Egypt (1953) Cover / El Cairo to Munkedal (Sweden)
€59.95PHILATELIC & POSTAL HISTORY DESCRIPTION
c.1953 Egypt to Sweden — Scarce 52m “Bar Overprint” Commercial Airmail Cover (Cairo to Munkedals AB)
An extraordinary, historically significant commercial airmail cover sent from Cairo to Sweden, paying the exact 52-millieme international rate. Sent by the African & Middle East Trading company to the famous Swedish paper mill Munkedals AB, featuring the highly scarce 50m high-value stamp obliterated with the famous revolutionary “Three Bars” overprint.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Origin / Sender | Cairo, Egypt — Sent by African & Middle East Trading (c. April-December 1953) |
| Destination / Addressee | Sweden — Sent to the historic paper manufacturer Munkedals AB |
| Franking Rate | 52 milliemes (52m international airmail tariff) |
| Postal Markings | Bilingual “BY AIR MAIL” / “بريد جوي” instructional handstamp in violet. Cairo dispatch circular datestamps (undated/indistinct as common for the period). Additional black circular handstamp in Arabic (revolutionary military censorship / transit marking). |
| Reverse | Clean, without Swedish arrival backstamps (standard practice for 1950s airmail). |
Franking Details:
- 50m Stamp (Scarce): Features the royal portrait of King Farouk, overprinted with the red “King of Egypt and Sudan” provisional text, and further obliterated with the revolutionary three horizontal black bars across the deposed King’s face. (Note: Minor 2mm corner crease on the top-right corner of this stamp, completely intact with no tears or paper loss).
- 1m Brown Stamp (Pair): Standard definitive issue.
Historical & Philatelic Significance:
Following the July 1952 coup and the exile of King Farouk, the provisional revolutionary government overprinted existing stocks to deface the monarch’s portrait. While low-value “Bar Overprints” (1m to 10m) are common, the 50-millieme high-value was printed in much smaller quantities and is rarely seen on genuinely circulated commercial covers.
This letter documents genuine post-WWII international trade. Sent by the African & Middle East Trading company to the prominent Swedish paper manufacturer Munkedals AB, it represents true commercial usage. The double-overprint nature of the 50m stamp (the 1951 red royal sovereignty overprint crossed out by the 1953 black revolutionary bars), paired with a black circular Arabic military censorship mark, makes this an outstanding, museum-grade document of Middle Eastern postal history.
