STAMP COLLECTION
Quite apart their postal value and purpose, stamps are also communication tools. They tell the story of how mail has been handled, who has handled it, and why, the history of a people, their identity and their culture.
The first Egyptian stamps depict images of ancient Egypt, thus the Sphinx and the pyramids, but quickly shift to portraits of leaders and figures of power. In later periods one finds a wide range of images covering almost every aspect of Egypt’s cultural, economic, political, and social life, as well as national achievements and history.
The Coptic Museum of Canada’s Egyptian stamp collection includes:
Egypt’s postal history from the first stamp issued in 1866.
The Mohammed Ali Dynasty (1805-1952) to Egypt as a Republic (1952).
Art, artists, cultural events and sites.
Ancient Egyptian archaeological sites and art.
And more.
The first stamp issued in 1866 when Egypt was still under Turkish suzerainty.
Example of a stamp issued under Turkish Suzerainty with Sphinx and Pyramid (1867-1869)
Commemorative stamp with portrait of Khedive Ismail (r.1863-1879) who established the Egyptian Postal Service in 1865.
January 2, 1960 Post Day Commemorative stamp with 12th century Post Rider image.
King Farouq with three black bars that obliterate his portrait communicates that he was no longer the king in 1951.
Issued June 25, 1968
First day commemorative envelope with image of St. Mark the Evangelist and St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral at Abassaya, Cairo, and a stamp with St. Mark’s image.
Issued March 17, 2012
First Day Commemorative stamp of H.H. Pope Shenouda III
Issued October 24, 1968
Naguib Mahfouz (1931-2006)
Portrait and medallion of Award: 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature
Issued June 11, 1995
Mahmoud Mokhtar, sculptor (1891-1934)
Portrait and two of his public sculptures
Issued 1979 -1980
Lotus Chalice
One of 38 stamps in Collectors Album with replicas of British Museum’s Tutankhamun exhibition in 1972.