In 1948, the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, then a British Protectorate, issued a set of two stamps celebrating the Silver Wedding Anniversary of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later known as the Queen Mother (Scott #25-26). 20,656 sets were issued, and Scott '13 prices the unused set at $38.00 .The set has multiple market appeal among collectors of Oman, British Commonwealth, and British Royal Family topicals. As a popular topic for British Commonwealth collectors, it's hard to beat the Royal Family, with a stick, scepter, or other appropriately heavy object, and banking on such loyalty can pay interest.
A nation of 3.6 million people, Oman is one of the most developed and stable countries in the Arab World. Omani citizens enjoy good living standards, based largely on the country's oil wealth. Proven reserves of petroleum total about 5.5 billion barrels, the 24th largest in the world, and natural gas reserves are estimated at 849.5 billion cubic meters, ranking 28th in the world. Other sources of income, agriculture and industry, are small in comparison and count for less than 1% of the country's exports, but the government views economic diversification as a priority. Annual GDP growth has averaged about 5% over the last 5 years.
