1978 Somalia Armed Forces Day Commemorative Stamp Set

This is a complete philatelic series of postage stamps from Somalia (J.D. SOOMAALIYEED), specifically the 1978 'Armed Forces Day' issue. The collection features eight individual stamps in a continuous horizontal strip, showcasing various branches of the Somali military and security forces. Each stamp depicts a member of a specific unit in full uniform, including the Air Force, Customs & Auxiliary Corps, Border Police, People's Militia, Army Infantry, Custodial Corps, and Police Force. The designs utilize a multi-colored illustrative style with background elements relevant to each branch, such as aircraft, military vehicles, and architectural structures. Text is printed in Latin and Arabic script, detailing the unit name and the denomination '3.20'. The stamps are vertically oriented with serrated vertical perforations and a white selvage margin visible at the bottom. The condition appears to be 'Mint Never Hinged' (MNH) or 'Unused', as the perforations are intact and the colors remain vibrant with no visible canceled postmarks. The printing quality is characteristic of late 20th-century state-issued commemoratives, likely produced by a security printer like the Italian State Printing Works (IPZS) given the historical ties of the period. This set serves as a significant historical artifact of the Siad Barre era, reflecting the iconography and self-presentation of the Somali Democratic Republic during a period of high regional military tension.