Stamp Investment Tip: Bahrain 1950-51 Surcharge (Scott #72-80)

In 1948 and '49, the Kingdom of Bahrain, then a British-protected territory, surcharged a portion of Great Britain's George VI stamps of the time, issuing a set of nine stamps (Scott #72-80). Only 28,994 sets were issued, and Scott '11 values the unused set at $ 128.75. Most of these stamps were used and probably discarded, and I estimate that no more than 5,000 to 10,000 sets remain, in any condition.


I favor all of the better stamps of the affluent Gulf States, and this set has the added attraction of appealing to British Commonwealth collectors.


Bahrain, a country of about 740,000, has the fastest growing economy in the Arab world. With oil reserves estimated at 150-200 million barrels, Bahrain is not as oil-rich as some of the other Gulf States, but has met the challenge by successfully diversifying into banking and financial services, and is now considered a major financial center. Annual GDP growth has averaged 6.5% over the past 5 years. Bahrain is also developing its natural gas industry, as it has gas reserves equivalent to about another 580 million barrels of oil.


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