Philately

Rudolf I – Imperial Feudal Document 1282

Rudolf I – Imperial Feudal Document 1282: The Beginning of the Habsburg Legacy and the Transfer of Power to a Ruling Dynasty (28-01-2026, Österreichische Post AG). This issue marks the beginning of a new series entitled "The Habsburg Legacy" and serves as a philatelic introduction to a pivotal moment in the history of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire. The stamp focuses on the figure of Rudolf I (1218–1291), the first Holy Roman Emperor…

Congratulations – 2026 / Condolences – 2026

Congratulations – 2026 / Condolences – 2026 When a stamp becomes a language of feeling and a silent human message 11–02–2026 Österreichische Post AG In this double issue, the Austrian Post offers a philatelic interpretation with a direct human dimension, where it does not commemorate a historical event or a public figure, but rather accompanies people in moments of both joy and sorrow. Two stamps, with two complementary social functions, …

Eagles of Africa… Stamps that preserve environmental memory

The South African Post Office issued a special set of B5 postage stamps dated January 23, 2026, accompanied by a commemorative CDC display card, to highlight the drastic decline in African vulture populations over the past 30 years and raise awareness of their vital ecological role. The photographs of the stamps and display card are by photographer André Botha, co-chair of the Vulture Expert Group within the CDC.

First Olympic Games Stamp Set

Among the world's most prized stamp collections is one of the earliest commemorative sets and considered one of the most valuable collections of Greek stamps. It was issued in 1896, specifically on March 25th, while the stamp set for the first Olympic Games itself began on April 6th and continued until the 15th. Incidentally, March 25th is Greece's Independence Day. When we look at this set, we see…

Maghreb postage stamps related to Amazigh culture

Postage stamps constitute an official visual record reflecting a nation's choices in representing its cultural and historical identity. They are not merely postal in function, but rather become a miniature cultural document expressing national memory and the civilizational elements that a state chooses to enshrine within its symbolic discourse, both domestically and internationally. In the Maghreb region, Amazigh culture is an authentic and deeply rooted civilizational component…

The red horse between New Year's and the Lunar New Year

A philatelic and documentary reading of the "Happy New Year! Red Horse" issue (12-12-2025) The Happy New Year! Red Horse issue, dated 12-12-2025, represents a precise model of how the festive framework intertwines with the temporal significance of a postage stamp, thus requiring a deeper reading that goes beyond the issue's apparent title. Although officially included among the New Year and Christmas issues, …

Philatelic Service in East African Countries

This article provides a cultural and documentary analysis of the state of philatelic services in a group of East African countries, along with Mauritania, Palestine, and Yemen, during the year 2025, focusing on five interconnected areas: the performance of official postal administrations, the advertising and documentation of the year's issues, the availability of purchasing and sending stamps to philatelists, the role of philatelic societies where they exist, and the structural gaps that continue to affect…

Digital documentation initiative via the Arab Collector's Library

In every corner of the world of stamps, coins, and postal bulletins, a story lies untold. Stories of homelands, of letters that traveled across borders, of societies that strove to unite enthusiasts, and of works lovingly written to serve as a guide for generations. This unique Arab heritage in the fields of postal services and numismatics constitutes a great cultural and scientific treasure, but it is threatened with extinction by the passage of time…

Collection and display of special editions for the first day of release

In December 2024, the Asian Philatelic Federation (FIAP) hosted a highly successful competitive pilot category for First Day of Issue (FDC) Envelopes at the Asian Stamp Exhibition in Shanghai. This event highlighted both the potential and the challenges associated with the FDC category of exhibits. Exhibits from Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Nepal, and New Zealand were featured. The enthusiasm…

Khedivial post office steamers

Maritime mail represented a central aspect of the development of communication networks in Egypt during the second half of the nineteenth century, and the Khedivial postal steamers were among the most prominent instruments of this transformation, playing a pivotal role in connecting Egyptian ports with regional and international trade centers. This research sheds light on the organizational and functional dimensions of these vessels, and on the services they provided…

Egyptian Postal Bulletins

The Egyptian Postal Service Bulletin, or the Egyptian Postal Authority's Postal Bulletin, is a government bulletin issued by the Postal Authority, its offices, and its employees. It contains all orders, instructions, and statements issued by the General Administration, and a copy is sent to each office to keep employees informed of all new orders and instructions. This bulletin was first issued on January 1, 1885, under the name "The Weekly Bulletin"...

About the Egyptian Post

A brief overview of the Egyptian postal service, published by the "Egyptian Youth Education Authority" and printed in Florence, Italy in English in 1912, was republished in the book "Egyptian Postage Stamps" by Fred Melville in 1918. Simple post offices were opened in both Cairo and Alexandria, their purpose being to deliver letters to the European community, hence their later name, Posta Europea. There are still...

The hobby of kings and presidents

What are the hobbies of kings and presidents? And why are they called that? Most of us know that King Farouk was one of the world's greatest stamp collectors, but perhaps not all of us know that US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was also a huge fan. This may have been one of the reasons for the friendship that developed between the two men, unlike the relationship that existed between…

Currency of the Imamate of Oman

A gang that forged postage stamps was arrested.

The police successfully apprehended a dangerous gang specializing in forging rare postage stamps. In 1921 (translator's note: the conference and stamps were issued in 1926), the International Navigation Conference was held in Cairo. At that time, the Egyptian Postal Authority issued a new set of stamps in denominations of 5, 10, and 15 milliemes. Despite the sale of a large number of these sets, the quantity...

King Farouk and the promotion of stamp collecting

There is no doubt that His Majesty King Farouk I's interest in stamp collecting directly contributed to the spread of the hobby in Egypt. He had several notable experiences, one of which I will recount, though it may not be widely known. Most of us are well aware of the events surrounding the royal visit that took place in early 1946 when King Abdulaziz, the Saudi monarch, visited Egyptian soil and the reception he received…

Anwar Sadat and his hobby of stamps and coins

President or Hobbyist? Anwar Sadat, the third president of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the commander in the 1973 war, became known for his passion for collecting stamps and coins. When someone mentions stamp and coin collecting among Egyptian rulers, the names of King Farouk or King Fuad's mother immediately come to mind. However, there was another hobbyist...

Postage stamp commemorating Muslim holidays 2023

Canada Post has issued postage stamps commemorating the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by more than one million Muslims in Canada. The hand-painted ceramic vessel featured on this year's Canada Post Eid stamp was made in medieval Iran during the month of…

IBAX Dubai Stamp Exhibition 2023

The Emirates Philatelic Association partnered with Dragon Mart 2 to organize the “IPEX Dubai 2023” philatelic exhibition. The exhibition took place from March 1st to 5th, 2023 at Dragon Mart 2, Dubai. Designed to promote and encourage philately in the region, the event was a great success with philatelists…

Book: Centenary History of Jordanian Stamps

The Jordan Post Company has published a special book on stamps entitled “Centenary of Jordanian Stamp History” to commemorate the centenary of the founding of the Jordanian state. The book contains stamps from the reigns of the late King Abdullah and King Abdullah II, and is a valuable resource for historians and stamp collectors. A summary of the book, “Centenary of Jordanian Stamp History,” by Professor Randa Obeidat, includes…