFG. Other dogs are depicted in the margins of the sheet.

Fauna - One vertical miniature sheet of nine values entitled "DOGS OF THE WORLD". Each postage stamp depicts a different breed of dog, has a value of 1,000 AFG and is inscribed "Afghan Post".

Fauna - One vertical miniature sheet of nine values entitled "FAUNA OF AFGHAN". Each postage stamp depicts a different creature, has a value of 500 AFG and is inscribed "Afghan Post".

Fauna - Two vertical miniature sheets of nine postage stamps, each depicting various types of dinosaur. Each stamp is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". One sheet contains stamps with a value of 10,000 each, the other stamps with a value of 20,000 each. Other dinosaurs are illustrated in the margins of the sheet.

Fauna - One horizontal miniature sheet of nine postage stamps, each depicting different types of dinosaur, inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The values are 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000 AFG.

Fauna - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps, each depicting a different member of the owl family, together with a value and the inscription "Afghan Post".

Fauna - Two miniature sheets, one horizontal and one vertical, inscribed in the middle "Birds of Prey" and depicting various species of owl. There are other species on each postage stamp. The postage stamps are in two strips of three, at the top and bottom in the vertical sheet, and on the left and right in the horizontal sheet. Each stamp is inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the value. The horizontal sheet contains stamps with a value of 10,000 each, the vertical sheet stamps with a value of 20,000 each.

Fauna - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps depicting various species of eagles and owls. There are other species on each postage stamp and on the margins. Each stamp is inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the year 2000 and the value 20,000.

Fauna - Two souvenir sheets inscribed "Birds of Prey" and depicting various species of owl. Another species is depicted on the postage stamp which each souvenir sheet contains. Each stamp is inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the value 100,000.

Fauna - Two horizontal miniature sheets of nine postage stamps each. Each stamp depicts a different species of bird and is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". Each miniature sheet contains the following values: 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000. There are other pictures of birds and their environment in the margins of each miniature sheet.

Flora - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps, each depicting a different plant and inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The values are 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000 AFG.

Flora - One souvenir sheet containing a postage stamp depicting an orchid. The stamp is inscribed "2000" and "Afghan Post".

Insects (beetle) - One horizontal miniature sheet of nine postage stamps. Each stamp depicts a different species of beetle and is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The miniature sheet contains the following values: 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000. There are other pictures of beetles in the margins of the sheet.

Paintings - Three vertical miniature sheets entitled "The impressionists" and also inscribed "impressionists" at the bottom. The background of each miniature sheet consists of a reproduction of a painting by the painter whose portrait appears in a medallion on this background. The postage stamps are in two strips of three, one at the top and one at the bottom of each sheet. Each stamp is inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the value. The miniature sheet featuring the paintings of Henri Matisse contains stamps with a value of 20,000 each, the one featuring the paintings of Toulouse Lautrec stamps with a value of 30,000 each, and the one featuring the paintings of Vincent van Gogh stamps with a value of 50,000 each.

Paintings - Three vertical souvenir sheets entitled "The impressionists" and also featuring the name of the painter in question: Henri Matisse, Toulouse Lautrec and Vincent van Gogh respectively. The background of each miniature sheet consists of a reproduction of a painting by the painter in question. Each miniature sheet contains a stamp inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the value 100,000.

Paintings - Posters - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps entitled "INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC POSTERS", with the inscription "AFGHANISTAN". Each margin also contains the inscriptions "SPORT - AUTO - CINEMA". Each postage stamp depicts a poster promoting films, cartoons and various sports. Each stamp is inscribed with the year 2000, "AFGHANISTAN" and the value 50,000.

Famous person - One vertical miniature sheet entitled "USAMA BIN LADEN IS WANTED FOR $10000000". Each stamp features the same picture of Bin Laden, the year 2001, the name "AFGHANISTAN" and the same wording as at the top of the sheet. The value of each stamp is 100,000 AFG. The same image of Bin Laden appears in the margins of the sheet.

Famous person - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps entitled "Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997)", with the inscription "IN MEMORIAM" at the bottom. Each postage stamp features a different image of the Princess of Wales from her childhood onwards. Each stamp contains a value and the inscription "Afghan Post".

Famous person - Three vertical miniature sheets entitled "ELVIS PRESLEY (1935-1977)" and inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" at the bottom. Each miniature sheet contains nine postage stamps. Each stamp features a different image of the singer Elvis Presley, the year 2000 and the name "AFGHANISTAN". The first miniature sheet contains stamps with a value of 20,000 each, the second stamps with a value of 40,000 each, and the third stamps with a value of 50,000 each. There are other pictures of Elvis Presley in the margins of each sheet.

Famous person - One block of four postage stamps. Each postage stamp features a different image of the actress Marilyn Monroe and the name "AFGHANISTAN". Each stamp has a value and the year 2000 at the top.

Famous person - Three vertical miniature sheets entitled "Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)" and inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" at the bottom. Each miniature sheet contains nine postage stamps. Each stamp features a different image of the actress Marilyn Monroe, the year 2000 and the name "AFGHANISTAN". The first miniature sheet contains stamps with a value of 20,000 each, the second stamps with a value of 40,000 each, and the third stamps with a value of 50,000 each. There are other pictures of Marilyn Monroe in the margins of each sheet.

Famous people - Three vertical miniature sheets inscribed in the middle "Mother Teresa" and "Jean Paul II" and featuring a picture of these two figures in a medallion. The postage stamps are in two strips of three, one at the top and one at the bottom of each sheet. Each stamp is inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the value. Each postage stamp contains different images of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II together. Two of the miniature sheets contain stamps with a value of 50,000 each, while the third contains stamps with a value of 100,000 each. There are other pictures of Mother Teresa and John Paul II in the margins of each sheet.

Famous people - One vertical miniature sheet of nine postage stamps entitled "THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY", each featuring a different person. Each stamp contains a value and the inscription "Afghan Post".

Fish - One horizontal miniature sheet of nine postage stamps. Each stamp depicts a different species of fish and is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The miniature sheet contains the following values: 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000. There are other pictures of fish in the margins of the sheet.

Sport - Two souvenir sheets with a background picture of a footballer and the logo of the Korea/Japan World Cup. Each of these sheets contains one postage stamp with a value of 100,000 AFG featuring another footballer and the name "AFGHANISTAN".

Sport - Famous people - Four vertical miniature sheets of nine postage stamps each entitled "FORMULA 2000". Each stamp contains the year 2000, the name "AFGHANISTAN" and a different image: sporting vehicles in some cases, sporting figures in others (in the latter case, the name of the person also appears). The first miniature sheet contains stamps with a value of 10,000 each, the second stamps with a value of 20,000 each, the third stamps with a value of 40,000 each and the fourth stamps with a value of 50,000 each. There are other pictures of sporting vehicles in the margins of each sheet, along with the names of various sponsors.

Vehicles - Three horizontal miniature sheets of nine postage stamps each. Each stamp depicts a different species of old vehicle and is inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The first miniature sheet contains stamps with a value of 20,000 each, the second stamps with a value of 40,000 each, and the third stamps with a value of 50,000 each. There are other pictures of old vehicles in the margins of each sheet.

Vehicles - One horizontal miniature sheet of nine postage stamps entitled "ENGLISH TRAINS", each depicting a different train and inscribed "2000" and "AFGHANISTAN". The values are 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, 25,000, 30,000, 35,000, 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000 AFG.

Vehicles - Two souvenir sheets entitled "TRAINS". Each sheet features one type of train and contains a postage stamp depicting another type of train. Each stamp is inscribed "AFGHANISTAN" with the value 100,000.