Stamp Investment Tip: Turkey 1943 President Inonu Souvenir Sheet (Scott #915a)

In 1943, Turkey issued a souvenir sheet honoring Mustafa Izmet Inonu, its second president (Scott #915a). 25,000 were issued, and Scott '12 prices the unused sheet at $70.00. Inonu is remembered as statesman who maintained Turkey's neutrality in World War II, thereby facilitating its recovery from the carnage of World War I, and who presided over Turkey's development as a modern nation.

With a population of about 72 1/2 million, Turkey is perhaps the most culturally European of the Islamic nations, and a likely model for their modernization, economic development, and democratization. The country experienced rapid economic growth between 2002 and 2007, with GDP averaging 7.4%, but this slowed in 2008 to 5% and stalled in 2009 to 1%, due to the global financial crisis, from which the country is recovering. While traditional agriculture is still a pillar of the Turkish economy, it is becoming more dependent on industry. Key sectors include tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, the machine industry, automotive, and shipbuilding. It is likely that in the future, Turkey will benefit from serving as an economic and cultural nexus connecting Europe, the Near East, and the Turkic (formerly Soviet) nations of Central Asia.


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Stamp Investment Tip: Turkey 1952 UN Economic Instruction Center (Scott #1051-54,1054a)

In 1951, Turkey issued a set and souvenir sheet honoring the United Nations Mediterranean Economic Instruction Center (Scott #1051-54, 1054a). 80,000 sets and 25,000 souvenir sheets were issued, and Scott '12 prices them unused at $8.35 and $95.00, respectively.

Though the souvenir sheet is probably scarcer, the set is also cheap, especially since a far greater proportion of the sets were probably used as postage and discarded.

I continue to like the U.N. as a topic, long-term. The market for U.N.-related topicals should grow over the very long haul as institutions of world government develop in order to take on serious (and possibly existential) problems which can only be coped with globally. Despite the present inadequacy, corruption, and ineffectiveness of the U.N., I view its reform and gradual strengthening as a gradual but irresistible trend.

With a population of about 72 1/2 million, Turkey is perhaps the most culturally European of the Islamic nations, and a likely model for their modernization, economic development, and democratization. The country experienced rapid economic growth between 2002 and 2007, with GDP averaging 7.4%, but this slowed in 2008 to 5% and stalled in 2009 to 1%, due to the global financial crisis, from which the country is recovering. Hence, annual GDP growth over the last 5 years has averaged about 3%. While traditional agriculture is still a pillar of the Turkish economy, it is becoming more dependent on industry. Key sectors include tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, the machine industry, automotive, and shipbuilding. It is likely that in the future, Turkey will benefit from serving as an economic and cultural nexus connecting Europe, the Near East, and the Turkic (formerly Soviet) nations of Central Asia.

Stamp Investment Tip: There's Nothing Silly About Cilicia

During World War I, the British and the French occupied Cilicia, a territory of the Ottoman Empire, and in 1919, the administration of it was transferred to the French. It was later assigned to the French Mandated territory of Syria, but eventually reverted to Turkey.

From 1919 to '21, the French issued stamps for Cilicia by overprinting the Turkish stamps that they'd found in the local post offices. Fortunately for later stamp collectors insane enough to consider themselves philatelic investors, the French kept records of the quantities of many of the new stamps that they produced. Cilician stamps range from very rare to scarce, even for some of the cheapest ones, with quantities issued ranging from under 100 to 100,000, and with most with quantities issued in the thousands to low ten thousands. I've listed many of these in the StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List, on the French Colonies/Area page.

I believe stamps of Cilicia to be undervalued considering their scarcity and multiple market appeal to collectors of French Colonies, Turkey, and possibly Syria. Their main drawback (and a major reason for their undervaluation) is that they're all overprints, and fakes exist. Consequently, I recommend purchase of those stamps of Cilicia which catalog $200 or more, conditional on obtaining expertization, because the expertization cost is not justified for the less expensive stamps. Quantities issued on the stamps which cat. $200+ range from 50 (for the 1920 Airs) to 2,000.

I view the future growth of the Turkish economy and stamp market as the most likely catalyst for significant increases in the values of better stamps of Cilicia.

With a population of about 72 1/2 million, Turkey is perhaps the most culturally European of the Islamic nations, and a likely model for their modernization, economic development, and democratization. The country experienced rapid economic growth between 2002 and 2007, with GDP averaging 7.4%, but this slowed in 2008 to 5% and stalled in 2009 to 1%, due to the global financial crisis, from which the country is recovering. While traditional agriculture is still a pillar of the Turkish economy, it is becoming more dependent on industry. Key sectors include tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, the machine industry, automotive, and shipbuilding. It is likely that in the future, Turkey will benefit from serving as an economic and cultural nexus connecting Europe, the Near East, and the Turkic (formerly Soviet) nations of Central Asia.

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Stamp Investment Tip: Turkey 1953 Conquest of Constantinople (Scott #1090-1101, 1101a)

In 1953, Turkey issued a set and souvenir sheet commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Conquest of Constaninople by Sultan Mohammed II (Scott # 1090-1101, 1101a). 100,000 sets and 25,000 souvenir sheets were issued, and Scott '11 prices them unused at $48.05 and $175.- , respectively.



I recommend purchase of both the set and the souvenir sheet. Though far fewer of the souvenir sheets were issued, it is likely that a much higher proportion of the sets were used as postage and discarded. The issue commemorates a pivotal event in Turkish history, and will be eagerly sought after as Turkey's stamp collecting population continues to grow.

With a population of about 72 1/2 million, Turkey is perhaps the most culturally European of the Islamic nations, and a likely model for their modernization, economic development, and democratization. The country experienced rapid economic growth between 2002 and 2007, with GDP averaging 7.4%, but this slowed in 2008 to 5% and stalled in 2009 to 1%, due to the global financial crisis, from which the country is recovering. While traditional agriculture is still a pillar of the Turkish economy, it is becoming more dependent on industry. Key sectors include tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, the machine industry, automotive, and shipbuilding. It is likely that in the future, Turkey will benefit from serving as an economic and cultural nexus connecting Europe, the Near East, and the Turkic (formerly Soviet) nations of Central Asia.

Stamp Investment Tip: Turkey 1914 Issue (Scott #254-70)

In January of 1914, the Ottoman Empire issued a beautiful, long set of scenes stamps (Scott #254-70), of which 15,000 of the high value (Scott #270), portraying Sultan Mohammed V, were issued. Scott '10 values the unused set at $ 784.25, and #270 at $ 550.00. The Porte was soon to conclude a suicidal alliance with Germany and mindlessly sacrifice about 800,000 soldiers and over 4 million civilians in World War I, which would also destroy the empire and lead to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.

I recommend purchase of either the complete set or the high value, and even examples of the high value with a cut cancellation, which can be had at a fraction of the cost of sound copies (Scott '10 CV= $25.00) , as long as the cut cancellation doesn't badly mutilate the stamp. The set is quite beautiful, and evokes nostalgia for a world forever lost, due to human arrogance and stupidity.

With a population of about 72 1/2 million, Turkey is perhaps the most culturally European of the Islamic nations, and a likely model for their modernization, economic development, and democratization. The country experienced rapid economic growth between 2002 and 2007, with GDP averaging 7.4%, but this slowed in 2008 to 5% and stalled in 2009 to 1%, due to the global financial crisis, from which the country is recovering. While traditional agriculture is still a pillar of the Turkish economy, it is becoming more dependent on industry. Key sectors include tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, the machine industry, automotive, and shipbuilding. A recent Price, Waterhouse, Coopers report predicts that Turkey will be one of the fastest developing economies over the next forty years. It is likely that in the future, it will benefit from serving as an economic and cultural nexus connecting Europe, the Near East, and the Turkic (formerly Soviet) nations of Central Asia.

Those interested in joining a lively and growing community of "stampselectors" are welcome to join the "StampSelectors" group on Facebook. The group offers the opportunity to meet and communicate with other collectors, investors, and dealers from all over the world, buy and sell stamps, and discuss investment recommendations and the content of this blog.

Stamp Investment Tip: Turkey 1939 Ankara-Erzerum Railroad Issue (Scott #829-32)

In 1939, Turkey issued a set of stamps commemorating the completion of the Sivas to Erzerum link of the Ankara-Erzerum Railroad (Scott #829-32). 35,000 of this Transportation/ Railroad topical set were issued, and Scott '10 values it unused at $ 21.00.

With a population of about 72 1/2 million, Turkey is perhaps the most culturally European of the Islamic nations, and their probable model for modernization, economic development, and democratization. The country experienced rapid economic growth between 2002 and 2007, with GDP averaging 7.4%, but this slowed in 2008 to 5% and stalled in 2009 to 1%, due to the global financial crisis, from which the country is recovering. While traditional agriculture is still a pillar of the Turkish economy, it is becoming more dependent on industry in major cities. Key sectors include tourism, banking, construction, home appliances, electronics, textiles, oil refining, petrochemical products, food, mining, iron and steel, the machine industry, automotive, and shipbuilding. It is likely that in the future, Turkey will benefit from serving as an economic and cultural nexus connecting Europe, the Near East, and the Turkic (formerly Soviet) nations of Central Asia.


Stamp collecting is growing in Turkey, and there are also many collectors of Turkish stamps in Europe and the U.S.. I recommend consideration of Turkish stamps and souvenir sheets with printings of 100,000 or fewer, especially if they have topical appeal.