December 2019 – Page 2 – The-Philatelist

As of the time of this stamp, Dubai did not yet have a TV station. It was coming though. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Dubai’s last stamps were in 1972 as the United Arab Emirates took over a universal postage service. As such Dubai can be forgiven for jumping the gun to show off it’s upcoming TV station. The station would be a rival to Abu Dhabi’s TV station that opened in 1969. So a united UAE might not have been so excited by it. The stamp shows the Intelsat satellite, that first brought the world the Beatles singing “All you need is Love”. It also shows Sheik Rashid bin Said who was then transitioning from Dubai’s leader to the united UAE leader.

Todays stamp is issue A25, a 10 Riyal stamp issued by the Emirate of Dubai in 1971. It was part of a 10 stamp issue in various denominations showing new construction in Dubai. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 85 cents used.

Oil was discovered in 1966 and got into production in 1968. Before that Dubai got by as a British Protectorate/ trading post whose biggest industry was pearl diving. That industry had been greatly challenged by Japan’s innovations in offering cultured pearls. In 1967 Great Britain announced that they were scaling back their worldwide commitments and ending Protectorate status. At the same time India devalued the Rupee which was still the local currency. The oil discovery really couldn’t have come at a better time. Old rivalries with Abu Dhabi were put aside and the United Arab Emirates were formed.

One thing that had been learned from the British was the value of opening up to the people of the world, as was so beneficial to places like Hong Kong and Singapore. Dubai did this not just in terms of contract workers but took it to the next level in opening tax and tariff free zones to incubate new industries that could then offer much employment not tied to the finite resource of the oil. In terms of television broadcasting Dubai formed a Media Free Zone that enabled broadcasters from around the world to produce and distribute content. Dubai’s home grown television station was not left out. Soon it added a second channel offering programing aimed at the expatriates offering western shows and offerings in Hindi. The area now produces programing including news, cultural shows, religious programing, as well as soap operas, dramas and even children’s cartoons.

It is hoped that the diversification of the economy will be a enough to keep the boom going after the oil runs out. As of now, the belief is that the oil will runout in 2029. The government believes by then it will be able to keep revenues at 90 % of the 2013 level. Over time it is hoped that there will be enough qualified locals to replace most contract workers and the country will still benefit from it’s unique and long standing trade relationship with Iran, that much of the world shuns.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast Sheik Rashid bin Said, who ruled from 1959-1990. Faced with challenges, he sought out opportunity. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting.

With Iceland announcing the end of their postage stamp issuance and with small country farm outs ever less connected with the country or origin, I have been wondering about what the end of postage stamp issuance would look like. Therefore a modest proposal. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

If this were the last stamp, think how much of the 180 years of the hobby of stamp collecting could be included. The British Penny Black was the first stamp and in itself a major reform of the postal system. Copied all over the world. William Wyon’s 1837 Victoria profile became so recognizable that it was used for her whole Reign without ever requiring even including the country name on the stamp. Arnold Machin’s profile of a timeless Queen Elizabeth II has now lasted even longer and the two basic images together work so well. Make this the last stamp.

The Penny Black was the first postage stamp. Previously to mail one had to go to the post office and pay the post master who would then initial the top corner of the envelope. It was realized that selling stamps in sheets would greatly ease commercial mailing by enabling pre payment. The increased mail volume would allow a drop in price for a standard domestic letter to one penny regardless of distance. This was a third of the previous rate which added heavily for distance. The stamp was elaborately engraved on high quality paper to avoid counterfeiting. Gum on the back and perforations would come later. The penny black was not completely successful in one regard. The red cancelation on the black stamp could be washed off by sly re-users. In 1842 the penny black was replaced by a penny red of the same design that used a permanent black cancelation.

In the early days of Elizabeth II’s Reign, a three quarter face portrait picture by Dorothy Wilding was used on the stamps. This was controversial among some stamp designers as it took up so much of the stamp. There was also a push to remove the Sovereign from the stamp and add UK to the stamps. This was promoted by left politician and then Postmaster General Tony Benn. By the mid 1960s even the Queen herself could see the issue of continued use of the dating Wilding portrait was not optimal. A new competition was held with the Queen to pick the winner.

The winner was Arnold Machin’s profile that was originally a bas-relief in clay done from pictures by Lord Snowden. He originally included the Queen holding a bouquet of flowers but decided on simplifying it before submission. Elizabeth is wearing the George IV State Diadem crown dating from 1820 and also worn by Victoria in the Wyon profile. The image was also used on coinage starting with decimalization in 1968 and earlier on Rhodesian coins. Elizabeth’s image was updated on the coins in the 1980s but she sensibly refused the suggestion to update the stamp image. Machin got his own stamp in 2007 and his work of art is the most commonly reproduced in the history of the world, 320 billion times to date.

A note about inflation. This stamp shows a value of 20 Pence, below the current rate of 70 Pence. If you adjust the 1840 1 Penny for inflation and decimalization, it works out to 35 Pence. For a final issue and everyone’s last letter mailed, why not go back to one penny for a day or even a week. Think of the final volume and remember you are still benefiting from decimalization! There are no longer 240 Pennies in a Pound.

Well my drink is empty and I can’t claim any influence on how things will end. This stamp wouldn’t be the worst. Come again tomorrow for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting