Page 185 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

M. G. Shirley.

The G.P.O. in Fahad Street (1959)

On the same date a full range of internationally valid stamps up to
RslO was issued; and the ‘Local’ stamps of the previous year formed part
of the new series, although the 10 N.P. underwent a major — but unin­
i
tended — shade change. The 40 N.P., previously mainly used for the
internal registration fee, became the value most required for the
general air mail rate; and a Dhow design of the same denomination
was placed on sale concurrently with the remaining 200,000 copies of
the original printing of 610,000 of the erstwhile ‘Local’ 40 N.P.
The stamps were the work of De La Rue and included new low i
values, 15np 20np and 25np, in the same design as the former ‘Local’
stamps. The middle values, 40 np 50 np and 75 np, showed respectively
a dhow (as ship-builders the Kuwaitis were unsurpassed), oil pipe-lines on
the South Pier at Mina al Ahmadi, and the new Power Station at Shuwaikh.
The subject of the R1 was an oil drilling rig and its associated surface
equipment; whilst the Rs2 showed a small dhow against the improbable
background of a drilling rig. The Rs5 featured the Mosque at what was

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