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PROUD philatelist Mohammed Janahi, known as the man with a million stamps, aims to introduce the kingdom and its culture to fellow enthusiasts at an international exhibition in China.
The Ministry of Justice public relations specialist by day and stamp collector by night has won several awards, certificates and medals for his studies and his collection which focuses on the Middle East, the UK and India.
Mohammed, vice president of the Bahrain Philatelic Society which boasts more than 80 active members, will be representing the kingdom at the 2016 Asian International Stamp Exhibition in Nanning, capital of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang region later this year.
During the December 2-6 exhibition he will be sharing his study of the history of the Indian postal service during Queen Victoria’s reign as well as displaying presentations made by other society members, with some focusing on Bahrain.
Mohammed, who lives in Hoora, said: “It is important for Bahrain to be a part of these exhibitions. We have many collectors on the island who love to share the kingdom’s history and I believe it can be done through stamps.
“In my opinion, a stamp acts like an ambassador because that small postage shares our history, art and culture. In my Bahraini collection, for example, I have stamps that display the kingdom’s traditional clothing, falcons, horses, the ruling family, dhows and more.”
He believes the study of stamps should be introduced as a part of the Bahrain school curriculum because children can learn so much from it. “Also, instead of parent’s spending money on material things, why not get the child interested in a hobby that can also act as an investment?” he suggested.
Mohammed has been fascinated by the adhesive masterpieces since he was 10, picking up old letters during his visits to the souq with his father who was a trader. What started as a hobby soon developed into a passion and he became the youngest member to join the society at the age of 14.
He started collecting and purchasing stamps earnestly as a student and was taught how best to preserve them thanks to his fellow philatelists. Many of the stamps he picked up for a few dinars increased in value over time.
Although Mohammed focused on finding stamps featuring Bahrain and the region, he also picked up priceless pieces from around the world. For example, he has a laminated letter from 1790 delivered from the UK, the first Bahrain stamp sent to India, Concorde’s first flight being celebrated, as well as two precious Penny Blacks.
The latter is one of the world’s most iconic stamps. Because it’s the world’s first stamp, it’s very valuable. Rare Penny Blacks are valued at tens of thousands of dinars and have increased in price over the decades.
Mohammed said: “Its value isn’t what counts. The history and significance of it does. How much the stamps are worth is not relevant. I’m proud of my collection and love every one because each stamp is a piece of history that I can hold in my hands.”
The first post office in Bahrain opened in 1884 in Manama. This was a sub-office of the Indian Post Office in Iran, both of which were part of the Bombay Postal Circle. This remained the only post office until 1946.
British India stamps overprinted BAHRAIN were used from 1933 to 1947 depicting George V (1933) and then George VI from 1938. From 1948 to 1960 Bahrain used the stamps of Great Britain depicting George VI then Queen Elizabeth II all overprinted BAHRAIN and the applicable value.
A number of local stamps were issued between 1953 and 1961 which, whilst intended only for domestic mail, are known used on international mail. These stamps all depicted Shaikh Sulman bin Hamed Al Khalifa.
The first stamps specifically designed for both domestic and international mail were a definitive set issued in 1960, which featured Shaikh Sulman bin Hamed Al Khalifa with Arabic text at the top.
In 1964 a new definitive set was issued depicting Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa. The Bahrain Post Office fully took over postal services from Britain in 1966 when a further definitive set was issued.
Although Mohammed declined to say the exact number of stamps in his collection it is clearly substantial judging by the amazing number and quality he shared with GulfWeekly.
