The Suez Canal Company (Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez) provided delivery of consignments between Port Said and Suez for its workers free of charge from April 1859 to 1867, when it was decided that payment should be made for the service.
Postage stamps were introduced in July 1868. Letters for
destinations beyond Port Said or Suez required additional franking.
The stamps were lithographed by Chézaud, Ainé & Tavernier, Paris. After a protest by Egyptian authorities, the stamps were withdrawn from sale on 16 August 1868 and demonetized on 31 August. Reminders were sold on 23 April 1869.
Stamps of four nominal values were issued, but only the blue 20c stamps were really used, though cancelled copies exist also from the remaining three denominations.
Stamps were issued in sheets of 120 stamp in quantities which differ according to different sources:
1 c black 1.220 - 13.200 in 4 transfer types. No complete sheets have been preserved.
5 c green 30.360 - 32.232 in 4 transfer types,
20c blue 104.160 - 105.646 in only one type,
40c vermilion 10.800 - 10.863 again in 4 transfer types.
Many shades and very many forgeries exist. Some wee even produced from original stones, so that forgeries can be distinguished only by paper and gum.
After 100 years, the situation was repeated with the Great Bitter Lake Association stamps, just in a different order - the GBLA stamps were paid for in 1967, since 1968 the GBLA members received them free of charge.
Details can be found in The Great Bitter Lake Association Encyclopaedia and Stamp Catalogue.
Sources: Internert and archives of the author
Contact to author: valdpete@yahoo.com
