THE FORMAT INTERNATIONAL SECURITY PRINTERS LTD. ARCHIVE

Information and Reference of What was Found in the Archive

Reference listings of stamp issues for Yemen Arab Republic printed by the Format International Security Printers Ltd. and items found in the Archive

YEMEN ARAB REPUBLIC

Yemen Arab Republic stamps printed by Format International Security Printers Ltd.
Links to pages with information on items found in the archive

On September 26-27, 1962, there was a revolution in Yemen that toppled the Monarchy. The Yemen Arab Republic was created and remained until 1990.

The presence of Format printings remains a mystery for the issues. According to the Chambliss catalog it is documented that the 1976 Telephone Centenary issue was printed by Format. It is not documented in Stanley Gibbons 2005 Middle East Specialized catalog (Part 19).
In looking back a little further the Chambliss catalog documents that Bradbury Wilkinson printed the 1975 12th Anniversary of the Revolution stamp set. Yet proof sheets of the hospital stamp, (see the first issue I present below), were found in the Format Printers Archive with the unique color guide only used by Format on the large selvage. Again Stanley Gibbons does not document who printed them.
It is documented in the Chambliss catalog on a section of 1980 stamps that Format printed them. On the earlier 1980 sets the Chambliss catalog notes them as Vienna Printings. This was Rosenbaum Brothers in Vienna. They match with Stanley Gibbons notes on them. From July that year Stanley Gibbons does not note who printed the stamps.
According to Chambliss Format produced the stamps through April of 1981 at which point all noted sets through 1984 are for the Vienna printing. Here again we have a discrepancy. The 1982 Tuberculosis issue. according to Stanley Gibbons it was printed by Format. According to the Chambliss catalog, it was Rosenbaum Brothers of Vienna.

From 1984 to 1990 when the Yemen Arab Republic united with Southern Yemen, Chambliss does not note who printed the stamps. Except for the 1982 Tuberculosis issue Stanley Gibbons does not note who any of the printers were from the first issue (Pilgrimage to Mecca) in 1980 printed by Format to 1990 when Yemen united.

The problem with figuring out who designed and printed the stamps for the Yemen Arab Republic is caused by the printers not printing their logo or color guides anywhere on the panes. The same holds true for many Middle East countries during those years. The Format Printers and the House of Questa were prominent in this practice.

For the Yemen Arab Republic stamps the knowledge of who actually printed the stamp sets from 1968 to 1990 is not by any means complete. From my personal experience with the study of The Format International Security Printers there are quite a few sets for Yemen that I suspect were actually printed by them or by The House of Questa. The similarities with sets that have been documented and proven to be printed by the two companies for many other countries is uncanny in many cases.

In the future possibly others will come forth with provable evidence to end the mystery. Should that evidence come forth this page will be updated accordingly.

Let's get started!

On August 4, 1967 the Format International Security Printers were formally incorporated.

At this point I would say that there are several earlier issues that were produced by Format For the Yemen Arab Republic but until more solid evidence is found I am only posting the issues according to provable materials from the archive, documented sets by the Chambliss catalog and Stanley Gibbons.

1975 (Sept. 25) 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REVOLUTION
Scott# 316-17, Michel# 1545-6, Chambliss# 1833-4

The set was actually issued on the 13th anniversary of the revolution.
As stated earlier this set is noted in the Chambliss catalog as being printed by Bradbury Wilkinson. The proofs shown were found in the Format archive and thus prove that Format printed the issue.


Yemen 1975 Hospital Stamp Proof Pane

1976 (Mar. 10) CENTENARY OF THE TELEPHONE
Scott# 320-22, 322a, Michel# 1552-4, Block 187A, 187B, Chambliss# 1845-8, 1848a

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Format. Stanley Gibbons does not note the printer.


TELEPHONE CENTENARY BLOCK 187A SOUVENIR SHEET

TELEPHONE CENTENARY BLOCK 187B SOUVENIR SHEET

The following sets from 1980 are listed in this same order in the Chambliss catalog, Michel and Scott catalogs.

1980 (July 1) HEGIRA, PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA
Scott# 375-7, 377a, Michel# 1629-31, Block 205, Chambliss# 1958-61

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Format. Stanley Gibbons does not note the printer.


SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 205

1980 PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA SOUVENIR SHEET PROOF PAIR

1980 (Sept. 26) 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REVOLUTION
Scott# 378-80, Michel# 1632-3, Block 206, Chambliss# 1962-4

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Format. Stanley Gibbons does not note the printer.


SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 206

1980 (Nov. 8) 1400TH ANNIVERSARY OF HEGIRA, MOSQUES
Scott# 381-5, Michel# 1635-8, Block 207, Chambliss# 1965-9

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Format. Stanley Gibbons does not note the printer.


SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 207

1980 HEGIRA IMPERFORATE PROOFS

1980 (Nov. 29) PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY DAY
Scott# 386-7, Michel# 1640-1, Chambliss# 1970-1

Lot 259 in the Final Sale Catalog of the Format Printers Archive contained sixteen "working proofs" including eight progressives of this issue. Chambliss nor Stanley Gibbons note them as printed by Format.

1980 (Mar. 1) ARAB ARCHEOLOGY CONFERENCE, MOSQUES
Scott# 388-9, 389a, Michel# 1642-3, Block 208, Chambliss# 1972-4

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Format. Stanley Gibbons does not note the printer.


SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 208

1980 ARAB ARCHEOLOGY IMPERFORATE PROOFS

1980 (Apr. 1) WORLD TOURISM CONFERENCE
Scott# 390-4, 394a, Michel# 1644-8, Block 209, Chambliss# 1975-80

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Format. Stanley Gibbons does not note the printer.


SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 209

1980 WORLD TOURISM IMPERFORATE PROOFS

1982 (Aug. 1) CENTENARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF TUBERCULOSIS BACILLUS
Scott# C110-C117, Michel# 1739-44, Block 224, Block 225, Chambliss# 2078-91

Noted in Chambliss as printed by Rosenbaum Brothers in Vienna. Stanley Gibbons notes the printer to be Format. Who is right?


SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 224

SOUVENIR SHEET BLOCK 225

1982 TUBERCULOSIS IMPERFORATE DELUXE SHEET SET

In Chambliss it states these have gold and red borders. I could only find gold and blue borders.


It is interesting to note that some proofs of the sets which were sold in the 1995 final sale of the Format Archive were on Bradbury Wilkinson Presentation Cards. It shows us just how close the ties were between printers in the UK.

At this time these are the only sets with evidence of printing by the Format International Security Printers. Should more sets be found to have been printed by Format they will be added.

References taken from:
Standard Catalog of Postage Stamps of Yemen and South Arabia by C.R. Chambliss
Michel Gulf States 2013 Catalog
Scott 2005 Stamp Catalog
Stanley Gibbons 2007 Middle East (Part 19) Catalog
The 1995 Christie's Robson Lowe Final Sale catalog of the Format Archive
Online research

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