Description: This beautiful bicolored definitive postage stamp from the British Protectorate of Zanzibar features an exquisite, line-engraved portrait format. The central green vignette captures a front-facing bust of Sultan Khalifa bin Harub, depicted wearing a traditional patterned turban, a ceremonial robe, and prominent round spectacles. The portrait is nested inside an elaborate, architectural oval frame that incorporates stylized tropical palm fronds sweeping upward along the left and right margins. The left side prominently displays the denomination "15" inside an ornamental frame underneath the uppercase word "CENTS," balanced on the right by the matching values written in Arabic script. The lower margin is grounded by a distinct scrolling banner that cleanly spells out the name "ZANZIBAR" in a stylized serif typeface. This heavily traveled used specimen displays a dense, dark circular town postmark layered across the sultan's face and lower-left corner.
Circa: 1930s-1950s
Condition: Used - Hinged
Notes:
This specific issue honors Seyyid Sir Khalifa bin Harub Al-Busaid, who reigned as the Sultan of Zanzibar from 1911 until his death in 1960. His remarkable 49-year rule made him the longest-governing sovereign in the history of the Zanzibar Sultanate, guiding the spice-producing island nation through both World Wars and a major global economic transition under British administration. The inclusion of Arabic text and traditional costume details alongside Western numeric values was explicitly required by De La Rue & Co. printers to ensure the currency was easily readable across the diverse, multicultural trading ports of the western Indian Ocean.