Page 196 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

* The original surcharge (Type I) was type-set with clear sharp letters,
the “2” and “RUPEES”were both in line with the lower bar cancelling
the Sterling value. The Type II surcharge appears to be plate-printed, and
the “2” lies well below the lower bar and is raised in relation to “RUPEES”.
Used copies all appear to be dated in 1955, and it seems likely that the
second printing was a stop-gap until the Q.E.II definitive high values
became available in September 1955. Normal requirements of this value
were about 8,000 stamps a year and the print order was probably no more
than 200 sheets - and possibly less than that.

The off-centre ‘14’
The surcharged Coronation set was issued in June 1953 and, over
the period December 1952 — January 1954, the new Q.E.II definitives
Vid. to Is. appeared with surcharges ranging from Via. to Rl. The first
printing of the Via., released on August 31st, 1953, was surcharged in two
operations - “ANNA” and “Vi” and may sometimes be recognised when
the fraction was not placed centrally in relation to “ANNA”.

With the exception of Via. and 12a., the low value definitives were re­
issued in 1956—57 on St. Edward’s Crown watermark paper. The 1 Via. on
lVid. has never been found mint and is exceedingly scarce used, despite
the fact that 87,273 were officially stated to have been sold.
Almost all the known copies of this stamp were used in Dubai.
Recently, however, a commercial cover addressed to Qatar has been found
bearing a pair of these rare stamps together with a Via. cancelled with the
Bahrain Type 26 date-stamp.
In the National Postal Museum there are Registration Sheets for all
the surcharges on Tudor Crown watermark, and also for those on Edward
Crown watermark surcharges with the exception of la. on Id. and lVia. on
lVid. Why is there no Registration Sheet for the 1 Via.? Is it because it was
never officially issued on Edward Crown paper? Is it because the 87,273
were almost entirely on Tudor Crown paper and that only a few sheets
were surcharged on Edward Crown paper in error? Admittedly this
* See Appendix.
193