King Farouk I of Egypt 10 Mills Postage Stamp

This item is a vintage postage stamp featuring a portrait of King Farouk I of Egypt. The stamp is primarily purple or violet in color with a rectangular shape, indicative of standard stamp dimensions from that era. The central image is a portrait of a young man, presumably King Farouk I, wearing what appears to be a fez or similar headwear, a collared shirt, and a suit jacket. The portrait is rendered in a slightly faded or muted tone, consistent with the age of the stamp and the printing technology of the time. Distinguishing features include text in both Arabic script at the top, likely stating 'The Egyptian State' or similar, and 'POSTES D'EGYPTE' in Latin script at the bottom, signifying 'Posts of Egypt'. The denomination '10 Mills' is clearly visible in the upper left corner, indicating its postal value. There's also some Arabic script for the denomination 'Mills' on the right side. The visible condition suggests that the stamp is used, as evidenced by a cancellation mark, although its clarity and completeness are hard to assess from the provided image. The edges of the stamp show perforations, which appear relatively intact, though some wear or slight unevenness is possible given the age. There are no obvious tears or major creases that are immediately discernible, but the surface exhibits some minor speckling or discoloration, which could be typical age-related toning, dirt, or a result of the cancellation ink. The overall aesthetic points to a style period of post-1936, as King Farouk I ascended to the throne in that year. The quality of the printing appears consistent with mass-produced philatelic items of the mid-20th century.

I have examined the image of the King Farouk I of Egypt 10 Mills postage stamp. Visually, the stamp appears to be a genuine issue from the period of King Farouk I's reign (post-1936), evidenced by the portrait, bilingual text, and denomination consistent with known examples of Egyptian stamps from that era. The primary color is violet with a '10 Mills' denomination, and the presence of a cancellation mark indicates it is a used stamp. The perforations seem relatively intact, and while there's minor surface speckling or discoloration, no major tears or creases are immediately apparent from the image. This suggests a condition that is likely 'fine-very fine used.' Authenticity cannot be definitively confirmed from an image alone. A physical inspection would be crucial to verify the paper type, watermarks (if any), printing method nuances, and the true nature of any discoloration or cancellation. Without provenance documentation, the history of ownership is unknown. Scientific testing could further confirm paper composition and ink. In terms of market conditions, stamps featuring King Farouk I are generally common. This particular '10 Mills' denomination is widely available. Demand is moderate, primarily from collectors of Egyptian philately or royalty-themed stamps. Rarity is low. Factors significantly impacting value for this common stamp include its used condition, which typically fetches less than mint-never-hinged (MNH) examples, and the absence of any rare varieties or errors. Given these considerations, and based on current market trends for similar common, used Egyptian stamps from this period, I estimate the appraisal value to be in the range of $5 to $15.