Revenue Reverend
  • Welcome
  • Contact me
  • Couldn't help noticing...
  • Alphabetical list of territories
  • Africa (East)
    • British East Africa
    • East Africa & Uganda / KUT
    • Kenya
    • Tanganyika / Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zanzibar
  • Africa (Southern)
    • South Africa (Union / Republic)
    • South Africa - Entertainments (Cape etc)
    • South Africa - Entertainments (Natal)
    • South West Africa / Namibia
  • Asia
    • Brunei
    • Burma / Myanmar
    • Burma / Myanmar stamp paper
    • Labuan
    • Malaya (FMS)
    • Malaya (Japanese and Thai Occupation)
    • Maldive Islands
    • Mauritius
    • Mauritius supplementary information
    • North Borneo / Sabah
    • Seychelles
    • Seychelles supplementary information
  • Europe
    • GB and Ireland Excise
    • Malta
  • Italian Colonies and former Colonies
    • Italian East Africa / Italian Colonies (General issues)
    • Eritrea (British Occupation)
    • Eritrea (Ethiopian and Independent)
    • Somalia (British Occupation)
    • Somalia (ITT and Independent)
    • Libya (British Occupation)
  • Middle East
    • Abu Dhabi
    • Aden
    • Bahrain
    • Dubai
    • Euro-Arab Chambers of Commerce
    • Kuwait
    • Libya (Kingdom regional issues)
    • Libya (Kingdom federal issues)
    • Libya (Republic and People's Republic)
    • Oman
    • Palestine
    • Qatar
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Syria
    • Syria (Syndicates and Charities)
    • Syria (Key)
    • Trucial States
    • United Arab Emirates
    • Yemen (Northern / Kingdom / YAR)
    • Yemen (Southern / PDR)
  • Pacific Islands
    • British Solomon Islands
    • Fiji
  • West Indies
    • Antigua
    • Bahamas
    • Barbados
    • British Guiana / Guyana
    • British Honduras / Belize
    • British Virgin Islands
    • Cayman Islands
    • Dominica
    • Grenada
    • Jamaica
    • Jamaica supplementary information
    • Leeward Islands
    • Montserrat
    • St Kitts-Nevis
    • St Lucia
    • St Vincent
    • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Turks and Caicos Islands

Oman


On this page are listed revenue stamps inscribed with the following territorial names:
  • State of Muscat and Oman (c1930)
  • Sultanate of Muscat and Oman (c1945)
  • Sultanate of Oman (1970 to present)


Chapter overview 
  • Airport Passenger Service Charge (catalogue numbers prefixed A)
  • Revenue (catalogue numbers prefixed R)

Currency
  • (1930) 16 annas = 1 rupee
  • (1970) 100 baiza = 1 rial


Acknowledgments

Grateful thanks to Cal Allen and Thomas Johansen for generously allowing me to incorporate the fruits of their research into Oman revenues.  Thanks also to Carmel Axiaq for providing printing details of the elusive first issue (R1/4).




Note: Stamps issued by Ghorfa (The Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry),  formerly listed on this page, can now be found under Euro-Arab Chambers of Commerce.

Airport Passenger Service Charge
Picture
A1 and A2
1983-86 (recorded usage).  Issue for Seeb (Muscat) Airport.  Inscribed Seeb International Airport Passenger Service Charge in English and Arabic, with currency shown as R.O. (=Rial Omani).  Imperf three sides, perf 10½ at left.  No watermark.  Serial number in both Western and Arabic numerals.  Security background of wavy lines in blue.

a) 75 x 50 mm, security number at top
  A1. 3r black

b) 62 x 50 mm, security number at foot

  A2. 3r black

Recorded usage: 1983 (A1), 1986 (A2).


Revenue
Picture
R1/4

 

Picture
Unidentified value
c1930.  Palm trees surrounding Arabic inscription State of Muscat and Oman, with Revenue in Arabic at top and in English at foot.  37x36½ mm.  Perf 11, one or two sides sometimes imperf.  No watermark.

  R1. 8a blue-green
  R2. 1r carmine
  R3. 5r blue
  R4. 10r scarlet

Note: Hardly any examples of R1/4 are known other than in a private document archive belonging to a family in Oman.  A fifth value in black (illustrated at right) has also been recorded, though the image is insufficiently clear to confirm the value, which might be 3 rupees or 30 baiza (=2½ annas).



Picture
R11/16 including R13b
_c1945 (based on Arabic inscription 1365 AH, which equates to 1945-46 AD).  Fort Al Jalali, Muscat.  Inscribed Sultanate of Muscat and Oman in upper central banner.  17½ x 22 mm (2a and 1r) or 24 x 30½ mm (5r and 20r).  Perf 11.  No watermark.
PictureR13a
  [R11. 2a red-brown]
  R13. 1r blue
    a. Imperf between (vertically)
    b. Perf 12
  [R14. 5r green]
  R16. 20r carmine

Notes:
1. The 2 anna (which is inscribed one-eighth rupee) and 5 rupee values are currently known only as imperforate proofs in complete sheets (of 20 and 16 respectively), and it is not known whether they were ever issued.
2. The example of R13a illustrated above right is also imperforate between the right-hand stamp and the margin.


 

Picture
Note: the stamps illustrated above are a previously unrecorded type printed by Waterlow & Sons.  The design includes the Omani coat of arms at bottom left, and is inscribed at foot with the name Dhofar, a region of Oman which at certain periods of history was governed as a separate political entity.  The stamps shown are denominated ½r, 1r, 2r, 3r and 5r, the currency being in rials.  I do not know whether these stamps were ever issued, and would be glad to hear from any reader who can supply any further information about these stamps.  I am grateful to John Copeland for sending me the above images.

 
Picture
R21/23
Picture
R26
c1962 (based on Arabic inscription 1382 AH = 1962-63 AD).  Fort Al Jalali, Muscat.
23½ x 30 mm.  Perf 13½ x 13.  No watermark.

  R21. 2r slate-blue
  R22. 5r green
  R23. 10r red-brown
  R26. 10r scarlet

Note: according to Barefoot, R21/23 were issued in 1962, with R26 added in 1963.



 
Picture
R34/44
1972-74.  Arms of the Sultanate on a floral background, inscribed Sultanate of Oman in English and Arabic.  19 x 25 mm (50b) or 23 x 28 mm (others).  Perf 14½.  Wmk spiral crown CA (sideways on 100b and above).  Printed (litho) by Harrisons in sheets of 50.  Arms and inscriptions in black; background colours given below.

  R34. 50b grey-blue
  R35. 100b pale greyish lilac
  R37. 250b deep yellow

  R38. 500b dull pink
  R39. 1r blue-grey
  R40. 1½r red
  R41. 3r deep green
  R42. 5r violet
  R43. 10r brown
  R44. 50r deep blue

Notes:

1. The dates of issue are known from the sets of proofs which are housed in the British Library.  The first issue consisted of the set to the 1r.  This was approved in May 1972, and would have been issued later that year.  A new printing of four additional values (1½r, 3r, 10r and 50r) was approved in October 1974, and probably came out by the end of 1974.  The date of issue of the 5r is not known.  The proofs also show Harrisons as the printers and a sheet size of 50, though the format is not known.

2. The British Library material shows that the original (1972) issue also included the following additional values:

    19 x 25 mm:   5b magenta, 10b pale mauve, 25b greenish yellow
    23 x 28 mm:   200b apple-green

I have not seen issued examples of these stamps but it is very likely they exist.  Numbers have been set aside in this listing for their future addition.

3. Barefoot lists a 4r yellow.  I have not seen this value from this series though it may be an erroneous listing for my R58 below.



4. Recorded printings (this list is assumed to be incomplete):
  • Req H1/OMAN GOVT 4/15758/1 (date unknown, probably late 1974): 1½r, 3r, 10r, 50r
Reprints:
  • Req (reference number and date unknown): 500b, 1r
  • Req PH1/OMAN GOVT 8/17687/1 (delivery date 5th January 1979): 250b, 1r
  • Req PH1Y/OMAN GOVT 9/12016 (date unknown, probably c1979): 1r
  • Req PH1/OMAN GOVT 0/03401 (date unknown, probably c1980): 500b
  • Req PH1V/OMAN GOVT 0/11878/1 (date unknown, probably c1980): 1r

 
Picture
R51/60
1989 (according to Barefoot).  Similar to previous issue but redrawn with Revenue in slightly taller letters, and without the floral background.  All values 22½ x 28 mm (no smaller format for low values).  Perf 14¼.  No wmk.  Printed by BDT International (imprint in lower margin).  Arms and inscriptions in black; background colours given below.
Picture3r marginal with printer's imprint
  R51. 50b grey-blue
  R52. 100b pale greyish lilac
  R53. 250b deep yellow
  R54. 500b dull rose
  R55. 1r blue-grey
  R56. 1½r red
  R57. 3r deep green
  R58. 4r pale buff
  R59. 5r violet
  R60. 10r brown




Picture1989 issue (top) and 1998 issue with tall thin letters


1998 (earliest recorded usage).  Design again redrawn, with the English inscriptions at top in taller thinner letters as illustrated at right.  Perf 13.  No wmk.  Arms and inscriptions in black; background colours given below.


Two different sizes:

Picture
R71/78 (R78 image from Barefoot)
a) Smaller format (21½ x 28 mm)
  R71. 100b pale greyish lilac
  R72. 200b salmon
  R74. 1r blue-grey
  R75. 1½r scarlet
  R76. 3r olive
  R77. 5r violet
  R78. 10r brown

Picture
R83/87
b) Larger format (22½ x 29 mm)
  R83. 250b yellow
  R84. 500b claret
  R86. 3r olive
  R87. 5r violet


Note:
1. The unit of currency on R71/72 and R83/84 is now correctly shown in English as baisa, not baiza as on the previous two issues.
2. Earliest recorded usage (smaller format): 1998 (100b), 2000 (200b, 5r).  The document illustrated below shows a receipt for 200b fees paid in three stages on 22nd February, 8th March and 22nd March 1998.  The first two payments use stamps of the previous series (my R51/2), while the third shows the earliest usage of R71.  From this I infer that R71 - and possibly other values of this set - were issued in mid-March 1998.

3. Earliest recorded usage (larger format): September 2011 (5r).
Picture

Previous page: Libya (Republic and People's Republic)
Next page: Palestine
Back to Middle East main menu
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.