最強DIY：建築師自制郵票免費寄信

An architect has been sending letters for free using DIY stamps featuring his own face.
一個英國建築師常年來一直用以自己的臉爲原型DIY的郵票免費寄信。

Angus McDonagh, 64, claims he has duped Royal Mail with over a hundred of his bizarre designs on letters which have been posted all over the world.
現年64歲的安格斯·麥當諾聲稱，他常年來一直在英國皇家郵政面前矇混過關，用自行設計的詭異郵票向世界各地寄出了百餘封信。

Many have his own face where the Queen’s traditional side profile would sit - complete with a comic eye patch or curious hat.
許多他自行設計的郵票上都印有他的肖像——帶着漫畫式的眼罩或搞笑的帽子，取代了傳統郵票上的女王側面輪廓。

At Christmas he created some of himself with a white Santa beard while others have used family photos.
聖誕節期間，其他人都在相互贈送印有全家福的聖誕卡片的時候，這位建築師也自己設計了一些戴着雪白鬍須、裝扮成聖誕老人的郵票。

Mr McDonagh began his personal freepost system three years ago in protest at bland stamp design.
三年前，麥當諾爲了抵制傳統郵票的無趣設計風格，他開始自行設計郵票並且用這些郵票來免費投寄信件。

Mr McDonagh said: 'When I started I wanted them to be deliberately silly, so I had a fake moustache or beard or eye patch, that was very obviously drawn on very crudely.
麥當諾說：“我剛開始自己設計郵票的時候，我刻意地希望它們看起來傻傻的，所以我在設計中加上了假鬍鬚或者眼罩，而且可以看出來是畫上去的，畫風粗劣。”

Mr McDonagh has created 50 individual stamp designs, printed them on his home computer and stuck them to envelopes with glue.
麥當諾已經設計出了50種個性郵票，用自家的電腦打印出來，並且用膠水粘在了信封上。

All stamps have a fake value of 50c - his own invented currency - and are franked with a location mark by Mr McDonagh before he posts them.
所有他自行設計的郵票都有50c的虛擬面值——這是他自行設計的貨幣單位——還蓋上了自制的當地郵戳，然後才投遞出去。

He has successfully sent over 100 letters to France, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada and Italy - as well as all over the UK - and only one has ever been detected as a counterfeit.
他已經成功寄送了百餘封信件——收信地址爲法國、香港、澳大利亞、加拿大和意大利，以及英國的其他地區——只有一次被發現僞造郵票。

Mr McDonagh claims he never meant to evade payment and has even tried to send Royal Mail a number of cheques for the total costs, but they were all returned.
麥當諾說自己這樣做絕非爲了逃避郵費，他還曾經數次試圖向英國皇家郵政局寄出支票，以付清全部郵費，但這些支票都被退回來了。

Mr McDonagh has now self-published a book about his creations - to highlight the flawed system.
麥當諾已經自費出版了一本關於郵票DIY的書——重點突出了英國郵政系統的錯誤。

The Royal Mail today confirmed they were investigating his claims.
針對麥當諾的自述，英國皇家郵政當局已經於10月29日展開調查。

A spokeswoman said: 'We would like to make it clear that it is a crime to create or use counterfeit will take the necessary steps to protect the integrity of stamps on behalf of the 29 million households and businesses we are honoured to serve.'
英國皇家郵政的一位發言人說：“我們明確表示，製造或使用假冒郵票是一種違法行爲。爲了維護郵票的正當性，代表我局所服務的2900萬家庭和商業機構，我們將對此事採取必要措施。”