“One of the smallest parts of the former British Commonwealth had to be Aden. Located in Southern Yemen, it served as a port of great importance between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean on the Arabian Peninsula.
“It became part of the spice road of Western Arabia but has often had a chequered and bloody history. With the opening of the Suez Canal, it served as an important coaling station.
“It was made a Crown Colony in 1937 and remained thus until 1967. Due to the location and the history of this Port, the postal history of its stamps is much sought after. From 1854-1937, stamps were issued and controlled by the Indian Post Office. The first post office opened in what was known as the Crater District with 1/2 and 1 Anna stamps placed on sale. To identify these, Aden was assigned number 124 in the Indian Postal number system. A further post office was then opened in 1858 in the harbour area and was assigned number 132. To find covers cancelled with the 132 cancellation is rare, as after a short period of time, both offices were assigned to number 124. There are subtle differences in the spacing, which can determine which post office they came from. With other Aden sub-offices, such as Dthali and Kamaraan, the postal history is wide and diverse.
“When it became a Crown Colony in 1937, a series of 12 stamps was issued. Many collectors regard it as one of the most iconic sets of stamps. The stamps depicted the symbolic ‘Dhow’, a small sailing boat that was common in this region. Now known by many as the “Dhows issue,” they were printed by De La Rue & Co. in Recess.
“The next major issue, appearing in 1939, showing the head of King George VI, caused problems, with many of the local Emirates objecting to the image of a British Sovereign. To overcome this, State stamps were issued alongside the Aden issues with the Sultan’s image included. In 1965, stamps of Aden ceased, when they were issued under the South Arabian Federation and later the People’s Republic of Yemen.”