BRITISH
POSTAL ADMINISTRATION
(30 March
1963 (Das Island
on 1 December 1960)
to 31 December 1966)
During the year 1959, there was
an arrangement for providing a mail service for the several hundred oil
company employees on the Das Island. The company keeps a supply of British
stamps overprinted “BAHRAIN” and sends the mail ready stamped to
the British Postal Superintendent in Bahrain where it is cancelled there
with Bahrain cancels and sent it from there to its destination.
On January 1959, there was an idea
by Mr. D. F. Hawley, Political Agency in Dubai when introduce the Trucial
States stamps in Dubai, make special type of stamp for Abu Dhabi by overprinting
the Trucial States stamps by “ABU DHABI”.
At the end of the year 1960 stamps
of British (Queen Elizabeth II) surcharged only “NP” or “RUPEES”
were supplied from Dubai to the island to replaced the British “BAHRAIN”
overprinted stamps. These were used to frank outgoing the small amount
of mail from Das Island construction workers were channeled through the
office of the British Postal Superintendent in Bahrain for dispatch.
The stamps, which were sent from
Das Island to the British Postal Superintendent in Bahrain, tied by “BAHRAIN”
cancels. Four different Bahrain cancels where used during December
1st, 1960 to December 31st, 1966. The first type (Type
B1) was the small single circle cancel inscribed "BAHRAIN",
this type was the first British type that used in Bahrain. The second type
is the double circle cancel (Type B2)
inscribed "BAHRAN". The oval steel Registered cancel numbered “1”
(Type B3) is the third type that used
in Abu Dhabi and the fourth one is the last British agency cancel numbered
“2”or “5” were registered on December 5th, 1961 (Type
B4).
The first post office was established
in Abu Dhabi and Das Island on Saturday March 30th, 1963. The ruler of
Abu Dhabi at this time Shaikh Shakhbut opened the Abu Dhabi post office,
and among those present were the Political Agent, Shaikhs Mohammed bin
Khalifa, Khalid, and Sultan, Mr. W.T. Clark, managers of the Banks, and
commercial firms in Abu Dhabi. The British “Value Only” stamps were
used in Abu Dhabi when the post office opened as soon as designs for a
series of Abu Dhabi stamps has been agreed with the ruler. At the end of
the first day’s operations, the demand for stamps was much greater than
the postal authorities had anticipated and the postmaster remarked that
he had exhausted his entire supply of Rs. 5 stamps!
Two type of cancels came into use
in the same day of the opening of the post offices, the first one is (Type
1) “ABU DHABI TRUCIAL STATES” numbered “1” or
“2”. The second is (Type 2)
“DAS ISLAND ABU DHABI. TRUCIAL STATES” numbered “1” or “2”.
Both cancels continued in use during Independent and (Type
1) continued in use during UAE administration. The latest use
for (Type 1) is September 23rd, 1972,
and the latest use for (Type 2) is
October 12th, 1971.
In fact, the Trucial States issue
of 1961, have come to be used in Abu Dhabi but due to the ruler objection
to the design of the lower value (seven palm trees of differing size),
the British “Value Only” surcharged stamps were used.
The first Abu Dhabi definitive was
issued on March 30th, 1964 and to mark the occasion the Political Agent
presented the ruler with a full set of the stamps in an elegant leather
album sent by the Postmaster General.
The post office transferred from
Bahrain to Das Island on January 6th, 1966. British surcharged stamps and
Bahrain cancels were remained valid for use until December 31st, 1966.
During the British
postal administration, British and Abu Dhabi stamps were used, combination
of British and Abu Dhabi stamps usage are also known used during the year
1965. During the British era 16 different stamps were used this composite
one British set (1960-61 Value Only stamps – 11 values) plus the High Value
varieties stamps (2r. Type I, II, and III) and (5r. Type I, and II). Other
values (Low values from the 1960-62 issue - 1np., 3np., 6np., and 12np.)
are also known used but philatelicaly. Also the first three Abu Dhabi sets
were used during the British postal administration, this includes 25 Abu
Dhabi different stamps. Three Abu Dhabi aerogrammes were used also during
this period.
More information about Abu Dhabi
Postal History during the British Postal Administration can be found in
the following links:-
