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Syria: An illustrated key to the different types used since 1939

This page is provided as an aid to identifying Syrian revenue stamps from Indepdence to the present day.  All stamps illustrated here can be found in the Syria chapter of the catalogue, which consists of two pages - the main listing and Syndicates and Charities.

This illustrated key page is arranged as follows:

1. The basic stamp designs
  • Mainstream revenues (further details of these follow in sections 2 to 4)
  • Syndicates and Charities

2. The Harvester-Monument series (1930s-40s)
  • Overprints

3. The Coat of Arms series (1949- )
  • Arms
  • Inscriptions
  • Overprints

4. The Agro-Industry series (1960s- )
  • Inscriptions
  • Overprints

1. The basic stamp designs

Mainstream revenues
All stamps illustrated here are listed on the Syria main page
Picture
Harvester-Monument series (see section 2 below)
Picture
_Coat of Arms series
This series comprises a wide range of different frames, inscriptions and overprints, but can be readily identified by the common feature of having the Syrian Coat of Arms in the centre, consisting of either the hawk facing right or the eagle facing left
(see section 3 below for full details)
Picture
These and similar designs comprise the Agro-Industry series (see section 4 below)
Picture
_These three pictorial designs are for Consular, Airport Tax and General Security respectively
For full details see under catalogue numbers C281/3, A91 and G355 on Syria main page

Syndicates and Charities
All stamps illustrated here are listed on the Syria (Syndicates and Charities) page
Picture
Damascus Workers' Union (two different types), General Union of Workers' Syndicates, Damascus Lawyers' Retirement Fund
Picture
Lawyers' Retirement Fund (four different types)
Picture
Lawyers' Syndicate issues for Damascus (two types) and for Hama, plus key type shared by Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia
Picture
Teachers' Syndicate issues (four different types)
Picture
A selection of Charity labels produced by the Syrian Anti-Tuberculosis Committee - note: all Anti-TB issues except the 1953 series are easily identified by the French inscription COMITE SYRIEN A.T. (or similar), and also show the year of issue on the stamp

 

Picture
_




The stamp illustrated at left is a Charity label
for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Stamps of this type are listed as TC10/11 on the
Syria (Syndicates and Charities) page



_2. The Harvester-Monument series (1930s-40s)

 

Picture
_The Harvester-Monument series (1930s-40s) is based on four different designs, all of which are inscribed République Syrienne Timbre fiscal (= Republic of Syria Revenue Stamp) in French as well as Arabic.  As unoverprinted stamps they are listed in the catalogue as Revenue R401/434 (Harvester) and R441/459  (Monuments).  They were also issued with a wide range of overprints for various purposes.


Overprints

The 22 different recorded overprints are shown below.  The two varieties of Ministry of Finance overprint are shown first, then the remainder grouped by appearance: oval types, then straight-line overprints of one, two and three lines of Arabic.  Note: further overprints in Western letters only (S.A. and H.D.) are not illustrated here, but are listed under Sanjak of Alexandretta (Hatay) at the foot of the Syria main page.


a) Ministry of Finance control overprints

Both the overprints shown below read Ministry of Finance, and seem to have been used as a control or security measure.  These were used either on their own (see R461/480a under main Revenue listing) or in combination with other overprints (see under listing for the other overprint)

Picture
Ministry of Finance (rectangular type)
Picture
Ministry of Finance (oval type)
_

b) Oval or circular types
Picture
Consular - also known in combination with Ministry of Finance opt (see C54 and C58/69)
Picture
Income Tax (see I6/11)
Picture
Notarial (see N74/5)
 

c) Straight-line types
Appropriation
Overprint
Translation
Catalogue

One line of Arabic


General Security
Picture


General Security


G54/59


Income Tax
Picture
_

Income Tax


I3

Land Fees
Also in combination with
Ministry of Finance opt
Picture
_
Land Departments

L51/59

Notarial
Also in combination with
Ministry of Finance opt
Picture
_

Notarial Fees


N51/61a

Notarial
Picture
_

Notarial Fees


N71

Palestine Tax
Also in combination with
Ministry of Finance opt
Picture
_

Palestine Stamp


P50/78

Revenue (surcharges)
Picture
 
One piastre

R433

Alaouites
Picture

Government of Alaouites

X100/101

Jebel Druze
Opt vertically
Picture

Government of Jebel Druze

X201
_
Jebel Druze
Picture
_
Jebel Druze

X225


Two lines of Arabic

Consular
Picture
_
Consular Fees

C55

Military Tax
Longer line at top
Also in combination with
Ministry of Finance opt
Some Harvester types also surcharged
Picture
_

Syrian Army Stamp


M2/23
 
_
Military Tax
Shorter line at top
Also in combination with
Ministry of Finance opt
Some Harvester types also surcharged
Picture
_

Syrian Army Stamp


M31/51
_

Alaouites
Picture


Government of Jebel Alaouites


X111/126
_

Jebel Druze
Picture


Government of Jebel Druze


X213/218


Three lines of Arabic
_

Alaouites
Picture
_Note: at present this overprint is recorded only with the third line deleted by a thick bar
_
Government of Jebel Alaouites Census Tax


X131/2
_

Jebel Druze
_
No image available at present
but see illustration for
X231 on Syria main page
_
Jebel Druze Independent Area


X231

3. The Coat of Arms series (1949- )

This section covers the various types of Syrian revenue adhesive which featured the Syrian coat of arms surrounded by Arabic inscriptions.  The initial issue was produced in 1949 for general revenue duty, using five different frame types to denote tiers of value - frame A being used for the lowest values of a series, B for the next few values, and so on.
Picture
Frame A
Arms between pillars, value

tablets square
Picture
Frame B
Arms in
circular frame
Picture
Frame C
Arms in square frame, value
tablets at top
Picture
Frame D
Arms in square frame, value

tablets at foot
Picture
Frame E
Arms between pillars, value
tablets circular

Note: Duston mistakenly treats the different frames as different issues, and lists a number of stamps which in my view cannot exist, eg Revenue 10p in frames A and C.  These are footnoted in my listing.

The original Revenue issue was later overprinted to provide adhesives for other appropriations, then in due course the five original frames were reissued with modified inscriptions.




Arms
Picture
Hawk of Qureish Arms
Hawk facing to right,
Republic of Syria in banner
Picture
Eagle of Saladin Arms
Eagle facing to left,

United Arab Republic in banner,
Province of Syria below
Picture
Redrawn Hawk Arms
Redrawn hawk facing right,
longer inscription

(Syrian Arab Republic) in banner

Three different versions of the Syrian coat of arms are used on these issues.  The original revenue series featured the Hawk of Qureish, holding a banner with the wording (in Arabic) Republic of Syria.  This was the national coat of arms until 1958, when Syria joined forces with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic.  At this time a new coat of arms was adopted featuring the Eagle of Saladin and a revised banner reading United Arab Republic.  This Eagle-type coat of arms is known on just one series of revenue stamps (the 1960-61 Notarial issue), presumably reflecting the relatively short life of the UAR.  These stamps are additionally inscribed Province of Syria below the banner to indicate that they were valid only in the Syrian half of the UAR and not in Egypt, which continued to issue its own revenue stamps.

The third version of the coat of arms is very similar to the original version but the banner has been amended to Syrian Arab Republic, which was the official name adopted by Syria after the union with Egypt was dissolved in 1961.  This final type also has the hawk slightly redrawn.




Inscriptions

Each different appropriation has its own particular inscription in the main panel.  This is the box containing two lines of script towards the foot of frame types A and C, the long rectangular panel at the top of types B and D, and the circular disk at the top of type E.

 

Picture
'Revenue Stamp' inscribed on types A to C (top) or D and E
All stamps of the original Revenue issue are inscribed Republic of Syria in the main panel.  The words Revenue Stamp are inscribed within the value tablets on frame types A to C, or to the lower left and right of the coat of arms on types D and E.

The late types of adhesive have the appropriation name inscribed in the main panel, with no additional inscription (apart from the value) within the value tablets or beside the coat of arms.  The different types of main panel inscription are shown in the table below.

 
Frame type
Revenue
(inscriptions read Republic of Syria)
Consular
(inscriptions read
Consular Fees Stamp)

Notarial
(inscriptions read
Notarial Fee Stamp)

Others
(General Security and Judicial are currently known only in Frames B and C respectively)


A
Picture
Picture
Picture
 

B
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
General Security

C
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Judicial

D
Picture
Picture
Picture
 

E

Picture
Picture
Picture



Overprints


The original Revenue series was overprinted to produce adhesives for other appropriations.  The fifteen different recorded overprints are shown below.

Appropriation
Overprint
Translation
Catalogue


Consular
Picture
(for a guide to distinguishing the Consular, Judicial and the second type of Land Fees overprints, see paragraph below this table)


Consular Fees


C105/113


Foreign Trade Tax
Picture


Foreign
Trade Tax


F25


General Security
First type (Naskh)
Picture


General Security


G156


General Security Second type (Diwani)
Picture


General Security


G201/208


Health Tax
Picture


Health Tax


H21/31


Income Tax
Picture


Income Tax


I31


Judicial
Picture


Judicial Fees


J202/203b


Land Fees
First type (Naskh)
Picture


Land Fees


L101/3


Land Fees
Second type (Diwani)
Picture


Land Fees


L104/110

Notarial

First type (Naskh)
Picture


Notarial


N160


Notarial
Second type (Diwani)
Picture


Notarial


N200/210


Palestine Tax
First type
Picture


Palestine Stamp


P200/208a


Palestine Tax
Second type
Picture


Palestine Stamp


P211/218


Palestine Tax
Third type
Picture


Palestine Stamp


P219/230


Precise and Correct Taxes
Picture


Precise and Correct Taxes


Q101

 

Picture
Consular (top), Judicial (middle), Land (bottom)

Most of the overprints are fairly easy to distinguish, but three types are very similar to one another: the Consular, the Judicial and the second type of Land Fee overprints.  It seems that Duston may have conflated the first two types in his listing, since he does not mention the Judicial overprint and his drawing of the Consular has features of both.  He illustrates the Land Fee overprint (on a later issue) but treats it as another form of Consular overprint.

The left-hand portion of each overprint is enlarged here as an aid to identification.  Reading from right to left, they spell out qnsliyah (consular), qdaiyah (judicial) and ‘qariyah (land).

The principal differences are:

1. Horizontal stroke at left (Arabic y) is joined to the upright stroke in Consular but not in the other two.

2. The Judicial overprint has an additional dot (to convert Arabic s to d) above the central whorl.

3. The Consular overprint has an additional notch (Arabic n) to the left of the Arabic letter q, which the Judicial overprint does not have.

4. The Land overprint has a distinctive downward curl (Arabic r) towards the left-hand end of the overprint, which the other two types do not have.


4. The Agro-Industry series (1960s- )

The Agro-Industry series is a catch-all term for three different groups of designs which have been in use from 1960 to the present day:
Picture
Agro-Industry series - first group: farm produce, harvester, tractor and plough
First group (1960- )
  • Values from 5p to 1l
  • Designs of agricultural images: farm produce (two variants on this design), harvester, tractor and plough

 

Picture
Agro-Industry series - second group
__Second group (1964- )
  • Values from 125p to 10l
  • Designs of industrial images: crane and ship, pylon and dam, TV and transmitter mast
  • All values except the 125p and 250p were replaced with designs of the third group



 
Picture
Agro-Industry series - third group
__Third group (1976- )
  • Values from 1l to 100l
  • Designs of industrial and agricultural images: spade and ear of corn (1l), farm produce (2l), hammer and processing plant (3l), Finance Ministry building (4l), horse and goat (5l), scythe and fruit (10l), woman with basket of fruit (20l), orange tree (50l), Tabqa Dam (100l)


Inscriptions

 

Picture
Harvester design used for 5p and 10p values
_
The first group of designs are inscribed either United Arab Republic Province of Syria (from the original 1960 issue) or Syrian Arab Republic (used from 1964 onwards).  The tractor type was also issued for judicial purposes with the inscription Judicial Fines at foot instead of Revenue Stamp.  These different inscriptions are illustrated here.

Picture
Note the two variants of the produce design: the 15p and 25p are inscribed as the 20p, the 1l as the 75p
_All stamps of the second and third groups are known only with the inscription Syrian Arab Republic Revenue Stamp.


Overprints

Ten different overprints have so far been recorded on the Agro-Industry stamps, including two types each for Airport Tax and Land Fees.  All these types are enlarged here as an aid to identification.  (The images for the first types of Airport Tax and Land Fees are from Duston.)

Appropriation
Overprint
Translation
Catalogue


Airport Tax
First type
Picture


Airport Tax


A56


Airport Tax
Second type
Picture


Airport Tax


A64/68


Exit Fee
Picture


Exit Fee


E11


General Security
Picture


General Security Fees


G238/255


Health Tax
Picture


Health Tax


H51/61

Judicial
(Court House)
Picture

Court House Stamp

J285/288


Land Fees
First type
Picture


Land Fees


L155


Land Fees
Second type
Picture


Land Fees


L171/175


Military Tax
Picture


Support for Military Effort


M101


Precise and Correct Taxes
Picture


Precise and Correct Taxes


Q111

See also:
Syria main page
Syria (Syndicates and Charities)

Middle East main menu
Home page

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