Page 180 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

The “Weak Entry" on the basic stamp (Row 1/2) is found on both
printings; and on the plate overprint it is a rare item, with a maximum of
only 108 copies existing.
All values to R1 (except the 3a.) appeared in 1956 on St. Edward’s
Crown E2R watermarked paper and on June 1st, 1957, following
decimalisation of the Indian External Rupee, all values below R1 were
re-issued with surcharges in “NP” (100 Naye Paisc = 1 Rupee). Although
the Anna values were withdrawn from sale they continued to be valid
for postage (la.=6 NP) and mixed franking is known well into 1958.
The 15 NP was surcharged on both types of the G.B. 2V6d. and a
very small number of Type II (Cylinder 46) was sold — unnoticed at the
time - only at Safat Post Office between November 1958 and January
31st, 1959. By the time its existence was known, the stamps had been
withdrawn from sale and it is consequently scarcer mint than used.
Despite offers which appear from time to time, an official statement
from the G.P.O. in London has made it clear that the 40 NP was/7of
surcharged on the deep claret shade of the basic G.B. 6d.: nevertheless the
surcharge can be found on an infinite variety of shades of the original
“reddish-purple”, some of which can easily be mistaken for “deep claret.”
Indeed, there are examples of the previous 6 annas on 6d. that look more
like deep claret than reddish—purple!
The G.B. Scout Jubilee Jamboree set of 1957 was overprinted and
surcharged for use in Kuwait. Supplies of the stamps were actually in
Bahrain when it was decided, for political reasons, that these stamps
should not be issued in Kuwait. The Scout stamps were, nevertheless,
issued in Bahrain, Qatar, Muscat and Dubai; and a number of these
issued sets was subsequently used in Kuwait between August 10th,
1957, and March 27th, 1958. They are exceedingly scarce on cover,
only seven sets each of the Bahrain and Qatar overprints being known
used at Ahmadi (Type 25 cancellation) on 10.8.57, and 85 sets of the
“Value Only” issue.

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