News - Philately Bulgaria

Wrong postage stamps04 July 2024

Fake postage stamps or fraud in the BFN printing office

Posted by Administrator Thursday 04 July 2024 - 09:07:59

Today I will describe to you several cases from the modern times of the Bulgarian philately, which are so ugly that they even border on the so-called OPG :) It is a question of either falsifying postal issues or exporting samples of postal issues that differ from the original ones in this respect , that either they are without perforation, or they are on UV paper, or some color is missing (intentionally) or all together. To be honest, I sincerely hoped that these vicious practices were a thing of the past, but unfortunately we are seeing releases from 6-7 years ago, which leads to the conclusion that the shenanigans and shenanigans are in full swing.

I will present several copies of counterfeit editions or samples, illegally exported from the BFN printing house, printed after the year 2000.

1. To begin with, we will start with the REGULAR "New Christian temples (churches) in Bulgaria" from the year 2000 4484-4489. The edition was validated on September 1. It consists of 6 stamps and has a serration of 13 and 3/4. The edition is mechanically stamped. During a routine check of the eBay listings, I find checkers from 5.00 and 0.65 BGN WITHOUT SERTING. A user with the username VERIMACH (I'm guessing you all know who he is) is selling them for $295.00 excluding shipping for one item. In the ads for sale it is written that these are official postage stamps of the Republic of Bulgaria and the photos clearly show the complete similarity. After checking the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version. Let's not forget that regular postage stamps are not withdrawn from use and can be used to pay for postal service.

2. We continue with the REGULAR "Roses - types of rose bushes" from 2006. They were validated on January 23. They are printed with serration 12 and 3/4 on a sheet of 10x10 stamps. Their mintages as of 2009 range from 200,000 for the highest denomination to 6,800,000 for the lowest. What we find on eBay. The same user, sells boxes of 10.00 and 2.00 BGN. The price of one box is $295.00 without shipping. In the sales announcements it is written that these are official postage stamps of the Republic of Bulgaria, wrong and they are printed on UV paper. After checking the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version. Let's not forget that regular postage stamps are not withdrawn from use and can be used to pay for postal service.

3. And so we come to the REGULAR "Lighthouses on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast". The edition is printed on block sheets of 4 stamps each on UV paper with 12 and 3/4 perforations. What we detect on the Internet. Printed not single block sheets, but DOUBLE block sheets WITHOUT perforation on UV paper. After checking the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version. Here too, the rule applies that regular postage stamps are not withdrawn from use and can be used to pay for postal service.

4. The next edition is the REGULAR "Mushrooms" from 2014. They were validated on February 28. They are printed on block sheets with UV thread with perforation 13. On the Internet we find again DOUBLE block sheets WITHOUT perforation on UV paper. After a look in the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it again turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version. Regular postage stamps are not withdrawn from use and can be used to pay for postal service.

5. The next edition is "65 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the People's Republic of China" from 2014. It was validated on March 14. They are printed on a block of normal paper with perforation 13. On the Internet we find a copy of the same block, but WITHOUT perforation. After checking the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it again turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version. Regular postage stamps are not withdrawn from use and can be used to pay for postal service. The price is $295 respectively.

6. We come to October 23, 2015. We are looking at the publication "WWF. World Wildlife Fund. Eurasian Wolf". The edition is printed on block sheets, on large block sheets and on block. All variations are 13 serration. Again we find listings of these editions on Ebay, but printed WITHOUT serration. The price is respectively $2500 for the large sheet, $490 for the small one and $295 for the block. Unlike the previous four editions mentioned, this is not regular. This means that it is no longer in use and cannot be used to pay for a postal service. After a look in the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it again turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version.

7. 2016 - September 13. Mail edition "Bird Migration - White Stork" has been validated. The publication is jointly with Israel. It is printed on 3x5 sheets. What is interesting here is that neither in the catalog of the SFD, nor in the catalog of FEPRA, nor in the catalog of Bulgarian Post (on the BP page) is the serration of the edition described. However, in all the photos in the catalogs, the edition is perforated. On the Internet we find non-perforated sheets of the edition printed on UV paper for the modest price of $2,500 excluding shipping. After a look in the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it again turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version.

8. 2019 - May 16. The postal edition "140 years of Bulgarian Post" has been validated. The issue is one stamp in a postal block and is printed in two perforated varieties. The first variety is on regular paper with a circulation of 5100 pieces, and the second is on UV paper without an adhesive layer with a circulation of 1000 pieces. The second ones were given away during the anniversary celebration in Kvadrat 500. On the Internet we find a third variant which is imperforated and printed on UV paper at the modest price of $950 excluding shipping. After checking the official catalogs and references from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, it again turned out that there is no such edition officially printed in this version.

Enough with the facts. Now some thoughts and conclusions.

From what has been described so far, it is clear that the described "erroneous" editions are either illegally exported samples from the BFN printing house or are forged postage stamps by an unknown person. Unfortunately, I can't tell which is which until an exact paper and UV filament comparison is done between the originals and the insanely priced ones on the internet. Personally, it's more likely to me that these are bootleg samples of the releases. What makes me think this. Several times I have officially requested the so-called "Instructions for the order of printing and control of postage stamps and postal products, their storage, allocation, supply, sale and withdrawal from the postal network.". Bulgarian Post always refuses to show it to me with the excuse that it is a trade secret. The regulation in question contains the rules for printing postage stamps and the implementation of ongoing, subsequent and periodic control of the employees performing the process and the process itself. This suggests that the rules in question are not being followed, there is no process control and officials may be exporting preliminary samples.

But what happens if the culprits are not BFN, but an unknown individual. This means that this person managed to obtain UV paper on which to print the issues in question. Here again we come to BFN, because the paper in question is extremely difficult to find in Bulgaria, and it is very expensive. BP buys it with a public order. If I dig around, I'll tell you exactly where and by whom.

Since the postal issues from item 1 to item 4 are regular, you may still pay postal service with them. As far as I remember, I have seen such a case. What follows from someone illegally exporting samples or illegally printing such editions. According to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Bulgaria, Section IV, Crimes against the monetary and credit system, it is written:
Art. 243. (1) Whoever prepares false or counterfeits genuine currency notes with a rate in the country or abroad shall be punished for forgery of currency notes with imprisonment from five to fifteen years.
(2) The same punishment is imposed on the one who forges:
1. tax or postage stamps and
2. bonds issued by the state or other state securities.
3. (new - SG No. 62 of 1997, amended - SG No. 27 of 2009) payment instruments.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with the editions of item 5 and item 8. A slightly different article of the Criminal Code with lower penalties applies there:
Art. 278b.1. (New - SG No. 1 of 2019) (1) Whoever, with the aim of obtaining a property benefit for himself or another, falsifies a work of painting, sculpture, graphics or archaeological objects or objects, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to one year and with a fine of two thousand to twenty thousand BGN.
(2) With the penalty under para. 1 shall also punish a person who offers for sale or puts into circulation as authentic works of painting, sculpture, graphics or archaeological objects.
(3) A person who gave a false conclusion certifying the authenticity of works of painting, sculpture, graphics or archaeological objects or objects shall be punished by imprisonment for up to one year and a fine of three thousand to thirty thousand BGN.
(4) If the act was committed by a person in the exercise of a commercial activity, the punishment is imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of ten thousand to fifty thousand BGN, as well as deprivation of rights under Art. 37, para. 1, item 7.
(5) The object of the crime is confiscated in favor of the state.

For one of the described cases, I have sent an inquiry to the Management of BP and BFN. They know that this is a crime under the Penal Code, and yet they did not report it in the proper manner, although the Penal Code obliges them:
Obligation of citizens and officials to notify
Art. 205. (1) When they become aware of a crime of a general nature, citizens are socially obliged to immediately notify a pre-trial proceeding authority or another state authority.
(2) When they become aware of a crime of a general nature, officials must immediately notify the authority of the pre-trial proceedings and take the necessary measures to preserve the situation and the details of the crime.
(3) In the cases of para. 1 and 2, the authority of the pre-trial proceedings shall immediately exercise its powers to initiate the criminal proceedings.

So, dear colleagues and friends. The outrages in philately are going full force. Dare and be alive and well.

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Misc27 June 2024

The amazing "Typically Dutch" editions 2024

Posted by Administrator Thursday 27 June 2024 - 10:30:28

This year, Dutch Post periodically validates postal issues as a series called "Typically Dutch". The multi-year series started in 2020 and in 2024 will be dedicated to the animals we know best and are closest to us. Since the beginning of the year, 4 editions dedicated to cows (January 2), dogs (February 12), horses (March 25) and songbirds (May 13) have been validated. What is interesting about these releases is the fact that some of the images are generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI), namely Midjourney creating images based on text descriptions.

The first edition validated on January 2nd is Typical Dutch - Cows. The publication's artists and designers are senior graphic designer Adam Lane, executive creative director Edwin van Praet and concept director Huub van Veenhuizen from Total Design in Amsterdam. Delftware ceramic figurines were used to create the images. The history of Delftware is closely related to that of Chinese porcelain. Delftware became very popular in a short time and experienced its heyday between 1650 and 1750, when there were about 100 pottery factories. Today, only a few factories still produce Delftware in the traditional way. The edition is printed on sheets with 6 stamps each. Its circulation is 75,000 sheets.

The second issue of the Typically Dutch series is about dogs and was validated on February 12. The designers of the edition are again a team from Total Design consisting of Adam Lane, Edwin van Praet and Huub van Veenhuizen. Approximately a quarter of all dogs in the Netherlands are purebred. Their interests are protected by the Dutch Kennel Club, which keeps the pedigree records. The edition is printed on sheets with 6 stamps each. Each stamp on the typical Dutch - Dogs sheet shows two dogs sitting side by side on their hind legs. Circulation of the edition - 75,000 sheets.

Third in a series on March 25th is a validated edition of Typically Dutch - Horses with designers Adam Lane, Edwin van Praet and Huub van Veenhuizen. There are four horse breeds originating in the Netherlands: the Friesian horse, the Gelderland horse, the Groningen horse, and the Dutch draft horse. The Netherlands has approximately 400,000 active riders and 450,000 horses (2015 data). The stamps depict 2 horses filled with strength, grace and love. They stand closely together, their heads touching. The edition is printed on sheets with 6 stamps each with a circulation of 75,000 sheets.

The issue validated on May 13 is on the topic Typically Dutch - Songbirds. The designers are again Adam Lane, Edwin van Praet and Huub van Veenhuizen. Songbirds do not use vocal cords to sing like humans, but rather a special organ at the end of their windpipe. The edition is printed on sheets with 6 stamps each with a circulation of 75,000 sheets.

All "Typically Dutch" editions have printed first-day envelopes and booklets.