ISBN: 978-1-913015-17-6

The purpose of this Guide to the Postal Stationery of Iraq is to stimulate interest in this aspect of Iraqi and Mesopotamian philately. We have tried to illustrate the range of postal stationery products used in Mesopotamia from the Ottoman and British administrations, and to list all postal stationery used in Iraq during the Kingdom of Iraq and Republic of Iraq periods. Covering the period from 1863 to 2021, this Second Edition of our text summarizes new information from many sources that is additional to that presented in our First Edition, as published by The Royal Philatelic Society London in 2016. Separately the information presented here can be very difficult to find. Illustrations are mainly drawn from the authors’ own collections except for a few images that were provided by additional sources. Maintenance of precise aspect ratio in the images is not guaranteed. Original printing colours are as estimated by the authors or as cited in published literature. A rarity index that includes four categories of the items is provided. While the authors cannot guarantee the accuracy of all the information presented here, because some is drawn from secondary sources, we have made our best effort to do so.

Illustrative images and explanatory text are used wherever possible. The authors have taken some editorial licence to include a few items that stray from a strict definition of postal stationery. This recognizes that collectors may be interested in a broad spectrum of material that complements formally recognized postal stationery. A few examples are highlighted in Sections 2 and 3 of the many possible Ottoman, British India and other postal stationery items that may be found with postmarks from Mesopotamia. These sections are designed only to indicate the range of Iraq-related postal stationery that is possible for a collector.

Where known to the authors, specimens, essays, proofs and examples of printing errors are noted in the text, but more material might be added should they be confirmed. Information on forged items is included for clarity in a few sections. There are eight sections, three appendices and an Index that comprise the text.

Clayton Rubec was a Senior Habitat Scientist in Canada’s Federal Ministry of the Environment up to 2008 after 34 years of public service. Since then he has led a series of environmental consultancies. His professional career has included wetland science, management, policy and program implementation; environmental stewardship legislation and taxation initiatives; remote sensing land use research; Arctic landscape surveys; and inter-governmental missions to many nations related to wildlife habitat and wetland conservation treaties. From 2004 to 2019, he provided ongoing advisory assistance to Nature Iraq — a nongovernment organization, the Iraq Ministry of Environment and the Iraq Ministry of Water. He has a B.Sc. degree in Ecology from Queen’s University (Kingston) and an M.Sc. degree in Physical Geography from McMaster University (Hamilton), with additional post-graduate studies. He has lectured at over 45 universities; been a keynote speaker at many national and international conferences as well as Canada’s Head of Delegation for international treaty meetings; and led professional courses, conflict resolution forums and workshops. He has authored over 250 journal papers, books, reports and other articles including 50 on philatelic subjects. He has been a member of the British North American Philatelic Society, the Postal History Society of Canada, the American Philatelic Society and the Nicaragua Study Group. He and his wife Leslie live in Perth, Ontario, Canada.

Akthem Al-Manaseer is the Charles W. Davidson Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at San José State University, California, US. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Glasgow in the UK and was a Fulbright Scholar recipient. A Chartered Engineer involved in higher education and professional practice for the last 39 years, Dr. Al-Manaseer’s area of expertise is concrete materials and structures. He is the author of one of the best-selling textbooks on structural concrete, published by John Wiley and Sons and now in its seventh edition. Professor Al-Manaseer is an FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie) accredited juror and a US National Accredited Philatelic and Literature juror. He is a member of the Club de Monte-Carlo de l'Élite de la Philatélie and has served as the President of the Council of Northern California Philatelic Societies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London and is a recipient of the Julian Chapman Memorial Scholarship. He is known for his collecting interests related to the Middle East and is an expert on Iraq philately. Dr. Al-Manaseer has received several special awards and Large Gold/Gold medals for his exhibits on Iraq, Baghdad and Mosul, and Transjordan.
 

About the Authors
Preface
Preliminary Notes
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Ottoman Empire Postal Stationery Used in Mesopotamia 1869 to 1917 
3. British Occupation Postal and Military Stationery Used in Mesopotamia 1914 to 1923
3.1 Ottoman Postal Stationery Envelope Provisionals Overprinted “Baghdad In British Occupation” 1917
3.2 Overprinted “Iraq In British Occupation” on British India Victoria Postal Stationery 1919
3.3 Overprinted “Iraq In British Occupation” on Ottoman Empire Postal Stationery 1919 to 1923
3.4 Handstamped “COLONIAS” on British Occupation Postal Stationery by Portugal 1910 to 19215
3.5 Indian Expeditionary Force (IEF) Use of British India Postal Stationery 1914 to 1918 
4. British India Postal, Military and Formular Stationery Used in Mesopotamia/Iraq 1868 to 1959
4.1 British India Postal, Military and Formular Stationery Used in Mesopotamia 1868 to 1918
4.2 British India Postal, Military and Formular Stationery Used in Mesopotamia/Iraq 1917 to 1959
4.3 Other Foreign Postal Stationery Used in Mesopotamia/Iraq
5. Kingdom of Iraq Postal Stationery 1923 to 1958
5.1 Faisal I Postal Stationery 1932 to 1939
5.2 Formular Air Letter Forms 1944 to 1958
5.3 Faisal II Postal Stationery 1939 to 1958
6. Republic of Iraq Postal Stationery 1958 to 2021
6.1 Iraqi Aerogrammes and Envelopes 1958 to 2021
6.2 Iraqi Telecommunications and Posts Administrative and Formular Stationery Up To 2021
6.3 Marriage Promotion Campaign Postcard 1981
6.4 Holy Quran National Campaign Postcard 2010
6.5 World Heritage Designation of Southern Marshes and Antiquities 2016
7. Foreign Commemorative Air Letters and Aerogrammes 1980 and 1983 
8. Literature Cited