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Arab Postal Union - 5 millieme

This postage stamp was issued by the Kingdom of Libya to commemorate the founding of the Arab Postal Union (Union Postale Arabe / اتحاد البريد العربي). Dated July 1, 1954 (1-7-1954) on its face, it was part of a coordinated joint issue released in early 1955 alongside other founding member states of the Arab League—including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen—to celebrate regional postal cooperation. Denominated at 5 Mils (5 Milliemes), the stamp served standard domestic postal rates during King Idris I's early reign. The design features a central terrestrial globe highlighting North Africa and the Middle East, set against an intricate traditional Arabesque pattern background. A prominent banner across the globe bears the organization's title in Arabic. Beyond its administrative function, the issue holds notable philatelic interest as an early milestone of post-independence Libyan postal history and pan-Arab institutional unity.