Rare stamps from Morocco

In the last few years The View from Fez has posted almost two thousand articles on almost every facet of life and culture in Morocco. Today we explore a subject we have never come across before - stamps!

For those interested in philately, Morocco is probably a very well known, but for those (like us) who know very little, here is a quick summary.

According to our research, the first Moroccan postal stamps were issued by private companies from a number of countries. The stamps, of very poor quality, were printed by the different companies, each with permission to run a postal service between only two cities each. So, for example, a company in Tangier might run post between Tangier and Fez and Tangier and Tetouan.



A new system was established at the end of 1911 when Morocco issued two series of postal stamps which served the whole Morocco.

What is interesting about the early stamps is that there are French, English, Spanish, then German stamps in Morocco in 1852,1857,1865 and 1899.


In 1970 the Postal Museum was opened in Rabat and has a superb collection of Moroccan stamps, envelopes, telephones and telegraph machines, including the Baudot (telegraph with printer), as well as belinographs (machines for reproducing photographs over a long distance) and postal vans.

Among the major items is Morocco's first official stamp, dated 12th may 1912, showing the Aissaoua Mosque in Tangier.

British mail notice


*Note the spelling of Meknes!

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news