If you have been following my posts, you know by now, that I like solving mysteries hidden in the stamps. The 1965 issue is one such mystery. If you have ever dived or snorkelled around the Arabian Gulf and around the world, you would quickly realise that the fish portraid in the issue are not endemic in the region.
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So if the fish are not from the region (see below slide for further information on the fish), why issue a full definitive set with them?
The puzzle becomes even bigger when you realise that aquarium fish exports from the Middle East did not begin for, approximately, another 20 years.
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But for a long time this was a stumbling block for me. Until I came upon a letter from the Political Agency in the Trucial States (Dubai) which contained a description of the Sharjah 1966 Fish stamps, which also included the basis for the fish images. A series of 4 books by some of the well know marine photographers of the time (see slide below).
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So, all I had to do is somehow connect the Sharjah 1966 Fish stamps to the Qatar 1965 Fish stamps. The same document describing the Sharjah issue had another letter from the Political Officer in Dubai to the British Foreign Office (London) - Arabic Section describing how the Ruler of Ras al Khaimah was frustrated with a Lebanese Philatelic Dealer by the name of Fuad Antoun (probably the same person that in 1961 was arrested in connection to stamp fraud related to 'Middle East Stamps' (more on this on a later post). This letter (18th of September 1965) stated that on forcing Mr. Fuad Antoun out a Qatari - Sheikh Mohamed Bin Jabber Al Thani was appointed the Stamp Concession (see slide below).
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Qatar was at the time just about to issue its fish stamps, so it is possible that the concept used for the Qatar stamps was extended to the Sharjah by the hands of the new concessionary. This is more evident when one realises the similarities in the issues of Qatar and Sharjah Fish stamps. Both issues are compressed of 17 stamps in the same format. Both only have 9 different fish repeated throughout the issue. See below slide for the Sharjah & Dependencies Fish issue.
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By the way, I'm still searching for the FDC of the Qatar 1965 Fish issue - should you happen to have an extra one, for my own collection !!!
Interesting narrative and history behind this issue. It’s also one of the most beautiful set of stamps issued. The new currency MNH & used perf & Imperf are pretty scarce too. Thank you for taking the time to dig into the story behind this issue and sharing it with us. God bless and stay safe. Cheers.
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