First Day Covers - Commemoratives before the Revolution.

First Day Covers are unlikely to top the collecting interest of members of the Egypt Study Circle They can however be quite attractive and give additional meaning to the reason for a stamp's production when used on an illustrated dedicated cover.

What makes a good FDC may be open to some debate but for commemoratives one could suppose that the cover should carry the full set, be addressed and have travelled properly through the post preferably with the commemorative postmark.

On internet sites FDCs sell quite well, especially those issued before the 1952 revolution. Though they are mostly inexpensive some of them, especially those carrying high catalogued stamps, command a high price. Pre-revolution covers are not particularly common and some are quite elusive. Even some post-revolution stamps are hard to find on FDCs, particularly up to the 1970s.

Here we make an attempt to illustrate examples of the pre-revolution stamps on FDCs. There are holes and some of the illustrations leave something to be desired. If you can fill any holes or have a better FDC than the one illustrated, as outlined in the criteria above, please send a copy or scan to the editor.

For some definitives no FDCs are known. Perhaps even more elusive for pre- revolution commemoratives are examples of their use for normal postage.

One notable FDC missing is that for the Graf Zeppelin Visit to Egypt special surcharged issue. The first day of issue is given as April 6 1931, but the earliest recorded cover is datestamped the 7th. Were collectors interested only in getting their covers on the flight, so ignoring such a triviality as a FDC?

1925, 1 AprilInternational Geographical Congress, Cairo.
1926, 1 March12th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition, Cairo.
1926, 2 AprilKing Fuad's 58th Birthday
1926, 9 DecemberInternational Navigation Congress, Cairo.
1926, 21 DecemberInauguration of Port Fuad
1927, 25 JanuaryInternational Cotton Congress, Cairo.
1927, 29 DecemberStatistical Congress, Cairo
1928, 15 DecemberInternational Medical Congress, Cairo.
1929, 11 FebruaryPrince's Farouk's Ninth Birthday.
1931, 15 February14th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition, Cairo.
1931, 6 AprilGraf Zeppelin Visit to Egypt
1933, 19 JanuaryInternational Railway Congress, Cairo.
1933, 20 DecemberInternational Aviation Congress, Cairo.
1934, 1 February10th Universal Postal Union Congress, Cairo.
1936, 15 February15th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition, Cairo.
1936, 22 DecemberAnglo-Egyptian Treaty.
1937, 15 OctoberAbolition of Capitulations at the Montreux Conference.
1937, 8 December15th Ophthalmological Congress, Cairo.
1938, 20 JanuaryRoyal Wedding, King Farouk and Queen Farida.
1938, 26 January18th International Cotton Congress, Cairo.
1938, 1 FebruaryInternational Telecommunications Conference, Cairo
1938, 11 FebruaryKing Farouk's 18th Birthday.
1938, 21 MarchInternational Leprosy Research Congress, Cairo.
1940, 17 MayChild Welfare Fund.
1943, 17 NovemberFifth Birthday of Princess Ferial.
1944, 28 AprilEighth Death Anniv of King Fund
1945, 10 FebruaryKing Farouk's 25th Birthday.
1945, 2 March50th Death Anniv of Ismail Pasha.
1945, 29 JulyArab Countries Union.
1946, 10 JanuaryVisit of King of Saudi Arabia.
1946, 28 February80th Anniv of First Egyptian Postage Stamp.
1946, 9 AugustCairo Citadel Evacuation.
1946, 1 OctoberAir Navigation Congress, Cairo.
1946, 9 NovemberArab League Congress, Cairo.
1947, 9 March25th International Exhibition of Fine Arts.
1947, 7 April36th Conference of Inter-Parliamentary Union, Cairo
1947, 6 MayWithdrawal of British Troops from Nile Delta.
1948, 1 AprilInternational Cotton Congress, Cairo.
1948, 15 JuneArrival of Egyptian Troops in Gaza.
1948, 23 AugustInaugural Flight of Egyptian International Air Service to Athens and Rome.
1948, 10 NovemberDeath Centenary of Ibrahim Pasha
1949, 1 March 16th Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition, Cairo.
1949, 2 AugustDeath Centenary of Mohammed Ali
1949, 9 October75th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union.
1949, 14 OctoberAbolition of Mixed Courts.
1950, 27 DecemberInauguration of the Desert Institute
1950, 27 December25th Anniversary of Fund I University.
1950, 27 December75th Anniversary of Royal Egyptian Geographical Society.
1951, 24 FebruaryInternational Cotton Congress, Cairo.
1951, 6 MayRoyal Wedding of King Farouk and Queen Narriman
1951, 5 OctoberFirst Mediterranean Games, Alexandria.
1952, 11 FebruaryAbrogation of Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936.
1952, 6 MayBirth of Crown Prince Ahmed Fuad.