George L. Lee Collection of the Royal Imperforate Printings of Egyptian Stamps

Finding Guide
refer to caption

1926 - Motorcycle Postman en Route Color Error, Scott E1

Prepared by Thomas Lera, Winton Blount Research Chair The Council of Philatelists Research Committee and William R. Schultz.

COLLECTION SCOPE  & CONTENT

The Collection of Royal Imperforate Printings of Egyptian Stamps (NPM accession number 233849) consists of one volume of imperforate singles, pairs and blocks of stamps from 1926 to 1952. The collection is housed on the original pages as mounted by George L. Lee.

PROVENANCE

The collection was formed by George L. Lee and donated to the museum on December 23, 1960.

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

In April 1926, the Survey Department, a government agency in Cairo, took over the printing of Egyptian stamps. One sheet of each stamp printed by the Survey Department, not those printed out of the country or overprints, was sent to the Royal Collection starting with the 12th Agricultural and Industrial Exposition Issue in 1926 up to and including the stamp celebrating the Birth of Crown Prince Ahmed Fuad in 1952.

The Royal Imperforate Printings were printed on stout, unwatermarked, ungummed paper and were not perforated. On the reverse of each sheet was diagonally printed “cancelled” in English. On later issues, starting in 1947, the printing on the reverse was changed to Arabic by King Farouk.

The Royal Imperforate sheets were confiscated with the rest of the Royal Collection, by the Republic of Egypt when King Farouk was deposed. The Palace Collections of Egypt were auctioned off at the Koubbeh Palace, Cairo on February 12 - 15, 1954 by H. R. Harmer of London.