Page 186 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

then Shuwaikh Secondary School (now Kuwait University); and the RslO
showed the view across the Main Square (‘Salat') in Kuwait Town.

The five low values of the new scries were also incorporated in a
Booklet, priced at Rs4.80, which contained two panes of six of the 5 N.P.,
and single panes of six of the 10 N.P., 15 N.P., 20 N.P. and 25 N.P., all
interleaved with waxed paper. The printing of this booklet, which was
put on sale in May 1959, was 5,000 copies.
A second booklet, differing from the first in that information on
postal rates, in English and Arabic, was included, was put on sale in
December 1960. The 25 N.P. showed a very marked, but unintended,
shade (almost colour) thange which did not occur on this value in sheet
printings. 6,500 copies of this second booklet were printed, of which
5,000 were destroyed on March 16th 1961, immediately prior to the
change in Kuwait’s currency.
Following the currency change on April 1st, 1961 (1,000 Fils =
1 Kuwaiti Dinar) the final unsold balance of 1,340 booklets was
destroyed, but there is no record as to which printing was concerned.
If all were remnants of the first booklet, which is most unlikely, then
1,500 copies of the second booklet had been sold: on the other hand if
those destroyed were all unsold second booklets then as few as 160 of
the December 1960 booklet had been sold. Certainly the second booklet
is exceedingly scarce; and, if only 160 were sold, then only 960 copies
of the 25 N.P. shade change can exist.
The British-type cancellers were gradually replaced during 1959
with bilingually inscribed circular, oval (registered) and rectangular
(parcel) types. Type 25 made a brief return to use over the Christmas 1959
rush period and, as already recorded, Types 34 and 35 also re-appeared
in later years.

FORCES MAIL (1961)

Kuwait had been in treaty relations with Great Britain since 1899;
but with the passing of the years, the discovery of oil brought great
prosperity and the establishment of the super welfare state; and, in the
wake of progress, national pride inevitably — and rightly — followed.
The outcome of the changing order was an exchange of letters
between the Ruler and H.M. Government whereby, on June 19th, 1961,

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