A rather unusual item highlighted Stanley Gibbons auction in London

By Matthew Healey, New York Correspondent

Stanley Gibbons held a sale of worldwide stamps and postal history on Nov. 24 in London. Bidding took place live, by mail and online.

Among the more unusual items was a printed invitation to the ceremonial opening of Egypt’s Port Fouad in 1926.

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Port Fouad was built by King Fouad I, the father of Farouk, at the northern end of the Suez Canal to relieve congestion at Port Said, which lies opposite. A set of four stamps overprinted “Port Fouad” was issued to mark the occasion (Scott 121-124).

The ornate, French-language invitation, with the four stamps tied by Port Fouad postmarks dated Dec. 21, 1926, sold for about $7,250, including the firm’s 18 percent buyer’s premium.

King Fouad (now typically spelled Fuad) died in 1936. The port remains an important military facility and residential area to this day.