Kedah State is on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula next to Perlis State, Thailand, Perak State and the Indian Ocean. Thru a series of occupations and treaties, Kedah came under the protection of "His Britannic Majesty". Stamps from the Federated Malay States were used until stamps specific to Kedah were printed beginning in 1912.

The 1937 set featured a new design with Sultan Abdul Hamid Halimshah, and was printed on paper watermarked with Multiple Script CA. The stamps from this set were used until the Japanese occupation in 1941. After the conclusion of World War II, Straits Settlements stamps overprinted BMA were used until a new set with a new portrait of the Sultan was issued in 1949.

All of the stamps were printed on paper watermarked Multiple Script CA. There are no collectable shades. Although they are not listed as part of the set, three revenue stamps were printed using this same design, but in a smaller format. They are shown after the basic set below.

The catalog numbers are from the 2008 Commonwealth King George VI Postage Stamp Catalogue (CW) published by Murray Payne, the 2013 Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue (SG) and the 2011 Scott catalog (ST). The historical details, description and dates are from "The Postage Stamps of the Federated Malay States, Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Straits Settlements, Sungei Ujong, and Trengganu" by Dr. F. E. Wood. You can access the catalogue publishers using the "Links to British Colonial Stamp Sites" at the bottom of this page.

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This article was written to help you identify your stamps.
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