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The 45-year-old also owns 41 different one-dirham coins and all UAE Post stamps issued to date
The Abu Dhabi-based Indian collector’s treasure trove includes rare stamps, coins, postcards and more. Among them, Imtiaz Qureshi has a postage stamp issued by India, which was used after Pakistan’s independence in 1947.
“There was a time when Pakistan did not issue its own stamps but used Indian stamps. Indian stamps were overprinted as ‘Pakistan’ and shipped there,” he said. “Most of the stamps in my collection were issued in the 1850s and early 1990s.”
An avid collector, Qureshi owns 41 different dirham coins and all UAE Post stamps issued to date. His stamp collection includes stamps from the 13 Indian Princely States, Independence Day 1st Issue 15th August 1947, 3 paisa and half anna (previously used currency unit in British India) postpartition stamps of Pakistan , 1 Rs King George VI, First Day Cover and more. Among other things, the 45-year-old owns dozens of Expo 2020 memorabilia.
celebrate national day
Every UAE National Day, Qureshi makes a special gift for the country he has lived in for nearly two decades. Last year, he used 2,000 coins from India and the UAE to create a portrait of the country’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This year, the Indian expatriate created a portrait of the flag, adorned with coins from his collection.
While 51 is written on an old dirham coin, the letters “UAE” are spelled on a commemorative dirham coin bearing Sheikh Zayed’s likeness. The frame of the portrait consists of 5 rupee coins from India.
“This is my admiration for the brilliant leadership that has built such an amazing country,” he said.
Qureshi spends a lot of time organizing his collection systematically.
“Whenever I have time, I sit for hours and carefully organize my collection,” he said, showing his extensive collection carefully preserved in his apartment on Electra Street.
“I usually like to put them in my photo album according to their age.”
Started collecting at the age of 12
For Qureshi, it was a gift from his grandfather that led him to collect.
“My grandfather was a collector and had all kinds of stamps and coins. When I was 12, he gave away a couple of his albums. I got a 1949.”
This gift launched him into a collecting career that spanned more than 30 years. His stamp collection includes stamps of all shapes, sizes and types, including wood and leather stamps from Spain, toilet paper, masks, tennis balls, african seeds, khadi, embroidery, bitcoin, 3D, with 2D codes of cryptocurrencies, metals and perfumes. He also has some extremely rare coins.
“I have two 10th century Chola coins. One was given to me by my grandfather and the other I bought from a friend. These coins are the most unique coins in my collection.”
One of his prized collections is the Expo 2020 Dubai passport.
“My yellow and white passports have stamps from all 192 countries,” he said, proudly showing off his 13 white passports, which a person gets after 100 stamps on a yellow passport.
“I have more than 100 special stamps in my passport which include special events, organizations and entities. I also have a philatelic passport with stamps from countries participating in the Stamp Fair, as well as fairs from Ethiopia, Angola, China and Cuba passport.”
A member of the UAE Philatelic Association, Qureshi now focuses on Indian and UAE stamps, joint issue stamps and special stamps.
He lives in the UAE with his wife, Gazna, and their children, Ishaan, Ayaan and Imaan, whom he wishes to pass on.
“My older son has some interest in collecting objects. I hope one day I will be able to pass my collection on to my children,” he added.
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