Welcome to Rainer's
Iraq Railway Stamps Pages

Postal History, Postmarks


 

In 1930, 55 Railway stations and the GPO in Baghdad were authorised to accept such mail. Most cancelled by the 31 mm octagonal dark blue or violet station handstamp.

In the below listing I will list the stations I know of, either based on my own collection or based on information received from other collectors. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

So far I know 3 different cancels used on these stamps.
(The images of the cancel I will try to extract from the stamps to show them clearer. Please check again in some time).
Apparently, in some rare and isolated cases, manuscript cancels have been used, so far I know this only from Ghuchan (Quchan).

Round Cancel
(This one might be a cancel from the Iraqi Governmental Post).

Octagonal Railway Post cancel
     

Oval Iraq Railways cancel
While browsing thru some photocopies of material I have received from other collectors I found the left stamp as above with another part of the oval Iraq railway cancel. Now only the lower part of the cancel is missing…


A stamp with an half strike of the oval postmark, the city name in the lower part is clearly identifiable, in that case Khanaqín almost complete but not very clear oval Iraq Railway cancel. So far, Khanaqín is the only location where the use of this postmark can be confirmed.


Another piece, this time with the upper half of the oval postmark.

   
Station Name Kind of Postmark
(Octagonal or other, colour)

Earlist Date

Latest date

Stamp (RP-x)

single stamp, fragment, cover

Abu Jisrah Octagonal, violet 9. August 1929 9. August 1929 RP-2 fragment
Baghdad Octagonal, violet 3. November 1928 3. November 1928 RP-1 stamp
Baghdad West round, black 21. September 1928 21. September 1928 RP-1 cover
Baghdad West Octagonal 5. September 1928   RP-1 B/W copy
Baghdad West Octagonal   21. November 1928 RP-1a fragment
Baghdad West Octagonal, violet 17. July 1933 17. July 1933 RP-5, yellow fragment
Baghdad West Octagonal, violet July 1940 July 1940 RP-5, ochre fragment
Bat-Hah Octagonal, violet RP-5, yellow scan
Ghuchan Octagonal, black 30. ???? 1932 30. ???? 1932 RP-4 scan
Ghuchan Octagonal, violet 3. October 193? 3. October 193? RP-5, yellow scan
Ghuchan Manuscript 5. August 1932 5. August 1932 RP-4 scan
Hamza Octagonal, violet 7. June 1931 7. June 1931 RP-2 fragment
Hamza Octagonal, violet 15. June 1931 15. June 1931 RP-3 fragment
Hamza Octagonal, violet 11. June 193? 11. June 193? RP-4 scan
Hamza Octagonal, black 29. November 3? 29. November 3? RP-5, red scan
Hillah Octagonal, violet RP-1a stamps
Khanaqin Octagonal, violet 8. September 1928 27. September 1928 RP-1 scan
Khanaqin Octagonal, violet 27. November 1929 27. November 1929 RP-1 fragment
Kirkuk Octagonal, black January 1930 January 1930 RP-1a stamp
Kirkuk Octagonal, violet 20 December  1930 20 December  1930 RP-2 scan
Kirkuk Octagonal, violet 27. February 1933 27. February 1933 RP-4 fragment
Kirkuk Octagonal, violet 11. January 1937 11 Janaury 1937 RP-5, red fragment
Maqil Octagonal, violet 1928 1928 RP-1 scan
Samawah Octagonal, violet 11. November 1930 11. November 1930 RP-1 scan
Samawah Octagonal, violet 4. November 1930 4. November 1930 RP-2 scan
Shahraan Octagonal, violet RP-1a stamp
Shuaiba Junction Octagonal, violet 10. May 1929 10. May 1929 RP-1  cover
Sulaiman Beg Octagonal, violet 30.xx.1929 RP-2 fragment

Tuz Khurmatu

Octagonal, violet ??? ??? RP-1 scan
IRAQ RAILWAYS Khanaqin Oval, violet & black NO DATE NO DATE RP-5, red and orange stamp & fragment