Qatar
Chapter overview
Currency
Acknowledgments
Joe Ross, Qatar Revenues (privately published, 2003)
Grateful thanks to Mr Konrad Kolankiewicz for his scans of a number of items on this page. Thanks also to Ricky Verra of David Feldman SA for bringing the Courvoisier proofs (see footnotes under R51/4 and R72/8) to my attention, to Tony Frost for highlighting the existence of R70/71, and to Hatem Gendy for information about R1/2.
- Airport Tax (catalogue numbers prefixed A)
- Insurance (catalogue numbers prefixed I)
- Postal Order poundage (catalogue numbers prefixed O)
- Revenue (catalogue numbers prefixed R)
- Revenue usage of Postage stamps (catalogue numbers prefixed S)
- Tax (catalogue numbers prefixed T)
Currency
- (1961) 100 paise = 1 rupee
- (1966) 100 dirham = 1 riyal
Acknowledgments
Joe Ross, Qatar Revenues (privately published, 2003)
Grateful thanks to Mr Konrad Kolankiewicz for his scans of a number of items on this page. Thanks also to Ricky Verra of David Feldman SA for bringing the Courvoisier proofs (see footnotes under R51/4 and R72/8) to my attention, to Tony Frost for highlighting the existence of R70/71, and to Hatem Gendy for information about R1/2.
Airport Tax
A1
2001 (recorded usage). Inscribed Doha International Airport Public Corporation Airport Fees. Serial number in red at foot.
A1. 20r red
A1. 20r red
Insurance
I1
Early 1960s. Oil rig and handshake. Inscribed Arab Insurance Fund for Oil Workers at top, with Qatar 1 rupee in circular panels at foot. One side or two adjacent sides imperforate.
I1. 1r slate-blue and carmine
Note: the exact date of issue is unknown but it is likely to be before 1966 since the value is in Indian currency, which was replaced by the riyal in that year.
I1. 1r slate-blue and carmine
Note: the exact date of issue is unknown but it is likely to be before 1966 since the value is in Indian currency, which was replaced by the riyal in that year.
Postal Order poundage
Illustrated here is a British postal order overprinted for use in Qatar. The face value is two shillings or ten new pence, surcharged in Qatari currency as 1 riyal 15 dirhams, with poundage (stamp duty) of 40 dirhams. British postal orders were issued in a wide range of values and it is likely that many of these were overprinted for Qatar. Such items are not listed on this website but further information can be obtained from the Postal Order Society.
Revenue
R1/2
c1961. Postage stamps (Shaikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani and mosque) overprinted Revenue (in red) in Arabic and English, with bars cancelling Postage.
R1. 5r green
R2. 10r black
Notes:
1. These stamps were formerly listed as having black overprint based on the black and white illustrations in Ross, but I can now confirm that the stamps were overprinted in red as shown.
2. A partial letter S can be detected at the end of the English overprint, suggesting that the wording was originally intended to be REVENUES but later corrected.
R1. 5r green
R2. 10r black
Notes:
1. These stamps were formerly listed as having black overprint based on the black and white illustrations in Ross, but I can now confirm that the stamps were overprinted in red as shown.
2. A partial letter S can be detected at the end of the English overprint, suggesting that the wording was originally intended to be REVENUES but later corrected.
Note: the next three issues are based on similar vertical designs showing the flag and Arms of Qatar in an ornamental frame. The three types can be distinguished as follows:
The three types of Qatar Arms Revenue
- R13/17: REVENUE and value in white
- R21/26: REVENUE in white, value in brown on coloured banners
- R34/35: REVENUE and value in colour
R13/17
c1966. Flag and arms of Qatar. First type: REVENUE and value in white. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
R13. 2r brown, brown-orange and blue-grey
R14. 5r brown, deep rose and blue-grey
R15. 10r brown, blue and yellow
R16. 15r brown, grey-blue and brownish yellow
R17. 50r brown, olive-green and yellow
R13. 2r brown, brown-orange and blue-grey
R14. 5r brown, deep rose and blue-grey
R15. 10r brown, blue and yellow
R16. 15r brown, grey-blue and brownish yellow
R17. 50r brown, olive-green and yellow
R21/26
April 1968 (earliest recorded usage). Flag and arms of Qatar. Second type: REVENUE in white, value in brown on coloured banners. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
R21. 50d brown, deep violet and slate-blue
R22. 1r brown, blue and brownish rose
R24. 5r brown, deep rose and blue-grey
R25. 10r brown, blue and yellow
R26. 15r brown, grey-blue and brownish yellow
R21. 50d brown, deep violet and slate-blue
R22. 1r brown, blue and brownish rose
R24. 5r brown, deep rose and blue-grey
R25. 10r brown, blue and yellow
R26. 15r brown, grey-blue and brownish yellow
R34/36
1971 (earliest recorded usage). Flag and arms of Qatar. Third type: REVENUE and value in third colour listed. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
R34. 5r brown, mauve and carmine
R35. 10r brown, pale blue and carmine
R36. 15r brown, red-orange and purple
Note: Qatar became an independent state on 3rd September 1971. Subsequent issues are inscribed State of Qatar.
R34. 5r brown, mauve and carmine
R35. 10r brown, pale blue and carmine
R36. 15r brown, red-orange and purple
Note: Qatar became an independent state on 3rd September 1971. Subsequent issues are inscribed State of Qatar.
R41/44
Earliest recorded usage - R43 used with T22 in March 1976
1976 (earliest recorded usage). Flag and new Arms of Qatar on brown background. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
R41. 1r brown and bright green
R42. 5r brown and violet
R43. 10r brown and orange-brown
R44. 15r brown and ultramarine
R41. 1r brown and bright green
R42. 5r brown and violet
R43. 10r brown and orange-brown
R44. 15r brown and ultramarine
R51/54
Earliest recorded usage - R53 with T32 in Feb 1981
1980 (see note). New Arms of Qatar. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark. Printed by Courvoisier. Inscriptions in black, flag in maroon on yellow background. Frame colours given.
R51. 1r brick-red
R52. 5r bistre-brown
R53. 10r blue-green
R54. 15r bright blue
Note: Proofs of the above issue were offered in the David Feldman sale of April 2013, mounted on a Courvoisier archive sheet dated 1980 (ref 1813/48). The series was presumably commissioned that year and issued later in 1980 or early in 1981. The earliest recorded usage is February 1981 as illustrated here.
R51. 1r brick-red
R52. 5r bistre-brown
R53. 10r blue-green
R54. 15r bright blue
Note: Proofs of the above issue were offered in the David Feldman sale of April 2013, mounted on a Courvoisier archive sheet dated 1980 (ref 1813/48). The series was presumably commissioned that year and issued later in 1980 or early in 1981. The earliest recorded usage is February 1981 as illustrated here.
R61/64
Earliest recorded usage - R62 used in Dec 1988
1988 (earliest recorded usage). New squarer type showing Arms but no flag. 22 x 27 mm. Perf 13 x 13½. No watermark.
R61. 1r deep purple, buff and bluish grey
R62. 5r deep purple, buff and greenish yellow
R63. 10r deep purple, buff and orange-brown
R64. 15r deep purple, buff and mauve
R61. 1r deep purple, buff and bluish grey
R62. 5r deep purple, buff and greenish yellow
R63. 10r deep purple, buff and orange-brown
R64. 15r deep purple, buff and mauve
R70/78
1996 (see note 1). Arms of Qatar. 25 x 33 mm (50r and above) or 21 x 26 mm (others). Perf 11½ x 12. No watermark. 200r & 500r are slightly different, having larger seriffed font in inscriptions at lower right, an elliptical perf at each side and an underprint on the gummed side consisting of the State Arms eight times in a diagonal line. Arms multicoloured, inscriptions in black, background colour given. Printed by Courvoisier.
R70. 1r bright yellow
R71. 2r dull rose
R72. 5r grey-blue
R73. 10r violet
R74. 15r rose-pink
R75. 50r bright blue-green
R76. 100r orange-red
R77. 200r deep blue
R78. 500r olive-green
Note: proofs of the above issue were offered in the David Feldman sale of April 2013, mounted on Courvoisier archive sheets. The proof set to 100r was on a sheet dated 1996 (ref 5262), from which I infer that the series was issued then or in early 1997 at the latest. The 200r and 500r were on a separate undated proof sheet (ref 5446) and were presumably issued later than the lower values.
R70. 1r bright yellow
R71. 2r dull rose
R72. 5r grey-blue
R73. 10r violet
R74. 15r rose-pink
R75. 50r bright blue-green
R76. 100r orange-red
R77. 200r deep blue
R78. 500r olive-green
Note: proofs of the above issue were offered in the David Feldman sale of April 2013, mounted on Courvoisier archive sheets. The proof set to 100r was on a sheet dated 1996 (ref 5262), from which I infer that the series was issued then or in early 1997 at the latest. The 200r and 500r were on a separate undated proof sheet (ref 5446) and were presumably issued later than the lower values.
Revenue usage of Postage stamps
Note: for ease of reference, numbering follows the Stanley Gibbons catalogue.
Note: for ease of reference, numbering follows the Stanley Gibbons catalogue.
S148/149
1968 (earliest recorded fiscal usage). Shaikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani and oil derrick. Surcharged in riyals.
S148. 1r red
S149. 2r blue
S148. 1r red
S149. 2r blue
Tax
T1/3
1969 (earliest recorded usage). Provisionals. Revenue issue (R13/17) overprinted TAX in English and Arabic at sides with two bars cancelling REVENUE inscriptions; T2/3 also surcharged in Western and Arabic numerals. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
T1. 2r brown, brown-orange and blue-grey
T2. 5r on 50r brown, olive-green and yellow
T3. 10r on 50r brown, olive-green and yellow
Recorded usage: T1 (October 1969).
T1. 2r brown, brown-orange and blue-grey
T2. 5r on 50r brown, olive-green and yellow
T3. 10r on 50r brown, olive-green and yellow
Recorded usage: T1 (October 1969).
T11/16
1970 (earliest recorded usage). Flag and arms of Qatar. Similar to R13/26 but inscribed TAX (in white), with value in brown on white rectangle at foot. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
T11. 25d brown, deep orange and deep blue
T13. 1r brown, magenta and orange
T14. 2r brown, grey-green and deep rose
T15. 5r brown, blue and yellow
T16. 10r brown, olive-green and deep rose
Earliest recorded usage: May 1970 (5r)
T11. 25d brown, deep orange and deep blue
T13. 1r brown, magenta and orange
T14. 2r brown, grey-green and deep rose
T15. 5r brown, blue and yellow
T16. 10r brown, olive-green and deep rose
Earliest recorded usage: May 1970 (5r)
T21/23
1975 (earliest recorded usage). Flag and new Arms of Qatar. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No watermark.
T21. 1r purple-brown and rose-red
T22. 2r purple-brown and violet-blue
T23. 5r purple-brown and deep blue-green
Recorded usage: T22 (August 1975).
T21. 1r purple-brown and rose-red
T22. 2r purple-brown and violet-blue
T23. 5r purple-brown and deep blue-green
Recorded usage: T22 (August 1975).
T31/33
Earliest recorded usage - T32 used in Nov 1980
1980 (earliest recorded usage). New Arms of Qatar and flag in reddish purple on background of medallions. 21½ x 35½ mm. Perf 13½. No wmk. Printed by Courvoisier.
T31. 1r reddish purple, black and blue
T32. 2r reddish purple, black and blue-green
T33. 5r reddish purple, black and orange-brown
Note: proofs of the above issue were offered in the David Feldman sale of April 2013, mounted on Courvoisier archive sheets.
T31. 1r reddish purple, black and blue
T32. 2r reddish purple, black and blue-green
T33. 5r reddish purple, black and orange-brown
Note: proofs of the above issue were offered in the David Feldman sale of April 2013, mounted on Courvoisier archive sheets.
T42/43
Earliest recorded usage - T43 in May 1989
1989 (earliest recorded usage). New squarer type showing Arms but no flag. 22 x 27 mm. Perf 13 x 13½. No watermark.
T42. 2r deep purple, buff and bright green
T43. 5r deep purple, buff and grey
