2016-12-31 Sat

Aleppo in Syria was the third largest city in the Ottoman Empire and was the largest city in Syria before the multi-sided civil war began destroying the country. This has led to collectors showing interest in stamps from this country.

After World War I, the Ottoman Empire broke down and King Faisal I of Mecca founded the independent Arab Kingdom of Syria. He became friends with the British and fought against the Ottomans during World War I. But the British and French signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement and Syria was assigned to France. In April 1920, France won the Franco-Syrian War and Faisal was dethroned. In 1921, the French overprinted and surcharged nine issues of the Arab Syrian government with the letters “O.M.F.” which stands for “Occupation Militaire Francaise.” Today the stamp is valued at $40.75.