THE AFGHANISTAN ILLEGAL STAMPS Continued
PAGE 5

Information and Reference of illegal stamps for Afghanistan according to U.P.U. Circular 2 and 177

You can view circular 2 in PDF form by clicking on this link.

UPU Circular Number 2

You can view circular 177 in PDF form by clicking on this link.

UPU Circular Number 177

To find out what stamps are real and legitimate for Afghanistan visit the UPU WNS website.

The Universal Postal Union WNS website

The Afghan Postal Authority reconstituted in 2002. during that year only four stamps were officially issued. They were:

2002 Ahmad Shah Masoud Official Stamp Issued May 8


2002 National Understanding in Afghanistan Official Stamp Issued July 18


2002 Destruction of the Buddha of Bamiyan Official Stamp Issued July 18


2002 55th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Official Stamp Issued December 10


Here we go!

All imaged illegal stamps are for the year 2002.

Many of the following illegal stamps can be found as imperforates and on fake First Day covers.
Most times now (2018) the souvenir sheet sets and sheetlet sets are sold individually. In some cases the stamps have been removed from the sheetlets and souvenir sheets. All of these "tactics" are used to avoid detection by UPU circular descriptions.

If you have purchased any of these stamps from a dealer or if that dealer offers them, you should avoid that dealer! You will only be supporting illegal stamp makers who are only ripping you off.

2002 (Illegal Stamps)

From this point on all illegal stamps imaged are based on the WNS Stamp system. If they are not listed there....they are illegal stamps!

Apparently a huge slowdown happened with the production of illegal stamps for Afghanistan in 2002. Namely because of the reconstitution of the Afghan Post. I guess most of the criminals got scared and ran away!
They got bolder in 2003.

2002 Eagles and Owls Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of One


2002 Locomotives Trains Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of One

2003

In 2003 the Afghan Post officially issued forty-one stamps. They are:

2003 Farmers Day Official Stamps Issued March 21


2003 Orchids Official Stamp Sheetlet Issued April 17


2003 Birth of Prophet Mohammed Official Stamp Issued May 14


2003 World Tuberculosis Day Official Stamps Issued May 18


2003 Anniversary of Loya Jurga Official Stamp Issued June 16


2003 Struggle Against Narcotic Drugs Day Official Stamps Issued June 25


2003 Struggle Against Narcotic Drugs Day Official Stamp Souvenir Sheet Issued June 25


2003 Dogs Official Stamps Issued July 4


2003 Dogs Official Stamp Souvenir Sheet Issued July 4


2003 World Famous Lighthouses Official Stamps Issued August 5


2003 World Famous Lighthouses Official Stamp Souvenir Sheet Issued August 5


2003 84th Anniversary of Independence Day Official Stamp Issued August 19


2003 International Literacy World Day Official Stamp Issued September 8


2003 World Post Day Official Stamp Issued October 9


2003 Ancient Stone Artifacts Official Stamps Issued October 10


2003 Coming Down of the Holy Quran Official Stamp Issued November 22


2003 Tourism Day Official Stamps Issued December 16


At this point there is a discrepancy on the WNS website. According to the site only the two values shown of the Tourism issue are shown. Yet there are sellers offering three values and a souvenir sheet. The other value and the souvenir sheet have the same basic stamp image. They are "different" than the above two stamps. There is also another set featuring wildlife that is not listed in the WNS system. These discrepancies do not concur with the determination by Circular 177 which states that all issued stamps are listed on the WNS site. It is therefore determined that the stamps that are not on the WNS site are more than likely unauthorized printings and therefore are in the status of illegal stamps.

It is therefore determined that until absolute proof is given that the stamps in question are indeed officially recognized by the Afghan Post they are to be placed with the illegal stamps. The style of some of the issues are very similar to earlier illegal stamps created in the late 1990's. The stamps printed officially in 2003 for Afghanistan were printed by Sahara Printing company. We can see that in 2004 they were never used again. Many times these printers are contracted to print stamps and those stamps are sometimes rejected. It appears to be the case with the stamps that are not listed in the WNS system. These printers have already printed the stamps and rather than destroy them, they sell the whole print run to unscrupulous stamp dealers who in turn place them on the stamp market as if genuine. They are deemed "planned but never issued" or "unissued". In the case for these "rouge" issues, the dealers have decided not to call them what they are because the sale of them would not be as good. Therefore, unless proven otherwise, they are now considered....illegal stamps.

2003 (Illegal Stamps)

2003 Tourism Day Illegal Stamp


2003 Tourism Day Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of One


2003 Animals (WFF) Illegal Stamp Set of Three


2003 Animals (WFF) Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of One


2003 Domestic Cats Illegal Stamp Set of Six


2003 Domestic Cats Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of One


2003 Orchids Owls Scouts Baden Powell Illegal Stamp Sheetlet of Nine


2003 Orchids Owls Scouts Baden Powell Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheet of One


2003 Elvis Presley Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of One


2003 Dogs and Cats Illegal Stamp Sheetlets of Nine


2003 Dogs and Cats Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of One


2003 Fire Engines Concorde Illegal Stamp Sheetlets of Nine


2003 Fire Engines Concorde Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of One


2003 Disney Cartoon Movie Posters Illegal Stamp Sheetlet of Six


2003 Disney Cartoon Movie Posters Illegal Stamp Souvenir Sheets of One


In 2004 production of the illegal stamps for Afghanistan slowed even more.

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References taken from:
U.P.U. Circular No. 2 and 177
Scott Stamp Catalog
WNS Stamp Website
Internet Research

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