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18th September 2009 - Emirates Philatelic Association names dealer selling fakes on Ebay. Several months ago months fake aerogrammes from the UAE were being offered for sale on Ebay by Tony Helou from Beirut. The Emirates Philatelic Association has quite rightly taken great exception to these activities and issued bulletins with details of the fake items. To view the bulletins and avoid being misled, or even worse being ripped off, visit these links. Circular PDF 1st Forgery report PDF 2nd Forgery Report contains details and scans of stamp forgeries being offered on Ebay Download PDF 18th August 2009. Jerusalem - City of Arabic Culture will be a joint issue from many Arab countries and so far Iraq and Syria have issued stamps. The official Palestinian Authority issue is still held up by the Israelis and the Hamas issue has been snapped up by dealers. Read more about the event and why the Pal. Authority stamps have not been issued. click here then click here 18th August 2009. A few comments about the recent SG Part 19:M. The International Philatelic Glossary in the new catalogue has included Arabic in the languages used but unfortunately the Arabic is typed backwards and reads from left to right. Whatever happened to proof reading and quality control? The Palestinian Authority 1995 handstamped overprints which nobody I know has ever seen are still included and strangely only one value of the 1998 Mahmoud Darwish set of four, the 350 Fils, is shown. In my view many recent Saudi Arabia issues are vastly overpriced. e.g. £60 for the 2008 Arab Post Day? Come on, pull the other one. 4th August 2009: Stanley Gibbons release 7th edition of their Part 19 Middle-East catalogue. Retail price £42.50. Significant price rises noted for many items. 2nd August 2009. Iraq release stamps & ms "Jerusalem, Capital of Arab Culture". Israel has prevented the release of a similarly named issue by the Palestinian Authority which has been printed in Tunisia. Hamas printed and issued their own version in Gaza during July 2009 [see 'Palestinian Authority' page on website]. The Israelis have also prevented the release of a Palestinian Authority "Arab Post Day" stamp which was a joint issue by Arab League countries. |
| This website is in a state of constant growth and change. and is primarily a site about philatelic material from middle-east Arabian countries and will eventually include material from North African Arab speaking countries . It is intended to be also a source of new philatelic information from the middle-east. Philatelic history in the making, so to speak. There are many excellent well researched and well written volumes about specialised philatelic aspects of the area, particulary the postal history, but hardly any of these publications cover modern issues - philatelic or political - which will be recorded on this website. The whole area is currently in a state of political upheaval after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, but since the first civilisations that we know about established themselves along the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris and wrote letters on baked clay tablets long before Abraham, or Ibrahim, was a twinkle in his father's eye the area has been in a state of almost constant flux. The postal history has been as fascinating as the political history. Probably the first organised posts were established in those distant times by Cyrus the Great who built post-houses along his roads, each post-house being a day's ride on a horse. The first Pony Express! Recent happenings in the area have their own philatelic stories. Purchases of modern stamps from Iran, and until recently Iraq, were banned in the USA as trade sanctions were imposed on these states. Stamps issued by the Palestinian Authority, although not recognised by the UPU until last year, have been in use since 1994 on both internal and external mail. Local stamp issues were printed and used in Iraqi Kurdistan prior to the deposing of Saddam Hussein, as were a few in Iranian Kurdistan in the early 1920's. The area is rich in modern philatelic interest. When possible I'll give details of unusual stories about issues as they happen, such as the problems faced when printing the first Iraqi issue after the 2003 invasion and the reasons for the appearance of varieties. If not recorded somewhere then such stories will be lost. |
| Illustrations show recent issues of stamps plus items from my own collection/accumalation which I am now selling. As an inveterate collector of stamps, books, and other collectibles during my travels I am now 'selling up'and restricting my own collecting to just a few countries where I have friends and contacts to supply stamps. More recent issues from these countries will be available but in very small quantities. If you are looking for scarce, rare, or unusual items then let me know your 'wants' anyway as I do have good philatelic contacts who just might be able to supply you with your sought after material. |
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Currencies: Prices in many of the sales lists are given in GB Pounds, US Dollars, and Euros. Some browsers are unable to correctly display the symbols for GB Pounds, US Dollars and Euros so here is what they will look like on your display: GBP...£ USD...$ Euros...€ Because currencies fluctuate the 'base' price is in GB Pounds and the US Dollar and Euro prices are shown as very approximate guides to cost in those currencies. When the pages are updated prices will be in GB Pounds only Language & terms used: While I attempt to keep things simple yet understandable to all site visitors the spelling is UK English [through, and not thru, centre and not center, ect;] and UK philatelic terms are used. Miniature sheet is used and not souvenir sheet. um = mnh, mm = hm. CTO = pre cancelled. Pages As items are sold the pages will be updated & the sold items either marked as 'sold' or removed from pages, but there is a certain 'lag factor'in updating pages so please email to ascertain the availability of items you might wish to buy. Catalogue references. When possible I give Stanley Gibbons, Scott, and Michel reference numbers. When any of these are not given then I'll give a description and picture of the stamps or miniature sheets to help you identify them. Because Scott do not issue specialised area catalogues no Scott numbers will be shown for issues later than those shown in the Scott 2001 cats. Michel references will be shown from the 2007/2008 Naher Osten edition of their specialised catalogue. SG references are from Part 19 [Middle East 6th edition] of 2005 but are being uopdated from the 2009 7th edition, and Part 16 [Central Asia - 4th Edition] of 2006. If I have managed to confuse you or if you have any questions about the site or its content, Magan Stamps, or middle-east philately then please email and I will will try to help you. |
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I hope that you enjoy browsing the site and if you feel that you have some interesting information about any stamps from the countries listed then please send details and I'll publish them - with your permission of course. Why Magan Stamps? Magan or Makan is the name an ancient land in the vicinity of what now the U.A.E and Oman and as I spent a number of years in both countries I thought it an appropriate name. |