Who collects the fantasy stamps of self-declared States?

[norvic]

It's a fantastic place, in the literal meaning.

[Ubobo.R.O.]

A recent arrival to Maggie Mailbox.

[Panterra]

Northwest Beach, near Kakariki, Waikoa Island.

In 2019, Waikoa Island issued a set of 15 stamps, for fiscal use primarily. Each is printed by typography in two colours on glossy white paper, and perf 12.

Although primarily for tax purposes, they can also be used on mail, as high-value stamps are not printed on the island.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 7 tanos.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 42 tanos.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 4.25 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 6.25 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 7.25 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 12 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 17 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 56 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 100 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 200 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 300 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue, 500 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue: 2,000 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue: 15,000 reis.

Waikoa Island 2019 postal-fiscal issue: 1,000,000 reis.

The values all represent the various tax rates. The lowest stamp, seven tanos, is Email Tax, and this stamp must be affixed to every email that is printed out for whatever reason.

The Rs 7¼ stamp is for Marijuana Tax, and must be affixed to every half-ounce packet of cannabis that is sold.

The top value, one million reis, is bribery tax. One must be affixed to every agreement outlining the corruption, and signed by the person receiving the bribe. The bribe thereupon moves from the realm of "illegality" to "authorised" and exempt from prosecution.

[Panterra]

Mevu 2019 fiscal stamps, showing the Mevu crest with a penguin on iceberg.

Mevu has used a standing penguin on its crest since independence 50 years ago.

Visit their website.

There are 15 stamps in the fiscal set. Here is the full set:

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 7 tanos, turquoise & blue.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 42 tanos, magenta & blue.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 4¼ reis, lemon & green.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 6¼ reis, grey & green.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 7¼ reis, fluorescent orange & green.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 12 reis, blue & red.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 17 reis, light brown & blue.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 56 reis, silver & red.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 100 reis, brown & green.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 200 reis, fluorescent green & blue.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 300 reis, yellow & red.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 500 reis, gold & red.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 2,000 reis, green & red.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 15,000 reis, red & blue.

Mevu 2019 fiscal, 1,000,000 reis, purple & red.

The Mevu Ministry of Finance will issue a new series of fifteen revenue stamps to collect taxation,
announced the President, Her Excellency, Mrs Liese Keller, today.

The stamps feature the crest of the country, showing a penguin. They have been printed
in two colours by typography and perforated 12 gauge, by Chan Hui Shudian Printing SA,
Minaue, Waikoa Island. While not intended for postal use, they will be permitted for
mail, as very high value postage stamps are not printed in the Antarctic.

The same tax rates apply in our colony, Waikoa Island, so they will also have a similar set
of fifteen stamps, though in a different design and colour scheme.

Date of issue is 22nd October 2019. These are for the main taxation rates in the country:

7 tanos, Turquoise & blue . . . Email tax. (Must be affixed to every email that is printed out for whatever reason.)

42 tanos, Magenta & blue . . . Medical tax. (Must be affixed to every medical prescription to be filled.)

Rs 4.25, Lemon & green . . . Entertainment tax. (Must be affixed to every cinema and stadium ticket.)

Rs 6.25, Grey & green . . . Bicycle tax. (Must be affixed to every annual bicycle permit.)

Rs 7.25, Orange & green . . . Marijuana tax. (Must be affixed to every half-ounce bag of cannabis sold.)

Rs 12, Blue & red . . . Small boat tax. (Must be affixed to every boat annual licence, for boat 10m and smaller.)

Rs 17, Light brown & blue . . . Dog tax. (Must be affixed to every annual dog licence.)

Rs 56, Silver & red . . . Wedding tax. (Must be affixed to every marriage license.)

Rs 100, Brown & green . . . Departure tax. (Must be affixed to every travel ticket by person leaving the country.)

Rs 200, Green & blue . . . Large boat tax. (Must be affixed to every boat annual licence, for boat 11m and larger.)

Rs 300, Yellow & red . . . Land transfer tax. (Land half-hectare or smaller.)

Rs 500, Gold & red . . . Company registration tax.

Rs 2,000, Green & red . . . Land transfer tax. (Land greater than half-hectare up to 2 ha.)

Rs 15,000, Red & blue . . . Land transfer tax. (Land greater than 2.1 hectare.)

Rs 1,000,000, Purple & red . . . Bribery tax. (Must be affixed to every agreement to bribe.)

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[Panterra]

This year, 2020, is the fiftieth birthday of Mevu, a small Antarctic republic first established in 1970, and which has been a steady stamp-issuer since then.

So to celebrate this birthday in a philatelic way, Waikoa Island joined other lands to issue an attractive set of four stamps on 12th March 2020:

Waikoa Island 2020 50th anniversary of Mevu's Independence.

I see with all this discussion about Waikoa Island and its location and stamps, I somehow overlooked showing its miniature sheet celebrating the Mevu half-century. So here it is:

Waikoa Island 2020 50th anniversary of Mevu's Independence, minisheet.

The stamps are printed in these small minisheets to make it easy to fit the sheet on an album page, and on covers. Hard to do that with a sheet of 100!

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[Panterra]

Waikoa Island 2020 Marijuana tax. 2019 fiscal stamp overprinted.

Waikoa Island issued this stamp in 2020 to gather tax on legal marijuana sales. The Rs 7.25 (= US $7.25) is the tax on a ½ ounce bag of cannabis sold (the most common commercial unit on the island.) The stamp is the Rs 7.25 of the 2019 fiscal issue with an appropriate overprint.

Cannabis was legalised for recreational use in Colorado, USA, in 2012, and in Waikoa Island in 2014. This year, in New Zealand, we have a referendum to vote on whether marijuana should be legalised. I urge everyone to vote in favour of this.

Most of us know friends or relatives who have been persecuted in the past, and often fined or jailed for the “crime” of having a natural herb in their pocket. Meanwhile, another person may have tobacco or sweets in their pocket, yet despite the enormous health risk from use of both sugar and tobacco, no crime is imputed to them! Queen Victoria is reported to have been a regular user of marijuana for medical issues (or maybe she just liked it to relax), so it was never banned in her day.

An elderly friend in Dunedin got six months in jail for this herb a few years back. Yet that same man devoted many years to safeguarding Kiwis by working in our navy. Ingratitude? I’m sure you know similar bizarre stories.

Why should our society continue to act like a dictatorship, in telling everyone what they can and can’t do with their own lives? In the past, people who spent their time telling others not to enjoy themselves were called “wowsers”. I doubt we need such bad advisers any more (if we ever did!) I suggest we all act firmly to get rid of this foolish ban on use of natural herbs now. Let’s legalise it, and let the police chase real criminals, rather than fake ones.

Cannabis should be a health issue, not a crime. One in twenty Kiwis use cannabis medicinally and need safe, legal and affordable access to natural cannabis as well as refined products.

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