Mao, founder of the People's Republic of China, died on September 9, 1976, at the age of 83.

The four stamps feature paintings on Mao during his youth and middle age up to the founding of new China in 1949.

One of the stamps carries a face value of 4,000 kwacha (about 1. 1 U.S. dollars and each of the other three has a face value of 3, 200 kwacha (about 0.87 dollar).

Also featured are two quotations from Mao's works, with one reading: "We should lean to the side of the proletariat, help them and educate them. Why should we not extol the people, who are the creators of history and civilization?"

The other quotation reads: "As long as we rely on the people, firmly believing in the infinite creative power of the people, then we may be able to overcome all difficulties, no matter how serious they are."

Francis Mumbo, manager of the Philatelic Services under the Zambia Postal Services Corporation, told Xinhua that he had come up with the idea of issuing these special stamps because Mao was a great man who made important contributions to the progress of the mankind, the liberation of the African people in particular.

"The Zambians, including school children still remember the name of Mao Zedong, although he died 25 years ago," Mumbo said.

The stamps were designed by the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation and printed in Britain, according to Mumbo.

(People's Daily 09/08/2001)