Page 179 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

M aba inky a Street was situated in the mercantile centre of Kuwait
Town and, although this post office closed on January 31st, 1959 (when
the British Agency Offices ceased to exist) another post office was
opened by the State Post Office on July 14th, 1962, in the same location
but under the name, “Mubarakiya”. Three cancellers came into use in
1954 (Types 34, 35 and a rubber “Registered" similar to Type 23 but
inscribed “MABARAKYA STREET KUWAIT"); the latter was later
replaced by Type 36 (also known with the date inverted). It is interesting
to note that until.the Slate Post Office canceller became available, Type
34 was brought back into use on registered mail only from July 14th
August 21st, 1962. Stranger still, Type 35 returned to intermittent use
on ordinary mail in 1965 and 1966.

'r ^ 'C
ro 20 A U 5 8 ^
30 MY
56
STRt^

Type 34 Type 35 Type 36
The Q.E.II definitive high values surcharged 2, 5 and 10 Rupees
were issued on September 23rd, 1955. The overprint was originally
type-set on complete sheets, but in October 1957 the same values
appeared with a plate overprint. The difference between the two types
of overprint may be readily recognised on the 5 Rupees: in the type-set
overprint the figure “5" is exactly the same height as KUWAIT RUPEES,
whereas on the plate-printed overprint it is taller to the extent that its
top cross bar is above the level of the lop of KUWAIT RUPEES. On the
2 and 10 Rupees the differences are not so apparent and comparison
must be made between the horizontal arms of the letter “E" which are
bold and square-ended on the type-set and tend to taper on the plate
overprint.

The existence of the plate overprint was only discovered in late
1959, several months after the stamps had been withdrawn from sale, and
mint examples are consequently scarce. This applies particularly to the
RslO, of which 9,360 were printed and 5,040 withdrawn and destroyed.

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