The miniature sheet for the joint commemorative issue between China and Egypt of July 13 2006. When it was issued two members spoke at the January meeting 2007 of their suspicions about this issue (see QC 220 p194), and speculated on its authenticity because it appeared that it could not be bought at the post office. ![]() Since then it has been noted on the UPU-related authenticity website WNS as a genuine Egyptian issue and has been issued on the stuck-down year sheets issued by the Egyptian post office so there is no doubt that it should be classified as a genuine Egyptian item. The official Chinese Peoples Daily newspaper stated at the time of issue:
On May 30, 1956, the Arab Republic of Egypt established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. With a view to promote friendship between China and Egypt, the postal administrations of the two countries have decided to conduct the joint issue of a set of two-piece stamps featuring Ancient Gilded and Gold Masks on Oct. 12, 2001. On Oct. 16, 2000, the two countries signed the memorandum of understanding on the joint issue in Cairo (capital of Egypt) and, on Feb. 27, 2001, signed the agreement on the jointly issue and decided on the best stamp design in Cairo. On Oct.12, 2001, the first-day issue ceremony was held in De Yang, Sichuan Province of China. Both China and Egypt are ancient civilized countries. One piece of the joint-issue set of stamps shows the San Xingdui Ancient Gilded Mask of China and the other shows the Gold Mask of Tutankhamen of Egypt. Both are ancient valuable cultural relics of the two countries. The jointly issue is co-designed by Wang Huming, a Chinese stamp designer, and Saeid El-Badrawy, an Egyptian stamp designer. The Sanxingdui Site is located in Guanghan, Sichuan Province. Since 1986, a great number of bronze, jade and gold articles, which belonged to the ancient Shu Kingdom in the Yangtze River valley 3,000 years ago were unearthed. The gilded mask showed in the stamp is one piece of curiosa among them. It is made of gold leaf with eyes and brows pierced. The bronze head wearing the golden mask takes on a quite vivid look. A few months ago a holographic plastic miniature sheet began to be offered by dealers in Egypt and Europe at quite a high price with suggestions that perhaps only 50 such items existed, but then in about May they were also offered by sources in China stating that 600-800 pieces were made in the Henan providence - and soon these were being offered in lots of 10 at a lower price then previously asked for one. Pretty as they may be, I don't see them as genuine Egyptian philatelic items although one Chinese seller quotes "this is the rarest Egyptian stamp s/s issue". China also issued stamps and a miniature sheet similar in design and a holographic miniature has also been produced. |
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