# Iran

* The earliest metered mail seen is from 1957. All stamps have “IRAN” in the frank except Type C4 which has Arabic inscriptions only. The stamps are grouped according to political inscription as follows:
       A - Crown in frank, issued during the reign of the Shah
       B - Provisional issues, crown removed from frank
       C - Post-monarchy issues, issues without logo or with postal service logo
       PO - Stamps from machines used in post offices

## GROUP A: Issued during the reign of the Shah

* All franks contain a crown.
A1. Universal “Multi-Value” (MV), 1957. [$10]
    Horizontal frame containing frank and town mark, with simulated perforation border, large crown over post horn at center, date at left, and value in Arabic over western numerals at right.
    Town name and “IRAN” in Persian at top and in English at bottom.
    V/F: ◆◆◆ above 000
A2. Hasler “F88” (MV).
    Upright frank with simulated perforation outer border and straight line inner border.
    Large crown at top right.
    “RIALS” at left of value figures and “POSTES” in panel above M# at bottom.
       A. M# with “H” prefix. Additional identification number (vertical) outside border at left. [$5]
       B. Identification number (in Arabic) negative within solid block at bottom of frank. [$5]
       C. Solid block in place of M#. [$20]
       D. M# deliberately removed (partly or completely) from bottom of frank. [$5]
    TM: straight-line with slogan or wavy lines above. Date either above or to the sides of the town name.
    V/F: ✳◆.◆◆ above ✳0,oo
       a. As A, M# and, if present, additional identification number in typewriter font
       b. As A, but additional identification number below frank rather than at left.
       c. As D, but without additional identification number.
       d. Without town name, dates and slogan only at left of frank
A3. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV).
    Frank similar to Type A2 but squarer and not as tall.
    Crown much smaller.
    With additional identification number vertical at left
                                                          A. M# with “P.B.” prefix at bottom. [$10]
                                                          B. Without M#, blank at bottom. [$20]
    TM: DC
    V/F: ◆◆,◆◆ above 00,oo
                                                          a. Without additional identification number
                                                          b. M# (and/or additional identification number in type-writer font
                                                          c. Very large TM, circles 28 and 23 mm in diameter
                                                          d. Two dates, Persian at left, Western characters at right, the Persian date within circular TM
A4. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV). [$5]
    Horizontal frank without complete outer frame.
    Country inscription at top, large crown at left, and M# at bottom below crown.
    Date figures raised in relation to value figures.
    M# with “P.B.T.” prefix
    TM: DC
    V/F: ≋00.oo ≋00.o■
A5. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV). [$15]
    Similar to Type A4 but date and value figures are on the same level.
    “IRAN” is below value figures. M# with “P.B.” prefix
    TM: SC with date inside box-like shape.
    V/F: ≋00.oo
A6. Satas (MV). [$5]
    Small square frank, 24 x 24 mm, with rectangular town mark abutting at left.
    Frank with simulated perforation outer border, town mark with straight sides and inner rectangle around date.
    Small crown at upper right with country name at upper left.
                                                    A. M# without prefix at bottom of frank
                                                    B. Blank below “POSTES” frame. Large ID and M#s below TM and frank. M# with “ST” prefix
    V/F: ✳◆◆ above ✳00 ✳◆.◆◆ above ✳0.oo
A7. Satas (MV). [$15]
    Similar to Type A6A but somewhat taller, 25 x 27-28 mm.
    M# with “ST” prefix.
                                                    A. Value figures in Arabic and western numerals.
                                                       V/F: ✳◆.◆◆ above ✳0.oo ✳,◆◆◆ above ✳,000
                                                    B. Value figures in western numerals only.
                                                       V/F: ★00.oo
                                              TM: straight line (town / date / identification number), unframed.
                                                    a. With 6-digit S# high at far left
A8. Satas (MV). [$20]
    Similar to Type A7B but larger, 27 x 30 mm, and with larger crown.
    Solid block below “POSTES” frame.
    M# with “ST” prefix vertical between TM and frank
    TM: SC
    V/F: ★00.oo
A9. Satas (MV).
    Square frank, 26-27 mm.
    Arabic characters and numerals vertical between TM and frank
                                                    A. M# without prefix at bottom of frank [$20]
                                                    B. Post Office stamp. Solid block at bottom of frank. TM contains “P.T.T.” [$10]
    TM: SC
    V/F: ✳◆◆.◆◆ above ✳00.oo
                                                    a. As B, but solid block at bottom of frank but TM does not contain "P.T.T."

## GROUP B: Provisional issues, Group A franks with crown removed

B1. Hasler (MV), 1970. [$25]
    As Type A2 but with crown removed.
    “RLS” at left of value figures.
    M# with “H” prefix.
    TM: SL
    V/F: ✳◆◆.◆◆ above ✳00,oo
B2. Satas “R” (MV). [$25]
    Similar to Type A7A, but crown removed.
    With or without 6-figure L# high at far left
    TM: SL
    V/F: ✳0,oo ✳00,oo
B3. Pitney Bowes-GB “Automax” (MV). [$25]
    As Type A3A but with crown removed.
    M# with “P.B.” prefix
    TM: DC
    V/F: ≋00.oo
B4. Pitney Bowes-GB “5000” (MV). [$10]
    As Type A4 but with crown removed or obliterated.
    M# with “P.B.T.” prefix.
    TM: DC
    V/F: ≋00.oo
                                                          a. M# preceded by “No.” in addition to prefix
B5. Pitney Bowes-GB “6300” (MV). [$25]
    As Type A5 but with crown removed.
    M# with “P.B.” prefix
    TM: SC with date inside box-like shape.
    V/F: ≋00.oo

## GROUP C: Designs without logo or with logo of the postal service

C1. Frama “M/E” (MV). [$20]
    Horizontal frank with wavy outer border.
    Country name in Persian at top and western characters at bottom.
    Space at top left (where crown used to be?).
    “RIALS” at left of value figures which are thick.
    Meter number with “FA.T” prefix at lower left and another identification number below the frank.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 000.00
NOTE: It is possible this design was used earlier with a crown at upper left.
C2. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
    Horizontal frank with thick outer border, straight on the outside and wavy on the inside.
    Postal service logo at top center, “RLS / POST” at right of value figures.
    M# without prefix at bottom center
    TM: DC or nil with date only
    V/F: 0000
                                                          a. Without TM, date only
C3. Francotyp “A9000” (MV).
    Frank very similar to Type C1 but larger, and the border waves are angular.
    Postal Service logo at upper left.
    M# with “FA.” prefix.
    TM: DC (two sizes, outer ring 24 mm or 28 mm in diameter)
    V/F: ★000
C4. Hasler “Mailmaster” (MV).
    Horizontal rectangle with straight line outer border and panels at top, bottom and sides.
    Country name in Arabic only, not in English.
    Possibly used for domestic mail only.
    Double zero extension of value figures in right panel.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00000
C5. Unidentified (digital), 2005.
    Straight-line rectangle slightly wider than tall.
    Inner rectangle surrounds the value figures.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 00000
C6. Neopost "IJ" series (digital), 2009.
    Wide rectangle with simulated-perforation border.
    Date figures doubled with Iranian calendar above western calendar.
    TM: DC
    V/F: 000000

## GROUP PO: Stamps from machines used in Post Offices

PO1. Unidentified (digital), 2014.
    Plain white square self-adhesive label with rounded corners with design pre-printed in black.
    The pre-printed portion is contained within a square with simulated perforation outer border.
    At top is the Iranian postal logo above I.R.I POST COMPANY.
    Beneath this are four boxes, two by two. The two at left contain "Origin Code" and "Weight".
    The two at right contain "Date" and "Cost".
    A large box appears across the bottom.
    The point-of-sale data is printed in a larger font in black. This includes a bar code and number in the bottom box if the stamp is for registered mail and presumably other forms of tracked mail.
    All the zeros in the point-of-sale data are slashed.
    V/F ("Cost"): (0000)000
       a. With long alpha-numeric code below the postal logo instead of "I.R.I.POST COMPANY"
PO2. Unidentified (digital).
    Similar to Type PO1 but a square 2D bar code appears at upper right.
    The numeral font in the point-of-sale data is different, somewhat lighter, and does not include slashed zeros.
    All the zeros in the point-of-sale data are slashed.
    V/F ("Cost"): (0000)000
PO3. Unidentified (digital)
    Similar to Type PO1 but the text is in Arabic only with no English. This stamp is valid only on internal Iranian mail.