Boy Scouts - Athens

1964, 20 January

Printer: Helio Electronic Press
Designer: Archam Tcheterian
Sheet Size: 2np and 30np - 8 x 10,
all others - 5 x 10
Perf: 12 plus five imperf. SSs

The decision to issue stamps with a Boy Scout theme was a wise choice for the Dubai Philatelic Agency as there are many topical collectors who specialize in Scouting stamps. Additionally, many Scouts collect the stamps for a few years before they lose interest in stamp collecting. To capitalize on this market they issued a set of ten stamps and five souvenir sheets. Surprisingly, there are virtually only a handful of items created for the philatelic market from this issue. Huge quantities were printed and it is doubtful that there was a need to reprint them. Mr. Mosden never mentioned the stamps being reprinted.

Due to the popularity of the Boy Scout theme, they also issued a set of three aerogrammes with three of the same stamp images on them. When they proved to sell rapidly, they reissued them again, in different colors. The first set of aerogrammes were reprinted and many varieties were created and sold by the Agency. The second printing is easy to discern and more information can be found in the section of this catalog on the postal stationery.

With the stamps and the aerogrammes selling well, they release a set of three postal cards with the same images as the stamps and aerogrammes. When they sold well, a second set of two Postal Cards were printed on different colored card stocks. The second set of Postal Cards are plentiful, but the first set is illusive and expensive, especially the First Day Covers.

 

• The top cover with the green Scout hat cachet was for the regular postage stamps and the red cachet of the Scout was for the airmail vlaues of the set.

 

• Because all of the five souvenir sheets were air mail issues the large envelopes used for the First Day Covers had both the red and the green cachets printed on them.

• The block of four of the 1np value is partially perforated. The spaces where the perforation is not seen has indentations in the paper, but they do not go through the paper. This item is a genuine oddity, but is not an error nor a variety.

 

• A registered airmail cover sent from a Bank in Dubai to a bank in Scotland, bearing the 30np Scout stamp and a 50np First Definitive stamp.

• Another cover bearing the 30np value, sent from Deira on 9 April 1964 to Kusait. It has a backstamp of 12 April of Kuwait.

ITEMS CREATED UNDER THE BAROODY CONTRACT

• The high value 70np souvenir sheet in different colors.

• There is a single and about three-fourths of another frame of the 5np value with an inverted center misplaced over them.

• Imperforate pairs of the 1R and 5np frames. The blue 1R pair has a paper crease across it.

• On the left is an imperforate block of four of the 40np frame and on the right one of the 1R frame.

FAKE ITEMS RECENTLY CREATED IN LEBANON

With the Scouting theme being a popular topic with topical collectors and Scouts, it was inevitable that the forger and creator of fraudulent material in Lebanon would turn his attention to the early Scout stamps of Dubai. Sometime around the year 2000 Dubai items began to appear in Internet auctions that had not been seen previously. Below are some of the Scout stamps that were created and can still be found in the auctions and offered by unknowling dealers who purchsed them for resale.

• The four stamps on the left have a forged frame printed over a genuine stamp. The stamp on the right has a forged frame printed on the reverse of a genuine stamp.

• All the above stamps with double centers have a forged second printing over a genuine stamp.

All of the above stamps have forged offsets on the back of genuine stamps.

• Items had the following descriptions: "1964 Dubai. Artist's drawing for the issue ELEVENTH JAMBOREE, ATHENS showing the un-adopted design "Baden Powell and Sheik Rashid ben Said al Maktum with fleur-de-lis".    Backdrop dark-yellow. No face value. Acrylic and ink on card with passpartout framing. Netto size about 162 x 124mm. UNIQUE ARTWORK." and   "1964 Dubai. Artist's drawing for the issue ELEVENTH JAMBOREE,          ATHENS showing the un-adopted design "Baden Powell and Sheik Rashid ben Said al Maktum with fleur-de-lis". Backdrop red-orange. Face value 5NP.  Acrylic and ink on card with passpartout framing. Netto size about 162 x 125mm. UNIQUE ARTWORK. " For purposes of illustration, I have copied only the images and not the surrounding black "passapartout framing."

• This drawing and associated parts were created years after Dubai stopped issuing stamps, postal cards, and aerograms. They were created solely for the purpose of cheating collectors and making money for the person who created them. Also see AEROGRAMS, CREATED ITEMS for other items with this design.

• This item appeared in an auction catalog and was described as a "proof". Since it is the same color and size as the individual images shown below, it must be from the same source. The item certainly is not a proof.

The following Scout sheets were not produced for the Dubai Post Office, nor for the Dubai Philatelic Agency. According to Mr. Stephan they were made at the Helio Electronic Press as publicity items for the press. After many years they are surfacing and being sold as proofs. Mr. Stephen claimed he was unaware of these until the early 1980s when he purchased them from a stock holder in the press, who was also a stamp collector.

 

 

 

• The note that came with the Scout sheets read, "Scout sheetlets of 6 values of 4 colors. Quantity: 20 each color".

21 January - Provisionals

Kennedy Memorial

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