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10th Universal Postal Congress - 50 piastre

This stamp commemorates the 10th Universal Postal Congress (Union Postale Universelle – Xᵉ Congrès), held in Cairo in February 1934. The Universal Postal Congress was the supreme decision-making authority of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), gathering postal administrations from across the globe to update international postal treaties, refine transit regulations, and coordinate standard mail services between member states. The congress set the image of Khedive Ismail Pasha (1830–1895) on its commemorative series as a deliberate tribute to his founding legacy in Egyptian postal history. In 1865, Ismail Pasha purchased the private Posta Europea to establish the official state postal administration (Poste Egyptienne) and subsequently issued Egypt's first national postage stamps in 1866. By hosting the 10th Congress in Cairo, Egypt celebrated its prominent place within international postal networks, honoring the ruler who had modernized its communications infrastructure decades earlier.