Ottoman Warship (Cruiser Hamidiye) - 6 anna

The theme of this program centers on naval modernization and military prestige, featuring a modern Ottoman cruiser (the Hamidiye) steaming through open waters. The illustration carries a message of defensive technological progress and the maritime reach of the late Ottoman state, which once encompassed the strategic waterways of the Persian Gulf and the Shatt al-Arab. Within the Iraqi context, the application of the "IRAQ IN BRITISH OCCUPATION" overprint creates a stark juxtaposition between the symbols of Turkish naval power and the reality of their defeat by the British Indian Expeditionary Force. This stamp serves as an institutional artifact of the transition period, documenting how the British forces asserted economic and political sovereignty over Mesopotamia by physically overwriting the martial icons of the former regime.