Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant 15 Dec 2020 09:30:29pm
re: Another completed page for Saudi Arabia Hejaz
Interesting area to collect and most challenging due to the o/p varieties.
Note that o/p can be in black, blue, red, green or gold and often exist inverted.
On a personal note, I had not planned to collect early Hejaz and Nejd stamps, even as I specialize in Middle East. The high cost of stamps and the difficulty in identifying them and finding them was a major deterrent. So my collection started in 1932, when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was declared.
As luck would go, a dealer who knew of my interest had purchased a huge worldwide collection and wanted to get rid of areas of no interest to him quickly to pay off his debt, so I picked up a scarcely populated Scott specialty album with Hejaz and Nejd for a fair price, and got started 10 years ago.
What motivated me since was the discovery several years after my purchase of an error in my album. An L92, actually a L92a, had been mistaken as a L35, and placed in that slot. Only when I acquired a better centered L35 did I discover it. Yes, that o/p was that extremely hard to see...but in perspective what a bonus, as L35 catalogs for $3.50 and L92a lists for $1200.
Picture of my L92a below. Even when you know what to look for, you will probably have a hard time identifying it!
Now that was motivating to focus on this area, and I have been adding stamps gradually ever since...noting by the way that 50% or more of dealer and auction listed stamps are identified wrong...so do not trust the identification of anyone. I have yet to find another such bargain, but they are out there!
Many early Hejaz and Nejd stamps are really hard to find. (and I am not even talking of the o/p varieties). Take the simple L1, which I am still seeking. Every one listed is not perforated 12, but is actually the identical L10 which is perforated 13. Dealers like to list them as L1 because they price then 20 times higher. I don't think it is by accident.
I will gladly and proudly share more completed pages of Hejaz and Nejd in the future, but since I am able to buy just one or two missing stamps per month at most, it may be a while.
Thank you for sharing this addtl information and insight into your collecting experience.
I see such material so infrequently. And when I do, tend to be skeptical as to its provenance. Especially with respect to overprints (including the supposed "gold" powder layering).
As I believe I have mentioned to you privately, appreciate your research and writings re French Influence and Mandate Territories (posted to SOR in July 2016). For any philatelist interested in the Mid East, your writings are a valued primer.
Do hope you are encouraged to continue your research/writing re British Influence and Mandate Territories". (First installment -Palestine- posted to SOR in July 2019.)
Happy holidays!
Jim
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Harvey I think, therefore I am - I think! 16 Dec 2020 10:37:47am
re: Another completed page for Saudi Arabia Hejaz
Are we all getting over paranoid about overprints? I know some countries have a real problem but, for example, Scott's mentions nothing about fake overprints on early Ireland stamps. Should we all stop collecting overprints or should we just be careful not to overspend on stamps that are well known to be faked? I would never spend hundreds for early Poland or Russia even with a certificate!
Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant 16 Dec 2020 01:21:52pm
re: Another completed page for Saudi Arabia Hejaz
Thanks Jim. There are other writings out there and I am not sure how much more I can contribute. Maybe I will scan my pages and have them available as a reference ressource.
Here is a brief summary (Source: W. Michael Adkins)
fast facts
Region: Middle East
Group: Arabian Peninsula
Classification: Kingdom
Prior Regime: Ottoman Empire
Key Dates:
1916, Jun 5 – Great Arab revolt against the Ottomans
1916, Jun 27 -The Arab state of Hejaz proclaimed
1924, Mar 3 – Hussein declared himself the King of Hejaz
1925, Dec 19 – House of Saud, rulers of Nejd conquered Hejaz
Following Regime: Nejd Administration of Hejaz
Scott Catalogue: (Saudi Arabia) # L1-L186, LJ1-LJ55
Here are a few of the best references for those interested:
Finally, here are a really good set of pages with stamps from an advance collector (collection of W. Michael Adkins). I notice that we have many of the same voids, and occasionally identical pages...and even when we combine our collections, there are still so many gaps. I see he has focused more on inverted o/p than I have, as well as displaying some really nice blocks of 4.
We both have a lot more challenges ahead. Maybe I will scan my pages and have them available as an additional reference ressource.
Finally for Harvey, I am not aware of massive counterfeiting of the early Hejaz stamps. I saw a couple of sets of counterfeits, sold as such, for study, but I have not worried much about it. (certainly not like early Persia where 95% are fake)
rrr....
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"E. Rutherford: All science is either physics or stamp collecting."
Retired Ap. Book Mod, Pres Golden Gate Stamp Club, Hi Tech Consultant 16 Dec 2020 01:40:43pm
re: Another completed page for Saudi Arabia Hejaz
I just discovered that the first set of stamps was designed by none other than T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), when he was in Egypt in 1916!
Confirmation anyone?