Hobbies And Interests
Effects of Illegal Stamp Issues
Besides revenue lost through the purchase and mistaken use of these stamps, postal authorities have to alert customers and universal postal services that illegal stamps have been issued. Mail that is illegally stamped, when recognized, is intercepted and not delivered, but illegal stamps supplied to the philatelic market are rarely spotted until after money has changed hands. Confidence in and reputation of philatelic auction houses can be undermined if these issues end up in their catalogues.
Recognizing Possible Illegal Stamps
Illegal stamp issues look just like normal stamps, with gum and perforations. They are usually brightly colored and picture a subject or theme not associated with the targeted issuing postal administration. Defrauded postal administrations chosen for these issues are often from the lesser known Arab States, former Communist territories of Eastern Europe, small African countries and uninhabited islands. Territories in dispute with controlling governments also issue stamps for propaganda and destabilizing purposes. Themes depicted on illegal stamps may include film stars, sports stars, wildlife and space exploration, all popular subjects for thematic stamp collectors.
Action Taken to Counter Illegal Stamp Issues.
Various agencies work together to fight against the issue of illegal stamps. At a meeting at the Universal Postal Union (UPU) headquarters in January 2001, 46 postal administrations admitted having problems with the issue of illegal stamps. It was proposed that subsequent authorized stamp issues be numbered and listed on the UPU website. The World Association for the Development of Philately (WADP), with the UPU, devised the WADP Numbering System (WNS) in which participating postal administrations pay a fee to have their stamp issues designated a WNS number. The WADP is made up of four organizations, the International Federation of Philately (FIP), the International Association of Stamp Catalog Publishers (ASCAT), the International Federation of Stamp Dealers Associations (IFSDA) and the International Federation of Philatelic Journalists (AIJP), all intent on removing illegal stamps from the market. The campaign has been reinforced with conferences, lectures and publications.
Forgeries and Counterfeit Stamps
Forgeries are copies of rare and valuable stamps produced to be fraudulently sold on to collectors or dealers as genuine articles. These are produced as single stamps or in very small numbers, so although not technically "issues," they are illegal stamps. Most rare and valuable stamps are sold with certificates of authenticity in an attempt to detect forgeries. Counterfeit stamps are not intended for collectors but are produced and sold below face value to be used fraudulently for postal services. Stamp design is making counterfeiting increasingly difficult.
Cinderella Stamps
Cinderella stamps are stamps not intended for postal use. They are not illegal but can be mistaken for postage stamps. They are produced as labels to commemorate events or as souvenirs.