Suez Canal design error

Let us have a smile for the day. In 2014, the Egyptian government proudly announced plans to build a new section of the Suez Canal. 

Since it was completed in 1869, the Suez Canal has been coveted by European empires and local Arab nationalists alike. It was once a major gateway to the British Empire in India, but Egypt, under Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized it in 1956, which led to a war between the England, France, the two previous owners and Egypt. Oh wait, Israel was also involved in the war, alongside the British and the French.

Today, revenues from the canal, are now a huge channel of revenue for the Egyptian government. The new plan for a 45-mile extension of the canal would allow ships to travel in both directions for a section of the waterway. Not every Egyptian was happy as it turned out that thousands of Egyptians were evicted from their homes to make way for the bypass. 

The Egyptian government were very proud of the project, and of course needed money, and decided to commission a line of stamps showing off their humble multi-billion dollar project.  

The three stamps, issued August 5th 2014, feature images of a map of the Suez Canal, along with photographs of a waterway in a desert setting which do indeed appear to come from Egypt. The only problem is that the designers seem to have confused their canals. 

The middle stamp shows another two lane waterway in a green, fertile landscape which bears a distinct resemblance to the Panama Canal – the 48 mile Central American passage which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Embarrassed authorities announced that they were halting the stamps’ production. Of course the mistake was widely mocked by Egyptians, but for us, it is another amusing anecdote to put a smile on our faces.

They redesigned the issue and released it. Here is the new design: