Egypt (part 2)

Lets get back to the King Farouk stamps. On the stamp below the normally black imprint is done in red. Fortunately the curators of the Kings collection have marked most of the misprints that were made on purpose on the backside with a small postmark that tells us that this piece originates from the Kings collection.

In 1952 the King was deposed and the Arabic Republic of Egypt was proclaimed, with the right-hand man of Nasser, General Naguib, as Chief of state. In 1956 Nasser himself was proclaimed to president. To celebrate the 7th anniversary of the June-revolution also the Post contributed its mite with the issue of this non-perforated block on August 23rd 1959:

On the block we see a cargo-boat in the Suez channel, a long diesel powered train, a plane and our means of transport, the motorcycle. The chosen printing colors, red and slate-green, should express the developments in Egypt at that moment. 700.000 pieces have been printed of the block (and the related series).

Also of this issue many deviations are known, but not as crystal-clear as from the Farouk items. Well-known is the variety of formats and position of the print in the stamps and the block. In Egypt it is possible to make FDC's to one's own preference, and thus thereof many varieties are possible.

Another "genuine" stamp for us is the Police-day stamp from 1972.
On January 25st, the day of issue of the stamp, the rebellion and death of 50 police officers, who were forced by the English occupying forces to leave the Ismailia police station and give off their weapons, is remembered. The police force refused this assignment, and of the present policemen 50 died in their resistance against it. This happened in 1952 and in the year of issue, 1972, it was thus 20 years before. The value of the stamp, what a coincidence, is also 20 Mills.

In 2009 President Mubarak proclaimed this day to National Holiday, which he had better not done. Two years later on this day the rebellion/revolution against his regime started, which made him to resign and let the army take over control.

Now 3 stamps follow that will be regarded as exotic items by the more visually focussed MFN collectors.
On October 7th 1983 a stamp appeared on the occasion of the Pharaoh Rally. Halfway 1982 Egypt changed its currency and the Mill was replaced by the Pound (1000 Millimes = 100 Piaster = 1 Pound), therefore the value of 23 Pt.
The Rallye des Pharaons, initiated by J.C. Morellet in 1982, is a kind of Dakar race with start and finish in Cairo, at the foot of the Pyramid of Gizeh. The race is held for cars and motorcycles over a distance of around 3100 km (1900 miles). 1983 was thus the 2nd year of the rally. On the stamp the pyramids are clearly visible with on the right a border sign from the antique world, with the name Egypt also in Hieroglyphics.

Since 1985 also trucks may participate, and in 2009 quads joined the race.
Several years the rally was not held, and it has mainly become known due to the unpleasant fact that 3-fold Dakar winner Richard Sainct died in the race in 2004.

The last set, from January 14th 2007, is the one with images from the Egyptian ANWB, the ATCE (Automobile and Touring Club of Egypt). The ATCE is a club for all road-users. On both the stamp and the block are the logo of the FIA (Federation International de Automobile), the logo of the FIM (Federation International de Motocyclettes) and the ideogram of the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT).

The stamp

The block

First Day Cover

According to the Michel catalogue this issue has been brought out on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the club, but the club self states to be founded in 1905. And although I am not a star in calculating.....
The club supports and sponsors motorcycle riders in their sports and organizes several events like rallys, crosses and drifting races for cars, and off course contributes to the Pharao Rallye.

Well, this is more or less what I had to tell on philatelic facts in this story about Egypt and motorcycles. If you still have any questions, just let me know.

Top   -   Back to former page   -   Home