Ahwal Al-Ma'rifa – Special

Postage stamps constitute one aspect of the history of any country, as they document numerous national historical events. They also commemorate local or international occasions when issued in various artistic forms. In most cases, they refer to numerous places and events associated with a particular country. Hence, their great importance in documenting history, particularly because they rely on words, images, time, and place.

On the other hand, postage stamps serve as a visual record documenting major events, national and religious occasions, and the cultural and scientific achievements of countries, as well as promoting cultural and civilizational heritage. They reflect the identity of nations and highlight their landmarks, prominent figures, and arts for future generations and the outside world.

They also represent valuable treasures and collectibles with significant material and معنوية value among collectors of rare and distinctive items around the world.

A Historical Beginning:

Postage stamps began in the world in 1840 in Britain (the United Kingdom). Sir Rowland Hill proposed the idea of paying postage fees in advance. Following this, post offices began to spread, facilitating the sending of letters and correspondence to various cities and provinces, and later to different parts of the world.

The first postage stamp was the famous "Penny Black", bearing the image of the British Queen Victoria. It went on sale on May 1, 1840, and began actual use on May 6, 1840.

Following the successful British experiment, other countries began issuing their own stamps successively. Switzerland issued its first postage stamps in 1843, including the Canton of Zurich stamp, followed four years later by the United States of America, which issued its first official stamps in 1847.

At the Arab level, Egypt was the first Arab country, and the seventh country in the world, to issue its own postage stamps in 1866, following the transformation of the "European Post" into the Egyptian Postal Service. Tunisia followed in 1888, then the Hejaz in 1916, when the Hejaz Postal Service issued the first independent collection of Arab stamps following the withdrawal of the Ottomans. Lebanon and the Levant followed in 1920.

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, postage stamp issuance developed between 1925 and 1934 over a period of nine years, beginning with the issuance of the Nejd Sultanate stamp in March 1925 and culminating in the first official collection of postage stamps bearing the name "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" in 1934.

Kingdom Stamps:

The oldest postage stamp was issued during the reign of King Abdulaziz, may he rest in peace, in March 1925. It carried the phrase "(Post of the Nejd Sultanate)", followed by the "(First Hajj Commemorative Stamp during the Nejd Sultanate)", then the Jeddah Entry Commemorative Stamp in December 1925, and the Hejaz and Nejd Post stamp.

In 1349 AH, a very important historical postage stamp was issued documenting the anniversary of King Abdulaziz's accession to the throne. It featured the (Royal Emblem of King Abdulaziz) and marked the early appearance of the national emblem of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, "two crossed swords with a palm tree." This was in 1931–1932, before the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on September 23, 1932.

However, the first postage stamp issued in the Kingdom bearing the name "(Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)" was released in 1934. Several editions were produced in different colors, including green, blue, yellow, and violet. It also featured the royal emblem of King Abdulaziz.

According to the book (Postage Stamps of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), prepared by Dr. Elias Akram Kawar and classified by David Graham, a collection of six ordinary stamps was issued in February 1926 / 1345 AH. These were printed in Egypt for postal use by the newly emerging state under the leadership of King Abdulaziz. This collection was reprinted along with three postage-due stamps on the occasion of the Islamic Conference held in Cairo in June 1926 / 1345 AH.

Between 1926 and 1927, a collection of ordinary and postage-due stamps representing the (royal emblem) or the royal insignia of King Abdulaziz was issued. During the reign of King Abdulaziz, other collections of stamps were also issued commemorating the opening of the railway, visits by presidents and kings from Arab and Islamic countries to the Kingdom, as well as stamps for airmail and postage-tax stamps issued between 1934 and 1950.

Postage stamps came in various types, including ordinary stamps, used for regular, land, sea, and airmail correspondence; airmail stamps, used exclusively for airmail; and commemorative stamps, issued to commemorate notable figures or important national and international occasions. There are also commemorative cards, which are small cards bearing a single stamp or a collection of commemorative stamps issued as gifts. In addition, there are postage-due stamps, official stamps used by government departments, and charity stamps.

Artistic Dimensions:

Postage stamps are not issued in a standardized manner, but rather in an artistic form, as their artistic and aesthetic dimensions constitute the fundamental basis of their design, embodying the identity of countries and their civilizational messages through precise graphic design. This includes considerations of dimensions and space. Stamps are characterized by their small standard size compared with works of art, requiring high precision and highly concentrated expressive reduction.

Stamp design is also based on geometric forms. Stamps come in various shapes, including rectangular, which is the most common and easiest to print and affix, as well as square, circular, and triangular forms. Stamps are also characterized by perforated edges, with the edges being punched using a special machine to create serrated margins that facilitate cutting and separation. A stamp also clearly displays its denomination or monetary value, along with the country's name and symbols. International agreements require the name of the issuing country to appear, in addition to graphic symbols, colors, and watermarks, all of which add complexity to the design and help prevent counterfeiting.

Among the world's most renowned postage stamp designers is Ivan Dubasov, who designed the first Soviet postage stamp featuring Vladimir Lenin in 1924 and supervised the design of thousands of Russian and Soviet stamps. Ion Dumitrana, a Romanian graphic designer, created hundreds of distinctive postage stamps during the second half of the twentieth century. Tamaki Akira, a Japanese artist and designer, designed more than 150 postage stamps that accurately reflected Japanese culture and environment. Rowland Hill was the originator of the idea behind designing and issuing the world's first postage stamp, the "Penny Black," in Britain in 1840.

Among the world's most prominent female postage stamp designers is Enid Marx, a pioneering British artist and textile designer who became the first woman to receive the title of Royal Designer for Industry in 1944. She was commissioned to design the first postage stamps for Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s. Lu Tianjiao is one of China's most renowned female postage stamp designers and became famous for designing prominent stamp collections, including the Children's Sports collection in 1965, characterized by its lively realism. Marjorie Saynor was a British designer and illustrator who worked for the Royal Mail and designed numerous famous commemorative issues during the 1970s and 1980s. Elaine Rawlinson was the first female postage stamp designer in the United States of America and won the design competition for the Presidential Series, which featured George Washington in 1938.