A wide variety of rare items were on display at the Qatar Philatelic and Numismatic Center's offices on Friday during its annual auction. 323 objects, including stamps, coins, albums, envelopes, first editions, and sets of commemorative stamps, were up for auction. Highlights included purebred Arabian horses and wildlife-themed books with contributions from all over the world.
Al Ismail, the director of the center, emphasized the need for Qatari coins and stamps at the auction. With the successful publication of its first book detailing the background and characteristics of Qatari stamps, he also highlighted the Center's continued efforts to document the country's philatelic past. As part of the Centers' goal to publish five books a year that cover the types, history, and characteristics of stamps and currencies, two more publications are presently in the planning stage.
This year's auction is a part of the Center's larger schedule of 27 events for 2024, which also includes partnerships with major shopping centers, local and international exhibitions, and partnerships with governmental organizations including the Ministry of Culture, Katara, and Qatar Post. Al Ismail went on to say that the Center will take part in the Stamps and Coins Exhibition in Shanghai, China later this month, as well as the Sharjah Stamps and Coins Exhibition the following week. Meetings of the Asian Philatelic Federation's Executive Committee, of which Qatar is a member, will take place concurrently with the Shanghai event.
