2018-10-09 Tue

The 21 Piastres laborer’s passport stamp issued in 1921 is one of the notable Turkish Philatelic item.

The postal history of Turkey and its predecessor state, the Ottoman Empire, dates to the 18th century when foreign countries maintained courier services through their consular offices in the Empire. Although delayed in the development of its own postal service, in 1863 Turkey became the second independent country in Asia (after Russia) to issue adhesive postage stamps.

The above mentioned stamp was is considered to be the notable one as it was used in passports of expatriate workers who came to work on the Heraz Railroad which was a major construction undertaken by the state after the World War I.

A total of 182 stamps were overprinted, majority of which however, burnt during the fire in the Bozuyuk post office. The only remaining copies are 20, majority of which are cancelled either at Bozuyuk or Inonu. The above mentioned stamp signed by Herbert Bloch managed to survive along with other 4-5 copies. This is the single most valuable stamp of both Turkey and the Liberation War.

No surprise that this rare stamp fetched USD 5,750 at Cherrystone Auctions!

Image Courtesy: http://www.cherrystoneauctions.com