My Stamp Collection : MOROCCO

For my next album presentation in this series, we move west from Algeria and join Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour on the Road To Morocco.

Morocco's philatelic history is complex.  It remained an independent sultanate throughout the nineteenth century, and the Great Powers of Europe all competed for economic and political influence with the Moroccan Sultan.  This included opening rival post offices to compete for the business of the numerous Western commercial interests in the Sultanate.  Local commercial interests also provided postal services along various routes, and approximately twenty of them produced their own postage stamps for use on these systems. The Sultan himself inaugurated a Moroccan postal service to compete with the Western offices in 1892, at first employing seals stamped on envelopes from the cities in which the post originated, and culminating in the first Moroccan postage stamps in 1912.

Morocco's indpendence and its independent postal system would soon face takeover by Western colonialism.  Agreements between the major Great Powers in the first decade of the 1900s would culminate in 1912 with the partition of Morocco into two protectorates, the majority of which came under French administration, with a small zone in the far north of Morocco under a Spanish protectorate.   To complicate matters further, the strategic city of Tangier would eventually come under an International Protectorate composed, at its height, of representatives from ten different nations (including the United States). Throughout Morocco, Other powers were allowed free commercial access, and the British would continue to maintain a post office separate from the French and  Spanish administrations until the restoration of Moroccan sovereignty in 1956. In all these areas the Moroccan Sultan retained theoretical sovereignty, but day to day administration would come under the dominant power in each of the Protectorates.  This system would last until early 1956, when Moroccan nationalist demands, led by the Sultan (now called King) would finally lead to the restoration of full sovereignty. Between 1950 and 1978 Morocco would also gain control of further Spanish colonial territories to the south (Tarfaya/Cape Juby, Ifni and the Western Sahara - though the POLISARIO nationalists in Western Sahara continue to oppose Moroccan control of the region to this day.)

This complicated history means that my Morocco collection will be split between several albums to reflect this patchwork of administrations.

Volume I : Local Post Offices, Foreign Post Offices, Issues of the Sultanate to 1912.
Volume II : The French Protectorate of Morocco 1912-1956
Volume III : The Spanish Protectorate of Morocco and Spanish Colonies in the Western Sahara
Volume IV : Independent Morocco Part I (1956-1990)
Volume V : Independent Morocco Part II (1991-present)

I am still laying out pages for Independent Morocco, though my collection runs until approximately 1968 with a few issues in the early 1970s.

My plan is to post each page, just as the image.  For those wanting to know the identity of the stamps, I will post a PDF file of the layout for the pages in my Morocco albums in a few days.

Hope you enjoy the images and if you have suggestions please let me know.

Volume I : Morocco - The Era of Local Posts, Foreign POs and The Sultanate (1892-1912)

French Post Office In Morocco

Page 1 - No Stamps

Page 2 - Spanish Currency overprints on French Blanc/Mouchon/Merson definitives (10c with beautiful Larache/Al-Arish CDS) and Duval/Recouverment Postage Dues. Spanish Currency overprints on French Blanc/Mouchon/Merson definitives and and Duval/Recouverment Postage Dues in Arabic Script.

Page 3 - No Stamps

 French Post Office In the Tangier International Zone

Page 1 : French Blanc/Mouchon/Merson definitives and Duval/Recouverment Postage Dues inscribed "MAROC" and overprinted "TANGER"

Page 2 - No Stamps

Volume II : Morocco - The French Protectorate of Morocco 1912-1956

Page 1 : French PO in Morocco issue of 1911 overprinted "Protectorat Francais" (50c with beautiful Mogador (modern al-Sawira) CDS) and 1914-1915 Charity issues for World War I relief

Page 2 : French PO in Morocco additional regular issues and Postage Due issues overprinted "Protectorat Francais" and more Charity issues for World War I relief.

Page 3 : 1917 Moroccan Monuments Engraved Pictorials and Numeral In Arabesque Postage Dues

Page 4 : 1917 Parcel Post Issue, additional "Protectorat Francais" overprinted stamps, and 1922 First Airmail Series "Biplane over Casablanca" Types I and II.

Page 5 : Moroccan Monuments type of 1917 printed in Photogravure with additional values, additional values to 1917 Numeral in Arabesque postage dues.

Page 6 : 1922 Airmail series "Biplane over Casablanca" type III with new values, additional values to 1922 Photogravure Moroccan monuments series, 1930-1931 Surcharges for New rates on pictorial and airmail issues.

Page 7 : 1928 Charity issue for Drought and Flood victims, low values to 1933 Views of Morocco pictorial definitives. 

Page 8 : High values to 1933 Views of Morocco pictorial definitives and Airmail Values, 1934 additional values to series of 1933.

Page 9 : 1935 Lyautey memorial issue, 1938 Charity issue overprints, 1939 Airmail Series

Page 10 : 1939-1940 Surcharges on 1933 Pictorial Issue, 1939 Views of Morocco pictorial series.

Page 11 : 1940-1942 additional values to 1939 Views of Morocco pictorial series, 1942 Charity Issue to relocate French war orphans to Morocco, 1943 War Effort and New Postage Due values issues.

Page 12 : 1945 Tower of Hassan, Rabat definitives and Airplane over Mountain Pass Airmails, Charity issues of 1945-1946, 1945 50F Airmail Pictorial.

Page 13 - 1945-1946 Type of 1939 Pictorial printed by Typography, 1946-1947 Charity Issues and Commemoratives

Page 14 - Series of 1947 Pictorials, 1947-1948 Charity Issues for Solidarity, Stamp Day and Lyautey Exposition , 1948 Surcharge

Page 15 - 1948-1949 additions to series of 1947 Pictorials, 1949 Charity issues, 1949 UPU 75th Anniversary

Page 16 - 1949 Low Value Definitive series, 1949-1950 Solidarity Charity Issues including Moroccan Craftworks and Regional Maps.

Page 17 - Commemorative and Charity Issues of 1950-1952 incluing Lyaytey Memorial and new Hospitals, New Values and Designs to 1947 Pictorial Series and 1947 Postage Due, 1951 Pictorial

Page 18 - Additions to 1951 Pictorial Issue with new postal and airmail issues, 1952-1954 Commemoratives and Charity Issues including Moroccan Medieval capitol designs and traditional silverwork, 1954 Surcharges.

Page 19 - 1954 Airmail Issues, New Values to 1949 and 1951 Pictorials, 1954-1955 Charity and Commemorative Issues including Lyautey anniversary and education promotion.

Page 20 - 1955 Pictorials and Airmails, the last series of stamps issued under the French Protectorate.

Volume IV : Morocco -  Independent Morocco Part I (1956-1991)

Page 1 - 1956-1957 King Muhammad V pictorial issue, 1956-1957 commemorative issues including Illiteracy campaign, Royal Events, Casablanca Fair 1957

Page 2 - 1958-1960 Commemorative and Charity Issues incluing Brussels 1958 World Expo, World Refugee Year, Royal Anniversaries, And aid to victims of Adulterated Cooking Oil issue

Page 3 - 1960-1961 commemoratives including Millenial of Qarawiyyin Madrasa in Fez, 1960 Olympics, 1961 Pan-Arab Games

Page 4 - 1961-1962 Commemoratives incluiding Lumumba memorial issue, Tangier Postal Conference, and 1962 Definitive Series featuring King Hassan II for regular and Airmail use.

Page 5 - 1962-1963 Commemorative issues including State Orphans, UN Campaigns against Malaria and Hunger, Historic Medieval Muslim Luminaries, 50th Anniversary of First Moroccan Stamps, Centenary of Red Cross/Red Crescent, Milennium of city of Miknasa.

Page 6 - 1963-1964 Commemorative Issues including UNESCO Abu Simbel Campaign, Reconstruction of Agadir after 1960 Earthquake, Casablanca Fair, World Meteorological Day, Royal Anniversaries and 1964 Olympics, Redesigned value to 1962 King Hassan Definitive

Page 7 - New values to 1962 King Hassan Definitive Series, First Postage Due Issue, 1965 Flora and Marine Fauna Pictorials, 1965 UN Cooperation Year and Centenary of Intl Telecom Union.

Page 8 - Issues of 1966 including Agricultural Exports, World Health Organization, 10th Year independence, Moroccan Armed Forces, Red Crescent Charity Issue, Transport in Morocco pictorials.

Page 9 - Commemorative and Charity issues of 1967, including additions to 1965 Marine Fauna Pictorials and 1966 Agricultural Export series, Infrastructure projects, Lions International, 1967 Mediterranean Games, 1967 Tourist Year and 1967 Equestrian Championships.

Page 10 - 1968 Issues including Human Rights Year, Part 1 of Traditional Costumes Series, and new definitive series depicting King Hassan II 

Page 11 - 1968 Issues including Part 2 of Traditional Costumes, Moroccan Textiles, Rotary, World Health Organization, and Traditional Moroccan Coins series I

Page 12 - 1968-1969 issues including 1968 Mexico City Olympics, 1969 continuations of Moroccan Traditional Outfits, Coins, and Red Crescent Charity issues.

Page 13 - No Stamps

Page 14 - No Stamps

Page 15 - No Stamps

Page 16 - No Stamps

Page 17 - 1973 Definitive Series featuring King Hassan II and 1973 Commemoratives

Page 18 - 1973-1974 Commemorative and Charity Issues. Only Issue I have is the Centennial of Universal Postal Union.

Coverage currently ends in 1974 with only 1-2 more issues post 1974. Plans are to continue the collection further up to at least 1999 (year of death of King Hassan II) 

As you can see there are still several areas I have no stamps from. Generally I have been focusing on the French Protectorate and early Independent Kingdom years, but there a lot more administrations to add to the collection

1. Local Post Offices (20 separate lines between 1892 and 1900)
2. British Post Office in Morocco
3. Spanish Post Office in Morocco
4. German Post Office in Morocco
5. Issues of the Moroccan Sultanate (handstamps 1892-1911 and first postage stamps of 1912)
6. Spanish Protectorate of Morocco
7. Tangier International Zone (Spanish and British Post Offices in addition to the French)
8. Spanish Colonies in NW Africa :

• Ifni
• Cape Juby
• Rio De Oro
• La Aguera
• Spanish Sahara & Spanish West Africa

Hope you enjoyed this trip to Morocco.  Next posting will shift eastward to the final Maghribi nation in former French North Africa - Tunisia.

My Stamp Collection : ALGERIA

So the first nation I am going to post is Algeria.  My collection runs from 1924 to 1968 (with a couple stamps after 1968 that I won't post until I get those years completed)

Algeria's philatelic history is intimately tied to its colonial relationship with France.  In 1830, after a series of diplomatic incidents culminating in the ruler of Algiers, the Dey, swatting a French diplomat with a fly swatter, the French began an invasion of Algeria. For the next sixty years the French, in fits and starts, would expand its holdings from along the coast deep into the Sahara, where the colony would meet the expanding colonial frontiers of the French expansion eastward from Senegal and northward from the Congo.

Unlike most areas of the French colonial empire, Algeria was considered an integral part of the French state, with three separate departments created to administer the territory.  Mass immigration of French and other European settlers would result in the creation of a settler colony in the midst of the Arab and Berber native population.  And much as was the case with the native populations of settler colonies such as South Africa, the native population were treated as "subjects," not citizens, of the new administrative system.  Land expropriation would create a European elite that demanded, and received, the same political rights as their compatriots in mainland France held. The native populations, however, were impoverished as labourers for the European settlers and were eventually subjected to the "Code de L'Indigeant" that turned them into second class residents with few political rights in their own native homelands.  Few Algerians were allowed to "evolve" into French citizens, in part because French citizenship status required a rejection of Islamic law and acceptance of French secular law, something anathema to the vast majority of Algeria's native Muslim majority.

Philatelically, the integration of Algeria as a direct part of France meant that for most of the classical era of philately the stamps of France were used.  The first stamps issued in Algeria were for the parcel post system, where there were slightly different rate tariffs in Algeria compared to France. The decision to create a separate Algerian postal service arose not from within France or Algeria, but rather due to the demands of other nations.  Although an integral part of France, the French had been able to secure for Algeria separate representation in the Universal Postal Union.  Other members felt this gave the French extra power in the decision-making process of the Union, and by the early 1920s the demands of other members for France to either grant Algeria postal autonomy or have Algeria's separate seat abolished reached a climax.  In 1924 the French decided on Algerian postal autonomy, resulting in the first postage stamps being released.

After 1924 Algeria had its own postal service, and during the 1920s and 1930s there was an increasing amount of "nativization" in terms of subject matter.  But the Algerian post office also played an important role in ensuring that French dominance over the Algerian masses remained crystal clear, issuing stamps to celebrate the heroes of the French conquest of Algerian territories.

Like other colonial societies, however, the power of nationalism among the colonized population would gain ground after World War I.  The humiliation of France during World War II, and the landings of American forces in Algeria in 1942 as part of Operation Torch, would add further impetus to calls for a "new deal" for Algeria, where the Algerian masses would either become full partners in the administration of Algeria or, at least among a few voices, gain independence completely from France.  These goals were fiercely opposed by the European settler population, who feared a loss of economic and political power in such a new relationship.  French defeat in Vietnam and an inability to find a political solution would result in increasing radicalization of the nationalist movement, culminating in the launching of the Algerian Revolution in 1954.  In 1958 the inability of the French state to crush the nationalists resulted in a political crisis in France that would usher in the Fifth Republic under Charles DeGaulle.  Algeria was "reintegrated" postally into the French postal system soon after, as a search to find a solution to the Algerian quagmire continued.  Finally in early 1962 DeGaulle realized France's position in Algeria was untenable, and negotiated Algerian independence.  The settler population attempted to derail the deal, launching a brutal terror campaign in both Algeria and mainland France, but in the end failed to stop the inevitable. Algeria became an independent nation in July 1962, and most of the European settler population left for mainland France.

After 1962 Algerian philately moves toward  the celebration of native Algerian Arab and Berber achievements, the goals of nation building, and the reconstruction of Algerian society.  Until 1991 power remained in the hands of the FLN, the political arm of the military groups that ended French rule, with the creation of a one-party socialist state and promotion of development that was portrayed in many issues.  The limitations of the FLN one-party state, in culmination with the end of the Cold War, resulted in demands for democratization. The growth of Islamic fundamentalism after the early 1970s in reaction to the economic and political limitations of the FLN domination of Algerian society, meant that when free elections were held in 1991, an Islamist party won them.  The old FLN elite could not accept the result, and the result was a vicious civil war in the 1990s and early 2000s that would eventually lead to a restoration of the FLN dominance in a "limited" democracy, a situation that remains the political reality of Algeria to this day.

My Algeria collection will be split between 3 Albums to reflect the history of this fascinating land :

Volume I : Algeria under French Rule (stamps issued 1899-1958)
Volume II : Independent Algeria : The era of FLN Supremacy (stamps issued 1962-1991)
Volume III : Independent Algeria : The era of civil war and limited democracy (stamps issued since 1991)

My plan is to post each page, just as the image.  For those wanting to know the identity of the stamps, I will post a PDF file of the layout for the pages in my Algeria album in a few days (still fixing a few errors I have found in the file, and adding Yvert numbers now that I have a copy of the Yvert & Tellier French Colonies catalog, 2017 edition).

Hope you enjoy the images and if you have suggestions please let me know.

Volume I : Algeria under French Rule (stamps issued 1899-1958)

Page 1 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 2 : The 1924 First Issue - French Stamps overprinted "ALGERIE"

Page 3 : 1924 Parcel Post Issues (don't have any, yet) and 1925 Additional Values to Series I - 

French Stamps overprinted "ALGERIE"

Page 4 : 1926 Parcel Post Issue, 1926 Postage Due Stamps (Duval and Recoverments Types inscribed "ALGERIE") and Second Definitive Series of 1926 "Views of Algeria" June 1926 issues.

Page 5 : Second Definitive Series of 1926 - Views of Algeria, additional values from July-November 1926 and plate variety "Fifth Tree in View from Tomb of Sidi Yakub in Tilimsan" (don't have any of those, yet)

Page 6 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 7 : 1927 Charity Overprint for Veterans of the Rif War in Morocco (don't have any of those, yet) and Revalued Surcharges on 1926 views of Algeria issue.

Page 8 : 1927 Revalued Surcharges on 1926 Postage Due Issues, 1927 Additional Values to 1926 Definitive Series "Views of Algeria" and 1927 Parcel Post Issue reflecting new rates 

Page 9 : 1927 New values and colors for Second Definitive Series of 1926 "Views of Algeria" and Postage Due Series of 1926, January 1929 Revalued Parcel Post Issue

Page 10 : 1929-1930 New values and colors for Second Definitive Series of 1926 "Views of Algeria" and Postage Due Series of 1926, July 1929 and 1930 Revalued Parcel Post Issues, 

1930 Centenary of Algeria Philatelic Exposition

Page 11 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 12 : 1936 Engraved Pictorial Definitive Series "Views of Algeria II"

Page 13 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 14 : 1937 Paris International Expo and Centenary of French conquest of Constantine commemorative series, 1937-1938 additions to definitive series of 1926 and 1936, 1938 Anniversary of 1918 Armistice Issue, 1938 Parcel Post Series

Page 15 : 1939 additions to definitive series of 1926 and 1936, 1939 Surcharges, 1939 centenary of Philippeville (Skikda) and Pioneers of Sahara Exploration issues

Page 16 : 1939 New York International Expo commemoratives, 1939 Parcel Post Series

Page 17 : 1940 Aid to Families of Mobilized Soldiers Charity issue, 1940 additions to 1936 Definitive Issue, 1940 Revaluations of 1939 Parcel Post Series

Page 18 : 1941 Parcel Post Series, Vichy Algeria definitives (Marechal Petain and redesigned issues without the "RF" monogram.

Page 19 : 1942 Parcel Post Series, Vichy Algeria definitives (Marechal Petain and Algiers Print of the 1942-1945 Algerian city coats of arms series with engraver name below design)

Page 20 : 1943 Algerian city coats of arms series new values, Algiers Print with engraver name below design and Paris printing without designer name, Free France War Effort issue, 1943 Revaluation of 1942 Parcel Post series.

Page 21 : 1943 Revaluation of 1942 Parcel Post series continued, Surcharges issues for Telegraphs and Postage Due, 1944 Marianne of Algiers and Algiers Rooster issues.

Page 22 : 1944 Palace of the Governors-General, Algiers, High-Values, Customs Due overprint on Palace, Charity issue for families of prisoners of war, 1944 Revaluation of 1943 Parcel Post issues

Page 23 : 1944 Revaluation of 1943 Parcel Post issues continued, 1945 Algiers Rooster and Paris Print of Algerian City Coat of Arms additional values, 1945 Duval Postage Dues new values.

Page 24 : 1945 Types of French Definitives overprinted "ALGERIE," 1945 Charity Issues, 1945 Revaluation of 1943 Parcel Post Issue

Page 25 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 26 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 27 : 1946 Types of French Definitives overprinted "ALGERIE," 1946 Air Mail Series "Airplane over Port of Algiers," 1946 Solidarity Charity Issue, 1947 Types of French Definitives and Postage Dues overprinted "ALGERIE," 1947 Charity Issues

Page 28 : 1947 City Coat of Arms Series II definitives, 1947 Postage Due Series, 1947 Revaluations of 1945 Parcel Post issues for new tariffs

Page 29 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 30 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 31 : 1948 City Coat of Arms Series II definitives new values, 1948 Charity Issues, 1948 Revaluations of 1945 Parcel Post issues for new tariffs 

Page 32 : No Stamps, will post image when I have stamps

Page 33 : 1949-1950 Additional City Arms and Postage Due values, 1949 Airmail Pictorials, 1949 Commemoratives for Stamp Day, 75th Anniversary of UPU and 25th Anniversary of Algerian stamps, 1949 Charity Issues, 1950 Fruit Pictorials, 1950-1951 Commemoratives for Stamp Day French conquest of In Salah anniversary, Dedication of Abd al-Qadir monument and Colonna D'Ornano Death Anniversary, 1950-1951 Charity Issues 

Page 34 : 1952 Statue Definitives, 1952 Commemoratives for Stamp Day, Geological Congress, Military Medal, Army of The Sahara, Battle of Bir Hakeim, Red Cross, 1953 Commemoratives for Military Medical Pioneers, Stamp Day, Army Volunteer Projects, Additional values for 1947 Postage Due and 1949 Airmail Pictorial issue, 1954 Commemoratives for Stamp Day, Citrus Congress, and the Foreign Legion, 1954 Charity issue for War Veterans

Page 35 : 1954 Charity Issues, 1954 Bardo Museum Definitives, 1954 St Augustine Commemorative, 1954 Relief for victims of Orleansville (Al-Shilaf) Earthquake, 1955 Commemoratives for Stamp Day, Tipasa Anniversary, Medical Congress, Rotary, Pictorial view of the Grand Kabylia

Page 36 : 1955-1957 Bardo Museum, City Coats of Arms and Marianne definitives, additions to 1947 Postage Due Series, 1956 Commemoratives for Cancer Research, Marshal D'Esperey, 1957 Commemoratives for Stamp Day, Red Cross, Anniversary of DeGaulle's Appeal, Army Volunteer Work, Economic Development Pictorial Regular Issue and Airmail

Page 37 : 1958 City Coat of Arms, original and redesigned versions, 1958 Pictorial view of Oran, 1958 Commemoratives for Stamp Day, Children's Charities and the DeLattre Foundation.

Volume II : Independent Algeria : The era of FLN Supremacy (stamps issued 1962-1991)

Page 1 : No Stamps - "EA" overprints handstamped on French Postage Stamps (including space for provisional issues)

Page 2 : No Stamps - "EA" overprints handstamped on French Postage Due Stamps (including space for provisional issues)

Page 3 : "EA" overprints typographed on French Postage & Postage Due Stamps, French views of Algeria pictorials inscriped "Republique Algerienne" and 1962 Charity Issue for Orphans of Resistance fighters (not listed in Scott for some odd reason)

Page 4 : Issues of 1962-1963 including Independence Of Algeria issue

Page 5 : Issues of 1964-1965 including first definitive series "Economic Activities"

Page 6 : Issues of 1965-1966 including first Neolithic Art set

Page 7 : Issues of 1966-1967 including second Neolithic Art Set and Rasim Miniatures issues

Page 8 : Issues of 1967 including First Airmail Series, Fauna, and First Part of Abd al-Qadir definitive series.

Page 9 : Issues of 1968 including First Airmail and Abd al-Qadir definitive series additional values and traditional rugs.

Page 10 : Final Issues of 1968 and Abd al-Qadir definitive series additional value from 1969.

Coverage currently ends in 1968, plan to continue collection further up to at least 1991 and perhaps later.

Comments? Suggestions? Love to hear feedback!