Swedish Childhood semipostals

Sweden Post issued two semipostal stamps Jan. 16 to benefit the World Childhood Foundation.

The foundation, commonly called Childhood, was founded in 1999 by Queen Silvia based on the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The stamps are nondenominated with the inscription “Sverige Brev *.” The word “brev” is Swedish for letter, indicating that the stamps pay the domestic letter rate. The asterisk denotes the surtax, the extra amount to go to the charity.

The two self-adhesive stamps are sold in booklets of 10, with 10 krone from each booklet donated to the foundation.

Clara Terne designed the stamps, which picture the foundation’s popular bead bracelets.

According to information from Sweden Post, “Each bead has a different color and represents one of the articles of the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child. The beads are meant as a reminder of everyone’s right to a childhood.”

For ordering information, contact Sweden Post Stamps, SE-164 88 Kista, Sweden; website www.posten.se/stamps. The new-issue agent is the Sweden Stamp Agency in North America (Unicover World Trade Corp.), 1 Unicover Center, Cheyenne, WY 82008-0008.