Other Postal Agency Areas

Qatar

Currency: from 1 April 1957 100 naye paise = 1 rupee

Postal context

Why so late issuing, why at all?                       

Until 1957 the Sultanate of Qatar used the “no country” stamps listed under “British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia”. With the introduction of decimal currency the opportunity was taken to give Qatar its own issues, parallel to those of Bahrain and Kuwait. It has been alleged that this was requested by the Sultan following an incident where some Bahrain stamps were sent to Qatar instead of the no-country stamps.

Queen Elizabeth

Decimal Currency, St Edward’s crown watermark, 1957

Low values
High values
(SG №)denominationcolourdate of issuenumber issued
11np on 5dbrown1 April 1957909,200
23np on ½dorange1 April 1957218,369
36np on 1dblue1 April 1957290,979
49np on 1½dgreen1 April 1957454,601
512np on 2dbrown1 April 1957267,240
615np on 2½d die Ired1 April 1957425,040
720np on 3d (opt is in blue)violet1 April 19571,842,480
825np on 4dblue1 April 1957124,444
940np on 6dreddish purple1 April 19571,013,940
9a claret21 July 1959174,960
1050np on 9ddeep green1 April 195788,854
1175np on 1/3dgreen1 April 195773,635
12R1 on 1/6ddeep blue1 April 1957128,696
13R2 on 2/6dbrown1 April 195734,931
14R5 on 5sred1 April 195725,928
15R10 on 10sblue1 April 195724,090
Varieties  
   

Later printings

(SG №)denominationcolourdate of issuenumber issued
13aR2 on 2/6d type IIbrown18 September 195717,860
14aR5 on 5s type IIred18 September 195710,847
15aR10 on 10s type IIblue18 September 19573,580
Varieties  
   

Scout Jamboree, 1956

Commemorative set
(SG №)denominationcolourdate of issuenumber issued
1615np on 2½dred1 August 1957162,046
1725np on 4dblue1 August 1957161,468
1875np on 1/3dgreen1 August 1957156,085
Varieties  
   

Decimal currency, multiple crowns watermark, 1960

Low values
(SG №)denominationcolourdate of issuenumber issued
203np on ½dorange28 September 196039,480
216np on 1dblue21 June 196033,143
229np on 1½dgreen28 September 196040,200
2312np on 2dbrown28 September 196022,440
2415np on 2½d die IIred26 April 1960987,840
2520np on 3d (opt is in blue)violet28 September 1960191,520
2640np on 6dpurple21 June 1960366,240
Varieties  
   

Overprinted Air Mail Letters

The KGVI Air Letters surcharged 6 Annas for use in Muscat and Dubai and overprinted for use in Bahrain and Kuwait were not issued until June 1952, four months after the King’s death and just a year before the issue of the QEII Coronation air letters on 3rd June 1953 which were similarly overprinted.  The Air Letters in various forms continued to be issued for use at all the British Postal agencies in the Gulf and were extensively used until each agency achieved independence. From 1st April 1957 they were surcharged in the Naye Paise decimal currency and additionally overprinted for use in Qatar. However, although they were issued in large quantities, non-philatelic usages of these overprinted airletters are very scarce.

These overprinted Air Letters are fully described in the GBOS publication ‘Overprinted British Airletters’ written by Dr John Gledhill, with comprehensive details of all varieties of the airletters and overprints.

A KGVI airletter with the 6 Annas surcharge philatelically used from Muscat on 6 July 1953
A QEII definitive issue airletter with the 40 NP surcharge overprinted for use in Qatar philatelically used from Doha on 20 December 1960.

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.