Stamps of Fujairah: The Gold Apollo 13 stamp
Before the first Post Office was opened in Fujairah, the locals used a courier Saeed Mohammed Tanaji to take letters to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and collect mail on his way back to Fujairah. Secondly, there was also a grocery named Abdul Rasak Grocery. They would accept mails from locals and take it to Dubai to be sent out. He would also collect any mails for locals from the Dubai Post Office. This information was obtained from locals and unfortunately, there are no letters known from this period to confirm this.
The Gold Apollo 13 stamp used on Cover. Unfortunately, the date is not legible, but the cancel used is the new Circular one and not the Hexagonal one used during the time of Finbar Kenny. So somehow these Gold stamps were also available to the new administration!
Finbar Kenny was still threatening legal action and kept on producing stamps after his contract was terminated on 9th May. He issued a few circulars and sent them to his previous clients and Philatelic magazines stating of the illegal other ‘labels’ produced illegally by other parties. For these circulars please refer to the internet site: http://www.ohmygosh.on.ca/stamps/fujairah/fujann1.htm where these circulars are given in their entirety. They document how Kenny was fighting back claiming that they are running the official Post Office in Fujeira.
Kenny produced many other issues after 9th May and these were illegal. Issues include Apollo 13&14 issue; English Personalities; American Personalities; German Personalities; UN; Education Year; Scouts; Dickens; Red Cross; Centenary of British Red Cross; IOC; Munich Olympics; Mexico World Cup; Brazil Winners; Expo 70; Expo 70 on Gold foil.
At the same time, the Ruler of Fujeira was sending out circulars to dealers and Philatelic press to tell everyone of the change in administration. He also organised telexes to all major Stamp printing houses explaining the situation and asking them to stop supplying stamps to Mr Kenny. Some are reproduced here.
The Post Office canel was changed by the Ruler to a circular cancel. But Kenny was still using the Hexagonal cancel on the envelopes he was using and sending to clients and dealers. And the same applies to the cancel on CTO stamps – all issues mentioned above by Kenny have the Hexagonal cancel. Examples of the Hexagonal cancels after this date are indications that those stamps emanated from Mr Kinbar illegally.
