Sudan: A Conflict Remembered

An extended 19th Century conflict between the Sudan and Egypt is remembered in the postal issues that supported vital military communications channels and subsequently commemorated the conflict and its protagonists including General Gordon, the British Army officer and former Governor-General of the Sudan. In the 19th Century, the Khedivate of Egypt was officially a province

Sarawak: Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak – a life story worthy of film

Sarawak – a place name that has an exotic ring to it and its history is none the less interesting. British trading rights had been established in countries such as India and Malaysia and by the beginning of the nineteenth century, Singapore had become a major trading port. However, further east the influence was less

Papua New Guinea: A Pantomime Tale

The East Indies were first visited by Europeans in 1606 when the explorer Luiz Vaz de Torres passed through the Straits that now carry his name, between New Guinea and Australia. The native inhabitants of New Guinea consisted of numerous close-knit tribes that were wild, feudal and cannibalistic. The island was and still is covered

Egypt: Reflections of an Ancient Civilisation

Few countries can boast a history quite like that of Egypt – built on the foundations of an ancient civilisation at that. Central to this civilisation was the River Nile that rises in eastern Africa and runs for thousands of miles before traversing Egypt and emptying into the Mediterranean. This was a powerful nation long

Egypt: Nationalisation of the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is synonymous with Egypt as it lies completely within Egyptian territory. For centuries the early Egyptians had visions of joining the Nile to the Red Sea, creating a sea route between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. Early proposals included the canal construction from Suez (at the Gulf of Suez in the

Papal States: Deciphering Postal History

This folded letter was sent from Perugia, the capital of the Papal State of Umbria to the Vatican City in the mid-1800’s. The cover features two hand stamps dated 4th and 9th of June (‘GIU’, Giugno). However, the years are difficult to decipher, one suggesting 1852 and the other 1862. Perugia is mid-way between Florence

New Guinea: Imperial Struggles

New Guinea is the most eastern of the islands formerly known as the Dutch East Indies. The island is mountainous, covered with jungle, infested by mosquitos and in the 19th century, the native tribes remained feudal and cannibalistic. The sea around the island was littered with coral reef and shoals making sea navigation difficult around

Cyrenaica: 1950-51 Issue for Services Rendered

The race for overseas colonies and territories by European nations in the 19th and 20th centuries had been predominantly led by the British and French. The political far right aspirations of the Germans and Italians did not manifest itself until the early to mid 20th century. In the case of Italy, Mussolini championed the invasion

Egypt: 1931 Graf Zeppelin Overprint

At the end of the 1920s, airships and nitrogen filled balloons came to prominence as a form of air travel and the conveyance of light freight such as mail. This development was primarily championed by a German engineer called Zeppelin. He set up his base in Bavaria, Germany, in close proximity to Switzerland and Austria