Inauguration of Port Fuad December 21, 1926

The dedication of the new port town, Port Fouad, and the opening of its post office in December 1926 was marked philatelically not by a set of dedicated commemoratives but by overprinting the set of three Navigation Congress stamps and the 50PT. King's Birthday stamp. They were overprinted, by lithography, PORT FOUAD by the Government Printing Works.

Of the three low values 2,500 each were printed and of the 50PT. only 1,520 with 440 sets being sent to the UPU. Only single sets were meant to be issued to customers so blocks should not exist. There was an apophrycal story told by our late chairman Major E.L.G. MacArther, about Hassan Mazloum's brother who some how obtained a block of four of the 50PT and triumphally showed them to Hassan Mazloum as the sole owner of such a block. Now Mazloum at this time was head of the post office and it was his edict that said that they should only be sold only as singles. He calmly asked his brother to see this prized possession, then equally calmly separated the block into singles and handed them back to his brother saying "now no one has a block as I requested". True or not blocks of four do exist, as do a couple of complete sheets.

The set was only issued from the Port Fouad post office with some first day covers being produced although few/none(?) were actually sent through the post. Eger to obtain the set collectors tried to cram into the Post Office resulting in two drying in the crush although it is reported only 85 sets sold on the first day.

Considered some of the great rarities of Egyptian philately, possibly more then justified, the set is one of the highest priced in the catalogue and has attracted the forgers from the day of issue.












Articles:
LOP 106 January 1962
LOP 113 April/July 1964

Egypt: Stamps & Postal History:
XX p328/329

Other:
Invitation card