Kuwait – GB Overprints Society

Postal context

Currency: 16 annas = 1 rupee; from 1 April 1957 100 naye paise = 1 rupee

Also known in catalogues variously as “Muscat”, “Muscat and Oman”, “Value only issues”.

King George VI

1^st definitive set, 1948

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
64	½ anna on ½d	green	1 April 1948	443,355
65	1 anna on 1d	red	1 April 1948	460,535
66	1½ annas on 1½d	brown	1 April 1948	424,579
67	2 annas on 2d	orange	1 April 1948	479,423
68	2½ annas on 2½d	blue	1 April 1948	394,423
69	3 annas on 3d	violet	1 April 1948	1,243,707
70	6 annas on 6d	purple	1 April 1948	1,853,344
71	R1 on 1s	brown	1 April 1948	445,074
72	R2 on 2/6d	green	1 April 1948	48,807
73	R5 on 5s	red	1 April 1948	43,154
73a	R10 on 10s	blue	4 July 1949	19,351

Silver Wedding, 1948

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
74	2½ annas on 2½d	blue	1 May 1948	179,060
75	R15 on £1	dark blue	1 May 1948	21,703

Olympic Games, 1948

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
76	2½ annas on 2½d	blue	29 July 1948	89,264
77	3 annas on 3d	violet	29 July 1948	91,203
78	6 annas on 6d	purple	29 July 1948	83,677
79	R1 on 1s	brown	29 July 1948	83,395

UPU, 1949

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
80	2½ annas on 2½d	blue	10 October 1949	90,781
81	3 annas on 3d	violet	10 October 1949	89,968
82	6 annas on 6d	purple	10 October 1949	92.897
83	R1 on 1s	brown	10 October 1949	77,904

2^nd definitive set, 1951

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
84	½ anna on ½d	orange	3 May 1951	446,569
85	1 anna on 1d	blue	3 May 1951	486,629
86	1½ annas on 1½d	green	3 May 1951	253,725
87	2 annas on 2d	brown	3 May 1951	467,487
88	2½ annas on 2½d	red	3 May 1951	245,675
89	3 annas on 3d	blue	2 October 1950	433,391
90	R2 on 2/6d	green	3 May 1951	40,000
91	R5 on 5s	red	3 May 1951	48,117
92	R10 on 10s	blue	3 May 1951	30,000

Later printings

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
90b	R2 on 2/6d type II	green	1954	16,000
n/a	R2 on 2/6d type III	green	1955	6,000
92a	R10 on 10s type II	blue	1952	8,000
92 note	R10 on 10s type III	blue	not known	not known

Queen Elizabeth

Tudor Crown watermark, 1952

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
93	½ anna on ½d	orange	31 August 1953	2,059,200
94	1 anna on 1d	blue	31 August 1953	1,752,480
95	1½ annas on 1½d	green	10 December 1952	1,626,960
96	2 annas on 2d	brown	31 August 1953	2,607,280
97	2½ annas on 2½d	red	10 December 1952	1,509,120
98	3 annas on 3d (opt is in blue)	violet	18 January 1954	2,025,840
99	4 annas on 4d	blue	2 November 1953	1,076,880
100	6 annas on 6d	purple	18 January 1954	2,102,400
101	12 annas on 1/3d	green	2 November 1953	252,480
102	R1 on 1/6d	dark blue	2 November 1953	393,840

A top-right corner block of the 6 annas is known with an unrecorded perforation pattern (top and right both fully perforated), so the perforation type cannot be identified.

Varieties

As described under Bahrain (qv) the fraction “½” was at first applied in a separate option, so its position relative to “AN” can vary; these differences are of interest but no particular additional value.

Left to right: fraction high left, high centre, high right, low left, low centre, low right

Coronation, 1953

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
103	2½ annas on 2½d	red	3 June 1953	239,103
104	4 annas on 4d	blue	3 June 1953	219,355
105	12 annas on 1/3d	green	3 June 1953	172,389
106	R1 on 1/6d	dark blue	3 June 1953	176,943

St Edward’s Crown watermark, Rupees and Annas, 1956

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
110	½ anna on ½d	orange	8 June 1956	647,040
111	1 anna on 1d		10 August 1956	338,400
112	1½ annas on 1½d		8 June 1956	566,880
113	2 annas on 2d		25 April 1956	751,200
114	2½ annas on 2½d		8 June 1956	485,040
116	4 annas on 4d	blue	9 October1956	99,600
117	6 annas on 6d	purple	16 November 1956	292,800
118	12 annas on 1/3d	green	25 July 1956	72,720
119	R1 on 1/6d	dark blue	22 August 1956	345,360
107	R2 on 2/6d	brown	23 September 1955	62,160
108	R5 on 5s	red	23 September 1955	44,920
109	R10 on 10s	blue	23 September 1955	44,480

Later printings

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
107a	R2 on 2/6d type II	brown	10 October 1957	30,440
108a	R5 on 5s type II	red	10 October 1957	26,680
109a	R10 on 10s type II	blue	10 October 1957	9,360

Decimal Currency, St Edward’s crown watermark, 1957

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
120	1np on 5d	brown	1 June 1957	731,760
121	3np on ½d	orange	1 June 1957	271,000
122	6np on 1d	blue	1 June 1957	438,960
123	9np on 1½d	green	1 June 1957	653,520
124	12np on 2d	brown	1 June 1957	419,760
125	15np on 2½d die I	red	1 June 1957	557,280
125a	– die II see p.xxx	red	November 1958	included above
126	20np on 3d (opt is in blue)	violet	1 June 1957	4,901,760
127	25np on 4d	blue	1 June 1957	188,640
128	40np on 6d	reddish purple	1 June 1957	1,872,960
129	50np on 9d	deep green	1 June 1957	131,280
130	75np on 1/3d	green	1 June 1957	164,640

The “ei” perf has a rare variant where one of the margin perforating pins broke, leaving alternate lines with or without the perforation hole (the perforating head dealt with 2 rows at a time). This is scarce without overprint, and this is the only recorded Queen Elizabeth overprint with the alternate line extension hole (ex Michael Sergeant). Similar examples for King George VI are listed for Eritrea, Somalia and EAF.

Scout Jamboree, 1956

Printed but not issued. Copies from sheets registered in the BPMA are, since 2013, now in public hands, 1 sheet (120 stamps) of each value. These images are by courtesy of the current owner.

(SG №)	denomination	colour	date of issue	number issued
n/a	15np on 2½d	red	unissued	120
n/a	25np on 4d	blue	unissued	120
n/a	75np on 1/3d	green	unissued	120

Kuwait ceased to use overprinted British stamps before the change to multiple crowns watermark on the definitives.

References specific to this chapter

References specific to this and related chapters

GBOS GB Overprints Compendium edition 8, Dr John Gledhill (12/4/2020)

Particular thanks go to Stanley Gibbons Ltd, for permission to quote their catalogue numbers and numerous other contributors who are mentioned in the Appendix section.

All content is copyright, Dr John Gledhill and the GB Overprints Society, May 2025.

Other Postal Agency Areas