The first set to be issued by the new Postal Administration was a rather long definitive set, portraying sea life of the Gulf on the smaller values, views of Old Dubai on the higher values and a portrait of Sheikh Rashid on the 10R value. Each stamp portrayed Sheikh Rashid in the upper left corner, with the highest value having a full upper torso portrait.
The set was designed by M.M. Arthur, an employee of National Cash Register in Beirut, Lebanon, and printed by that company. The definitives were printed on special paper with a dull gum, referred to as American gummed paper. The original announcement regarding this issue was not clear as it stated that the imperforate sets from each category (Definitive, Air and Postage Due) would be printed on the special American gummed paper. It did not mention that all the perforated sets were originally to be printed on the paper as well. Mr. Mosden stated that due to the high cost of the paper, the perforated and imperforated sets of the airmails and postage dues were printed on a cheaper quality paper with shiny gum.
Collectors do not agree on the size of the sheets of stamps, generally stating they only exist in sheets of fifty. Mr. Stephan stated that the 1np and 5np values were issued in sheets of two hundred (10 x 20). These large sheets have been seen and I have a half pane of 100 of the 1np value in my collection.
There are no genuine errors for this set. Fake errors exist but are easily detected with a little knowledge. These were all created in the early 2000s and consist of a fake image printed on either the front, or the reverse of a genuine stamp.
ITEMS CREATED UNDER THE BAROODY CONTRACT
The following illustrations are varieties of the Definitives created by Mr. Stephan and Mr. Mosden. None of these were genuine errors nor varieties and are listed above in the Description heading of the perforated and imperforated stamps. None of these items were sold at the Dubai Post Office, but were created and sold by Mr. Stephan and Mr. Mosden on the side. If they had been sold through the Post Office, or the Dubai philatelic Agency, the money would have belonged to the Dubai government.
The block of four stamps of the 10R value is genuine, but the second misaligned impression of the Sheikh is fraudulent. It is interesting that while it is shifted upward within the center of the frame, there is no gray area shifted into the frame nor is there any shading in the Sheikh's face, as in the original image. The image was cropped before being printed. This was made in Lebanon in the 2000s.
