Rare postal stamps, envelops and postcards on show at Mashhad museum
TEHRAN – An exhibition of rare postal stamps, envelops and postcards from around the world has opened its doors to the public at the Astan Quds Razavi Museum in Mashhad, northeast Iran.
A wide collection of Iran’s historical stamps and related objects along with hundreds of others issued in 240 countries and former colonies over the past 180 years are on show at the exhibit to mark the World Post Day, which is marked globally on October 9.
The Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system, is one of the highlights of the exhibit.
According To Encyclopedia Iranica, both a utensil to indicate a paid postage fee on mail matters and a medium of official self-representation, stamps have been used in Iran since the 19th century. The introduction of postage stamps took place during the Qajar era in connection with the establishment of a modern postal system initiated by Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir and continued by Amin-al-Dawla.
The stamps of the Qajar era constitute a special case as the genuine stamp emissions are outnumbered by a great number of reprints and forgeries. For that reason, the early stamps of Iran form one of the most challenging collecting fields in philately.
AFM/MG
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