COVER N. 383 - OMAN

Postmark: Oman Post Stamps and Collectibles 05.12.2023 / Oman Post  Al Khuwair Sultanate of Oman 06.12.2023 

Posted on the 5th December 2023; received on the 9th January 2024

_________________________________________________________________________________

The second Omani cover The Phantom kindly sent me. Danke sehr, Alex!

Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, is the current ruler of the Sultanate of Oman. Having been named by the previous ruler, Sultan Qabus bin Said Al Said, who had no descendents, his successor; he became Oman's Sultan on 11, January 2020, upon the passing of the former Sultan, who was also his cousin.

On November 2023, Oman Post issued a single stamp (500 baisa) souvenir sheet commemorating Oman's 53rd National Day, which is celebrated on the 18th November, the date when the Portuguese were expelled from Muscat in1550 and also the birthday of the former Sultan Qabus bin Said Al Said, who ruled from 1970 until his death, in 2020.

The monochromatic souvenir sheet and stamp are illustrated with the image of  Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

The other 200 and 50 baisa stamps on the cover are part of the eleven stamp set (2x50; 3x100; 2X200; 2x400 baisa; 1 and 3 rial), entitled Ancient Omani Script, issued on 20MAR2023.

Each stamp on this set carries the name of the main town of one of the eleven Governorates into which the country is administratively divided, written in the ancient script and also in its current form as well as its Latin transliteration,

Two rather nice and neat postmarks on the stamps, one round indicating the place wher the letter was posted - Al Khuwair - and another, rectangular, issued at the shop where the stamps were probably bought, given the legend "Stamps and colectibles" and the difference in the date - 1 day less - in relation to the aforementioned round postmark.