British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia
Currency: 16 annas = 1 rupee; from 1 April 1957 100 naye paise = 1 rupee
Postal context
Also known in catalogues variously as “Muscat”, “Muscat and Oman”, “Value only issues”, “British Post Offices in Eastern Arabia”, “Muscat and Eastern Arabian Agencies”, “Muscat and Dubai and Arabian Gulf Agencies”, or (eg in some American listings) “Oman”.
King George VI
1st definitive set, 1948
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued | |
| 16 | ½ anna on ½d | green | 1 April 1948 | 138,285 | |
| 17 | 1 anna on 1d | red | 1 April 1948 | 117,548 | |
| 18 | 1½ annas on 1½d | brown | 1 April 1948 | 97,146 | top half of each sheet |
| 18a | – type II | in the above | bottom half | ||
| 19 | 2 annas on 2d | orange | 1 April 1948 | 77,116 | |
| 20 | 2½ annas on 2½d | blue | 1 April 1948 | 78,759 | |
| 21 | 3 annas on 3d | violet | 1 April 1948 | 356,061 | |
| 22 | 6 annas on 6d | purple | 1 April 1948 | 385,885 | |
| 23 | R1 on 1s | brown | 1 April 1948 | 56,179 | |
| 24 | R2 on 2/6d | green | 1 April 1948 | 20,518 |
1½ annas types:
I: the bottom of the large figure “1” is opposite the bottom part of the top line of the small figure “2”
II: The bottom of the large figure “1” is almost half way down the small figure “2”
As the types were used in the top and bottom halves of the sheet, respectively, pairs from rows 10-11 will show both types se-tenant; such pairs are very scarce as most sheets where torn in half across the middle for ease of use.
| Varieties | ||
| 22.v1 | 6 annas | overprint partially omitted (1 copy known), R20/2 |
| 22.v2 | 6 annas | very thin second “A” in “ANNAS” |
Silver Wedding, 1948
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 2½ annas on 2½d | blue | 26 April 1948 | 137,789 |
| 26 | R15 on £1 | dark blue | 26 April 1948 | 20,656 |
Olympic Games, 1948
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 27 | 2½ annas on 2½d | blue | 29 July 1948 | 73,998 |
| 28 | 3 annas on 3d | violet | 29 July 1948 | 72,226 |
| 29 | 6 annas on 6d | purple | 29 July 1948 | 68,904 |
| 30 | R1 on 1s | brown | 29 July 1948 | 66,867 |
UPU, 1949
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 31 | 2½ annas on 2½d | blue | 10 October 1949 | 70,462 |
| 32 | 3 annas on 3d | violet | 10 October 1949 | 64,843 |
| 33 | 6 annas on 6d | purple | 10 October 1949 | 62,797 |
| 34 | R1 on 1s | brown | 10 October 1949 | 60,093 |
2nd definitive set, 1951
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued | |
| 35 | ½ anna on ½d | orange | 3 May 1951 | 181,280 | |
| 36 | 1 anna on 1d | blue | 3 May 1951 | 146,706 | |
| 37 | 1½ annas on 1½d | green | 3 May 1951 | 77,953 | top half of each sheet |
| 37a | – Type II | in the above | bottom half | ||
| 38 | 2 annas on 2d | brown | 3 May 1951 | 110,785 | |
| 39 | 2½ annas on 2½d | red | 3 May 1951 | 67,748 | |
| 40 | 4 annas on 4d | blue | 2 November 1953 | 103,516 | |
| 41 | R2 on 2/6d | green | 3 May 1951 | 30,000 |
Later printing
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 41a | R2 on 2/6d type II | green | 1955 | 6,000 |
Queen Elizabeth
Tudor Crown watermark, 1952
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 42 | ½ anna on ½d | orange | 31 August 1953 | 605,280 |
| 43 | 1 anna on 1d | blue | 31 August 1953 | 459,600 |
| 44 | 1½ annas on 1½d | green | 5 December 1952 | 423,360 |
| 45 | 2 annas on 2d | brown | 31 August 1953 | 347,280 |
| 46 | 2½ annas on 2½d | red | 5 December 1952 | 382,000 |
| 47 | 3 annas on 3d (opt is in blue) | violet | 18 January 1954 | 500,400 |
| 48 | 4 annas on 4d | blue | 2 November 1953 | 257,520 |
| 49 | 6 annas on 6d | purple | 18 January 1954 | 644,880 |
| 50 | 12 annas on 1/3d | green | 2 November 1953 | 131,280 |
| 51 | R1 on 1/6d | dark blue | 2 November 1953 | 165,360 |
Coronation, 1953
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 52 | 2½ annas on 2½d | red | 10 June 1953 | 180,408 |
| 53 | 4 annas on 4d | blue | 10 June 1953 | 169,344 |
| 54 | 12 annas on 1/3d | green | 10 June 1953 | 161,543 |
| 55 | R1 on 1/6d | dark blue | 10 June 1953 | 166,643 |
St Edward’s Crown watermark, Rupees and Annas, 1956
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 58 | 1 anna on 1d | blue | 4 March 1957 | 69,120 |
| 58a | 1½ annas on 1½d | green | 1956 (see note) | 240* see note |
| 59 | 2 annas on 2d | brown | 8 June 1956 | 77,760 |
| 60 | 2½ annas on 2½d | red | 8 June 1956 | 70,800 |
| 61 | 3 annas on 3d (opt is in blue) | violet | 3 February 1957 | 47,760 |
| 62 | 4 annas on 4d | blue | 9 December 1956 | 35,520 |
| 63 | 6 annas on 6d | purple | 10 February1957 | 55,680 |
| 64 | R1 on 1/6d | dark blue | 2 August1956 | 90,960 |
| 56 | R2 on 2/6d | brown | 23 September 1955 | 41,960 |
| 57 | R5 on 5s | red | 1 March 1957 | 42,760 |
| Varieties | ||
Examples of the R5 overprint inverted are forgeries.
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 56a | R2 on 2/6d type II | brown | February 1957 | included above |
| 56b | R2 on 2/6d type III | brown | June 1960 | 7,560 |
| 57b | R5 on 5s type II | red | 27 January 1960 | 8,680 |
Decimal Currency, St Edward’s crown watermark, 1957
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 65 | 1np on 5d | brown | 1 April 1957 | 640,200 |
| 66 | 3np on ½d | orange | 1 April 1957 | 177,120 |
| 67 | 6np on 1d | blue | 1 April 1957 | 150,720 |
| 68 | 9np on 1½d | green | 1 April 1957 | 270,120 |
| 69 | 12np on 2d | brown | 1 April 1957 | 99,780 |
| 70 | 15np on 2½d die I | red | 1 April 1957 | 153,840 |
| 70a | – die II see XXX | red | April 1959 | in the above |
| 71 | 20np on 3d (opt is in blue) | violet | 1 April 1957 | 1,496,160 |
| 72 | 25np on 4d | blue | 1 April 1957 | 106,200 |
| 73 | 40np on 6d | reddish purple | 1 April 1957 | 863,280 |
| 73a | claret | July 1959 | in the above | |
| 74 | 50np on 9d | deep green | 1 April 1957 | 229,920 |
| 75 | 75np on 1/3d | green | 1 April 1957 | 188,640 |
Scout Jamboree, 1956
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 76 | 15np on 2½d | red | 1 August 1957 | 155,041 |
| 77 | 25np on 4d | blue | 1 August 1957 | 154,705 |
| 78 | 75np on 1/3d | green | 1 August 1957 | 154,080 |
Decimal currency, multiple crowns watermark, 1960
| (SG №) | denomination | colour | date of issue | number issued |
| 79 | 1np on 5d | brown | 30 August 1960 | 113,280 |
| 80 | 3np on ½d | orange | 21 June 1960 | 41,280 |
| 81 | 5np on 1d | blue | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 82 | 6np on 1d | blue | 21 June 1960 | 33,720 |
| 83 | 10np on 1½d | green | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 84 | 12np on 2d | brown | 21 June 1960 | 27,540 |
| 85 | 15np on 2½d die II | red | 26 April 1960 | not reported |
| 86 | 20np on 3d (opt is in blue) | violet | 28 September 1960 | not reported |
| 87 | 30np on 4½d | brown | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 88 | 40np on 6d | purple | 28 September 1960 | not reported |
| 89 | 50np on 9d | dark green | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 90 | 75np on 1/3d | green | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 91 | R1 on 1/6d | dark blue | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 92 | R2 on 2/6d | brown | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
| 93 | R5 on 5s | red | 8 April 1961 | not reported |
The 5np and 10np replaced the 6np and 12np on 8 April 1961.
The Post Office publicity releases which normally reported the numbers printed for each new issue did not include figures for those marked “not reported” above.
ABU Dhabi and Das Island
On 30th March 1963 the British Postal Agency was opened in Abu Dhabi using the building formerly used by the British Bank of the Middle East stocked with the NP ‘value only’ surcharges on the GB QEII issues with both Edward Crown and Multiple Crown watermarked paper. Mail dispatched from the post office on the first day bore an official cachet ‘Introduction of Postal Services / Abu Dhabi, Trucial Coast/ March 30th 1963. The Abu Dhabi definitive series was introduced on 30th March 1964 when the GB ‘value only’ surcharges were withdrawn from sale, although they remained valid until 1st January 1967 when the British Postal Agency handed over responsibility for all postal services to Abu Dhabi. These were the last official usages of GB Overprints.
Das Island, approximately two kilometres long and a kilometre wide, lies between Qatar and Dubai and belongs to Abu Dhabi. In 1953 the then uninhabited island was conceded to Abu Dhabi Marine Areas for oil exploration. In May 1956 the prolific Umm Sharif Oil Field was discovered and work began on establishing a base on the island.
Initially mail from Das Island was sent to the Office of the British Postal Superintendent in Bahrain to be dispatched with Bahrain overprints and cancellations. From 1960 the Value Only surcharges were supplied to Das Island but mail continued to be dispatched from Bahrain. On 30th March 1963, the day the British Postal Agency Office was opened in Abu Dhabi using ‘ABU DHABI TRUCIAL STATES’ cancellers, a similar ‘DAS ISLAND ABU DHABI TRUCIAL STATES’ canceller was issued to the British Postal Superintendent in Bahrain to cancel mail from Das Island, which continued to use the Value Only surcharges as the new Abu Dhabi definitives were not politically acceptable for dispatch from Bahrain. After the Abu Dhabi postal service became independent at the end of March 1964, the Value Only surcharges continued to be valid and were used from Das Island until July 1966.
The illustration shows a combination of surcharged QEII Machins and 5s De La Rue Castle stamps on a parcel piece with the ‘DAS ISLAND ABU DHABI TRUCIAL STATES’ cancels dated 12 September 1963 on the blue linen-backed paper typically used for large air mail packets.
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.