Postage stamps and postal history of Kuwait
Encyclopedia
This is a survey of the postage stamp
s and postal history
of Kuwait
.
began an overland desert camel
service from the head of the Persian Gulf
to Aleppo
and Constantinople
as an alternative to slower sea travel around the Arabian Peninsula. This service operated until 1795.
in 1899, the consul's office handled mail, using stamps sent from Bushire, and forwarding mail to Bushire or putting it on passing ships. The first dedicated post office opened on 21 January 1915, and used stamps of India
. From 1 August 1921 to April 1941 the office was administered from nearby Basra
in Iraq
. From 1 April 1923, Indian stamp were issued with "KUWAIT" overprint
s; this practice continued for many years.
In 1941 the post office was temporarily closed for about a month because of the Anglo-French invasion of Iraq (during which time mail was carried by diplomatic bag
through London
), then re-opened under Indian administration. Owing to wartime exigencies, the office used un-overprinted Indian stamps until 1945, when a new set of Indian stamps was overprinted. This phase came to an end with Indian independence; Kuwait was administered by Pakistan
in 1947 and 1948, then by the British government directly from 1 April 1948.
In 1957, the currency was decimalised, 100 naye paise (np) to a rupee, which necessitated a fresh set of overprints. These were to be the last stamps issued by the British, for in anticipation of their coming independence, the Kuwaitis took over postal administration on 31 January 1959.
A first set of Kuwaiti stamps had already gone into production, with 5np and 10np values depicting Sheik 'Abd Allah III al-Salim al-Sabah, and a 40np value showing a dhow
, being used on local mail in 1958. The full set of 13 values went on sale 1 February 1959, and included additional scenes of oil-related activities.
as its currency and reissued the 1959 stamps in the new values, also adding some new designs, for a total of 18 values, ranging from 1 fils to 3 dinars.
Subsequently Kuwaiti stamp issues followed a pattern typical of many Arab countries, with designs tending to incorporate a fair amount of text, in both English and Arabic. The usual inscription reads "STATE OF KUWAIT". Definitive series included a natural-color portrait framed in silver in 1964, a portrait of Sheik Sabah in 1969, and a 32-stamp series in 1977 depicting popular games.
Kuwaiti issues came to an abrupt end with the 1990 invasion by Iraq. Iraqi stamps were used in the country until early 1991, at which point the regular Kuwaiti stamp program resumed.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s and postal history
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
Early posts
The postal history of Kuwait begins around 1775, when the East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
began an overland desert camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
service from the head of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
to Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
and Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
as an alternative to slower sea travel around the Arabian Peninsula. This service operated until 1795.
Treaty with the British
After the treaty with the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1899, the consul's office handled mail, using stamps sent from Bushire, and forwarding mail to Bushire or putting it on passing ships. The first dedicated post office opened on 21 January 1915, and used stamps of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. From 1 August 1921 to April 1941 the office was administered from nearby Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. From 1 April 1923, Indian stamp were issued with "KUWAIT" overprint
Overprint
An overprint is an additional layer of text or graphics added to the face of a postage stamp or banknote after it has been printed. Post offices most often use overprints for internal administrative purposes such as accounting but they are also employed in public mail...
s; this practice continued for many years.
In 1941 the post office was temporarily closed for about a month because of the Anglo-French invasion of Iraq (during which time mail was carried by diplomatic bag
Diplomatic bag
A diplomatic bag, also known as a diplomatic pouch is a kind of receptacle used by diplomatic missions. The physical concept of a "diplomatic bag" is flexible and therefore can take many forms e.g. an envelope, parcel, large suitcase or shipping container, etc...
through London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), then re-opened under Indian administration. Owing to wartime exigencies, the office used un-overprinted Indian stamps until 1945, when a new set of Indian stamps was overprinted. This phase came to an end with Indian independence; Kuwait was administered by Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1947 and 1948, then by the British government directly from 1 April 1948.
Kuwaiti control
Under British administration, British stamps were overprinted with values in annas and rupees. Unusually, the overprint was applied to all British stamps issued during this period, both regular and commemorative issues.In 1957, the currency was decimalised, 100 naye paise (np) to a rupee, which necessitated a fresh set of overprints. These were to be the last stamps issued by the British, for in anticipation of their coming independence, the Kuwaitis took over postal administration on 31 January 1959.
A first set of Kuwaiti stamps had already gone into production, with 5np and 10np values depicting Sheik 'Abd Allah III al-Salim al-Sabah, and a 40np value showing a dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
, being used on local mail in 1958. The full set of 13 values went on sale 1 February 1959, and included additional scenes of oil-related activities.
Independence
As part of independence in 1961, the government established the Kuwaiti dinarKuwaiti dinar
The dinar is the currency of Kuwait. It is sub-divided into 1000 fils. It is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.-History:...
as its currency and reissued the 1959 stamps in the new values, also adding some new designs, for a total of 18 values, ranging from 1 fils to 3 dinars.
Subsequently Kuwaiti stamp issues followed a pattern typical of many Arab countries, with designs tending to incorporate a fair amount of text, in both English and Arabic. The usual inscription reads "STATE OF KUWAIT". Definitive series included a natural-color portrait framed in silver in 1964, a portrait of Sheik Sabah in 1969, and a 32-stamp series in 1977 depicting popular games.
Kuwaiti issues came to an abrupt end with the 1990 invasion by Iraq. Iraqi stamps were used in the country until early 1991, at which point the regular Kuwaiti stamp program resumed.
External links
- http://www.kuwait-stamps.com/
- Kuwait Stamps at the G.B. Overprint Society.
- Revenue Stamps of Kuwait at The Revenue Reverend.