This stamp (SG 1097, Balian 685, NP D301), was issued on April 15, 1971, for use by civilians to send mail to military personnel at a special concessionary rate of 10 milliemes, half that of the current standard rate of 20 mills. It has been suggested that this was done to boost morale by encouraging mail from the families of those serving. The concession lasted only a short and was dropped sometime around the end of 1973 or early1974. The stamp, which is common unused, is rarely seen used on cover for its intended use. It is considered as part of Egypt's definitives
When the concession ended, or perhaps while it was still in operation, the stamp was also used for normal postage, the 20 mills rate being made up either by use of two stamps or in conjunction with another 10 mills stamp.
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