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
  • Former Italian Colonies
    • 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

Yemen (Southern / People's Democratic Republic)

including issues for the Federation of South Arabia


The southern part of Yemen (including the Colony and Protectorate of Aden) was under British control from the 1930s until independence, and subsequently became known as the Federation of South Arabia (1962-67), the People's Republic of South Yemen (1967-70) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1970-90).  The northern part was a kingdom from 1918 onwards, and was then known as Yemen Arab Republic from 1962 until 1990.  A new constitution to unite north and south was drafted in November 1989, and the united Republic of Yemen was declared on 22nd May 1990.

Listed on this page are stamps of the southern part of Yemen from 1962 to 1990.  Earlier issues are listed under Aden.

For stamps inscribed "
Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen", "Yemen Arab Republic", "YAR" or simply "Yemen", please go to the Yemen (Northern / Kingdom / Yemen Arab Republic) page.  Post-1990 issues for the united Republic can also be found there.
 
Chapter overview
  • Airport Tax (catalogue numbers prefixed A)
  • ​Excise (catalogue numbers prefixed X)
  • Immigration Passports (catalogue numbers prefixed P)
  • Labels and Obligatory Tax stamps (catalogue numbers prefixed L)
  • Postal Order poundage (catalogue numbers prefixed O)
  • Revenue (catalogue numbers prefixed R)
  • Revenue usage of Postage stamps:
     - Federation of South Arabia (catalogue numbers prefixed SA)
     - People's Republic of Southern Yemen (catalogue numbers prefixed SY)


Acknowledgments

Robson Lowe, Bradbury, Wilkinson and Co, The Revenue Journal Vol IV No 2 (September 1993), p40

Special thanks to Joe Ross for providing a number of images used on this page.


Currency
1000 fils = 1 dinar

Airport Tax

 

Picture
A1



c1970.  Aden International Civil Airport.  41 x 29 mm.  Perf 13.  No watermark.

   A1. 1d multicoloured



Excise
PictureX1/2 proofs ex printer's archive
Labels stuck on cigarette packs to indicate the payment of tobacco duty.


1969-72.  Coat of Arms.  Country name and DUTY PAID inscribed in English and Arabic.  16½ x 42 mm.  Imperf.  No wmk.  Printed by Bradbury Wilkinson.

a) Inscribed People's Republic of Southern Yemen
  [X1. (No value) rose]


b) Inscribed People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
  [X2. (No value) black]




Note: no issued examples of these labels have been recorded to date.  The only known examples are the printer's proofs illustrated above.  Each proof is mounted on an approval card with a dated signature to show when the designs were approved for printing.  The cards are dated 16th December 1968 for X1 and 27th March 1972 for X2.  It is possible that the issued version of X2 was in a colour other than black.


Immigration Passports
Picture
P1/4
1968.  Coat of Arms in horizontal format.  Printed by Bradbury Wilkinson.  22½ x 18½ mm.  Perf 14.  No watermark.

   P1. 250f black and brick-red
   P2. 500f black and magenta
   P3. 1d black and blue-green

   P4. 2d black and ultramarine
   [P5. 5d black and deep rose]

 

Picture
P5 proof (image from Robson Lowe)
Notes:
1. Coloured proofs mounted on Bradbury Wilkinson cards are recorded for the 500f value and for the background only.  The proofs were approved in April 1968.
2. The 5d has not yet been recorded as an issued stamp without surcharge, though a proof exists as illustrated here.

One printing of all five values (Req 6/62191/2) is recorded in the Crown Agents Requisition books.  The date of dispatch is not recorded but would have been around the middle of 1968.



 
Picture
P11/12
1978-83 (recorded usage).  As previous issue but surcharged in Arabic, with black squares cancelling original value.

   P11. 250f on 5d black and deep rose
   P12. 500f on 5d black and deep rose

Labels and Obligatory Tax stamps
Picture
L1
Picture
L2
1969 (earliest recorded usage).  Arabic inscription 100 fils contribution to the fund for the families of the martyrs and the mutilated.  51 x 28 mm.  Imperf.  No watermark.

   L1. 100f black on grey-blue



​
​1977 (earliest recorded usage).  Arabic inscription Democratic Yemen Eleventh World Festival of Youth and Students 5 fils.  34 x 22 mm.  Perf 11½.  No watermark.

   L2. 5f black

 

Picture
L3

1979 (earliest recorded usage).  TB sufferer and infected lungs.  Inscribed Fight TB in Yemen PDR.  17 x 22½ mm.  Perf 14 x 13½.  No watermark.

   L3. 5f black and pink

 

Picture
L4

1979.  Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem.  Inscribed To the Welfare of the Families of Martyrs and Freedom Fighters of Palestine.

   L4. 5f green, orange, yellow and deep ultramarine

Picture
​1984.  Arabic inscription 50 fils 1984 General Literacy Campaign.  36 x 21 mm.  Imperf.  No watermark.

   L5. 50f black

Postal Order poundage
Picture
Illustrated above are three British postal orders overprinted for use in Southern Yemen.  The first order has a face value of one shilling, with the poundage of 3d surcharged 20 fils in local currency.  The other two orders show face values in decimal sterling currency, and were used in the 1980s.  British postal orders were issued in a wide range of values and it is likely that many of these were overprinted for Yemen.  Such items are not listed on this website but further information can be obtained from the Postal Order Society.

Revenue
Picture
R1/22
1969 (earliest recorded usage).  State Arms, inscribed People's Republic of Southern Yemen.  Fils values 22 x 25½ mm, perf 13½.  Dinar values in larger format, 30½ x 42 mm, perf 13.  No watermark.


Picture
Enlarged to show inscription below Arms
   R1. 5f deep brown and light blue
   R2. 10f deep brown and red-orange
   R3. 15f deep brown and turquoise
   R4. 20f black and purple

   R5. 25f deep brown and yellow-brown
   R6. 40f carmine and blue-green
   R7. 50f deep brown and violet
   R8. 80f carmine and blue-grey

   R9. 100f slate-blue and claret
   R10. 140f carmine and bright green
   R11. 200f carmine and yellow-olive

   R12. 250f deep brown and deep ultramarine
   R13. 300f black and rose-red
   R14. 400f carmine and deep grey

   R15. 500f slate-blue and purple-brown
   R16. 1d slate-blue and red-orange
   R17. 2d slate-blue and mauve

   R18. 5d deep blue, green and blue
   R19. 10d dark brown, orange-yellow and red

   R20. 25d rose-carmine, red-orange and red
   R21. 50d bronze-green, blue-green and yellow-green
   R22. 100d scarlet, rose and red-orange

Picture
Picture10f, 25f and 100f showing larger figures of value (on right) with normal (left) for comparison
1974 (earliest recorded usage).  Similar to previous issue but now inscribed People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.  22 x 25½ mm.  Perf 13½.  No watermark.  Printed by Pakistan Security Printing Corporation.  The 10f, 25f and 100f are each known in two variants, with the figures of value at lower left either small (probably from early printings) or larger, as illustrated.

   R31. 10f deep brown and red-orange
    a. Larger figures
   R32. 15f brown and turquoise
   R33. 20f black and violet
   R34. 25f deep brown and yellow
    a. Larger figures
   R35. 40f carmine and emerald
   R36. 50f brown and purple
   R37. 100f slate-blue and claret
    a. Larger figures
   R38. 250f deep brown and blue
   R39. 500f slate-blue and purple-brown

Picture
Note: the printer of the original issue has been identified from the imprint block of R31 shown here, but the reprints with larger figures of value (R31a, R34a, R37a) may have been the work of a different printer.

Picture
R50/56
c1985?  As previous issue but change to perf 14½ and design slightly redrawn with bolder lettering.  All values now with large figures.  No wmk.  Printer unknown.

   R50. 5f deep brown and light blue
   R51. 10f deep brown and red-orange
   R52. 20f black and violet
   R53. 40f carmine and emerald
   R54. 50f brown and violet
   R55. 100f slate-blue and claret
   R56. 200f carmine and yellow-olive​
Picture
R66/68
​c1990?  Similar type but in narrow format (19 x 25½ mm).  Perf 13½.  No wmk.

   R66. 50f brownish rose and purple
   R67. 100f slate-blue and rose
   R68. 250f brownish rose and blue

Revenue usage of Postage stamps

Note: for ease of reference, numbering follows the Stanley Gibbons catalogue throughout this section.  Values listed here are those recorded as having been used for revenue purposes.


a) Stamps inscribed Federation of South Arabia

Picture
SA3/7
1965.  Arms of the Federation.  Perf 14½ x 14.

   SA3. 5f blue
   SA4. 10f violet-blue
   SA5. 15f turquoise-green
   SA6. 20f green
   SA7. 25f yellow-brown
Picture
SA17
Picture
SA19
1965.  International Co-operation Year.  Watermark W12.  Perf 14½.
   SA17. 5f reddish purple and turquoise-green

​1
966.  Churchill Commemoration.  No watermark.  Perf 14.
   SA19. 5f black, cerise, gold and new blue
Picture
SA23, SA25, SA27
1966.  World Cup Football Championship, England.  No watermark.  Perf 14.
   SA23. 10f violet, yellow-green, lake & yellow-brown

1966.  Inauguration of WHO Headquarters, Geneva.  No watermark.  Perf 14.
   SA25. 10f black, yellow-green and light blue

1968.  20th Anniversary of UNESCO.  No watermark.  Perf 14.
   SA27. 10f slate-violet, red, yellow and orange


b) Stamps overprinted or inscribed People's Republic of Southern Yemen
Picture
SY1/5
1968.  Arms of the Federation series (see SA3/5 above) overprinted with new state name in English and Arabic.

   SY1. 5f blue (red opt)

   SY2. 10f violet-blue (red opt)
   SY5. 25f yellow-brown
Picture
SY15/17
Picture
SY19
1968.  Independence.
   SY15. 10f multicoloured
   SY17. 50f multicoloured

1968.  Aden Girl Guides' Movement.
   SY19. 10f sepia and blue

 

Picture
SY25



1968.  Antiquities.

   SY25. 5f brownish yellow and olive-green




The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen joined with the Yemen Arab Republic to form the united Republic of Yemen on 22nd May 1990.  Revenue stamps issued for the united Republic are listed on the Yemen (Northern / Kingdom / YAR) page.

Previous page: Yemen (Northern / Kingdom / Yemen Arab Republic)
Back to Middle East main menu
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.