Alexandretta- a closer look at the stamps

1938 Scott 2 20c brown orange

Into the Deep Blue
The 2011 Scott Classic Specialized catalogue has, for Alexandretta 1938, 17 regular, 8 air post, & 6 postage due major descriptions. Total = 31 stamps. Of those, thirteen (42%) are CV $3-$4+. There are no $1-$2 CV stamps for Alexandretta, but raising the bar slightly does yield a representative selection for the WW classical collector.

 Alexandretta (Iskenderun) is located today in the Hatay Province of Turkey.

A closer look at the stamps and issues
100 Centimes = 1 Piaster

1938 Scott 1 10c violet brown "View of Hama"

Stamps of Syria 1930-36, overprinted

Scott 1-9 stamps were issued April 14, 1938. Syrian stamps were overprinted as shown. The only issue year 1938 reflected the short life of Alexandretta.

1938 Scott 7 4p yellow orange 

"Square at Damascus"

As the territory was on the border between Turkey and Syria, one would expect a fight over which nation would obtain sovereignty. If you wish to read more about the machinations, view my Hatay post.

1938 Scott 10 75c orange red 

"Mosque at Homs"

Scott 10-12 were issued September 2, 1938. The CV for the issue ranges from $3-$10+.

1938 Scott C1 1/2p dark violet, red overprint

"Ancient Citadel at Aleppo"

An eight stamp air post issue was produced by overprinting Syrian 1937 air post stamps. CV ranges from $3-$10+.

Deep Blue

Deep Blue (Steiner) has three pages for Alexandretta, and includes spaces for all the issued stamps.

1938 Scott 4 1p bister brown

"Citadel at Aleppo"

Out of the Blue

I am fascinated by the history of this part of of the world, and hence find the stamps quite attractive too.

Note: This "Into the Deep Blue" blog post and stamp images have been added to the original Alexandretta post.

Have a comment?