Page 241 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

THE FIRST POST OFFICE

Gulf Studio (Abu Dhabi)

This arrangement continued until, on March 30th, 1963, British
Agency Post Offices were opened in Abu Dhabi in the mud building
which had hitherto been the premises of the British Bank of the
Middle East, and “for” Das Island: “for” Das Island because its Post
Office was situated in the Postal Superintendent’s Office in Bahrain!
The Trucial States stamps which had been issued by the British Postal
Administration in 1961 would have come into use in Abu Dhabi but
for the Ruler’s objection to the design on the lower values which
depicted seven palm trees of differing size; and, as an alternative until
definitives could be prepared, the G.B. stamps with surcharge only
were placed on sale in Abu Dhabi and continued in use on Das Island.
With the opening of the Post Offices two cancellers came into
use (Types 1 and 2, each numbered “1” or “2”); and, although the
Das Island mail was still handled in Bahrain, it no longer received a
Bahrain date-stamp. Mail despatched on the first day bore an official

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