Sunday, August 17, 2008

Turkish Over Print

This crescent with six-pointed star on an old stamp sent to me by my dear friend Stephanie Comfort is not a future symbol of reconciliation between Islam and Judaism but an Over Print on a Turkish stamp.

My friend Dobush from Kfar Aza asked Moshe Rimer from collectors Forum in Tapuz what’s the story behind it and Rimer answered that the stamp was issued originally in 1892 and its value was 10 Para; then it was over printed in red in 1897 and its value was 5 Para. Then it was over printed again in 1915 (WWI) with the crescent and six-pointed star; then again with 5 pointed star as a result of accepting the protest of religious leaders against the six-pointed star; then again by Arab authorities in 1920.

Yoram Blumann sent Dobush the following comment:

Hexagram on Turkish stamps

During WW1, current Turkish stamps [i.e. part of the vast stocks of stamps held in store] were overprinted each year for use during that year. This was probably a 'security' or 'economic' measure. The 1915 [really 1331] print consists of over 100 different stamps- same as 1916 and 1917, but in those years it was 5 pointed star pentagram. I do not see anything really special in using the hexagram symbol on the overprint; after all, it's use in classic Arabic and Coptic literature designs etc is fairly widespread.

See my Non-Jewish Star of David stamps album on Picasa

Zoom in.