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Ahead of this month's auction, The George Rab Collection of Bahawalpur, Dickon Pollard shared his thoughts on this complex niche and the man behind it.
I first had the pleasure of meeting George Rab some forty years ago.
Even then he was including Bahawalpur in his wider interest in Pakistan philately; he has been a driving force in the Pakistan Study Circle since its inception. Since those days, Bahawalpur has become an increasingly popular area, at least in part because of the extraordinary story of the Amir, a stamp collector who was, in effect, able to organise and issue his own stamps - a dream for many a schoolboy in days gone by!
Even then he was including Bahawalpur in his wider interest in Pakistan philately; he has been a driving force in the Pakistan Study Circle since its inception. Since those days, Bahawalpur has become an increasingly popular area, at least in part because of the extraordinary story of the Amir, a stamp collector who was, in effect, able to organise and issue his own stamps - a dream for many a schoolboy in days gone by!
This popularity has meant that bad actors have taken advantage of the inability of many collectors of used stamps to resist apparent bargains, often driven by a desire to fill the KG VI printed album.
Over decades of examining collections of used King George VI, genuine postmarks on many Bahawalpur issues have been few and far between. It became my custom to refer any questions of authenticity to George, who was always gracious with his time and expertise; some of the forge postmarks are crude and easy to spot, but some re sophisticated and dangerous. Commercial covers were next to impossible to find, most having ended up in the possession of the Amir and withheld from the market for many years after his death.
What you can see in this slim catalogue is a remarkable achievement and a fine example of what can be made of a very narrow collecting area by a determined collector. The range of covers is amazing, with most worthy of inclusion in exhibits of the future. We hope that they find appreciative new homes.
My personal thanks are due to George for his help, friendship and encouragement over many years.
The Highlights
