Bonsai on Postage Stamps, Illegal, Fraudulent and Illegitimate Issues

ILLEGAL, FRAUDULENT & ILLEGITIMATE ISSUES

Per the Philatelic Webmasters Organization ( http://pwmo.org/Illegals/intro.htm ), these are "illegal issues for territories which are not entitled to issue stamps and false stamps produced by fraudsters in the name of an issuing authority with the intent to defraud collectors."

For the educational benefit of collectors of bonsai stamps who may come across these -- we have seen some of these offered several times on eBay without identification that these are not legitimate -- we will list known fraudulent stamps on this page along with the documentation for their status.

If you know of any other illegal issues or can identify the trees used in the images, please contact rjb@phoenixbonsai.com. Thank you.

ANGOLA 2000: These 3,500,000 Kz stamps are illegal per the Universal Postal Union International Bureau Circular 406, published 09/15/2001, http://pwmo.org/Illegals/frame-illegals-en.htm (click on "Angola" in the left column). At least three dozen sets of various subjects with this denomination were issued by three companies located in Belgium, Great Britain and Lithuania.

Per Roger Cichorz in e-mail to RJB, 05/21/07, the trees depicted here are Pinus thunbergii, Pinus thunbergii, Buxus microphylla japonica, Wisteria sinensis, Buxus microphylla japonica, and Pinus thunbergii, while the second set is of Rhododendron obtusum, Taxodium distichum, Wisteria sinensis, Quercus suber, Prunus sp., and Olea europaea. (Double-set image per nomadnik, 6 Feb 2008.)

LIBERIA 2005: This pair of $5.00 stamps is not listed with The World Association for the Development of Philately (WADP) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The images are per Lorenzo Sonzini in a 9 Mar 2007 personal e-mail to RJB.

RWANDA 2005: A 1200F bonsai tree stamp is not listed with The World Association for the Development of Philately (WADP) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). (Also per Roger Cichorz in e-mail to RJB, 05/21/07. Image from CQout, Item Title: VW A.08.098 BONSAI BOOM / UIL / SIR ROBERT BADEN POWEL, RWAN.)

SOMALIA 2002: There was no recognized permanent national government or legal system in place when these stamps were supposedly issued. A Transitional National Government was formed in August 2000 with a three-year mandate to create a new constitution and hold elections, but this goal was not achieved and the process is ongoing. There has been a new chief of state since 14 October 2004 and a prime minister as head of government since 3 November 2004. Elections for the 84-member lower house of parliament took place on 29 September 2005. ( http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2863.htm )

SOMALI REPUBLIC 2004: The stamps below (found 10/25/05 by RJB and with additional info per Roger Cichorz in e-mail to RJB, 05/21/07) are most likely illegitimate issues also. Click here for info on legitimate issues.

TOUVA 2006: This set of five stamps was ostensibly issued by this former region of the Russian Federation. However, Touva (aka Tuva) is not a legitimate member of The World Association for the Development of Philately (WADP) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The images are per Lorenzo Sonzini in a 9 Mar 2007 personal e-mail to RJB.

LEGITIMATE STAMPS:

Mainland China Stamps	Republic of China (Taiwan) Stamps	Ghana Stamp	Grenada Grenadines Stamp
Hong Kong Stamps	Indonesia Stamp	Japan Stamps	Maldive Islands Stamps
	Monaco Stamp	Philippines Stamps
San Marino Stamps	Thailand Stamps	Uganda Stamps	Vietnam Stamps

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