The custom of issuing commemorative stamps for international congresses and national expositions began with the Geographical Congress. This custom gathered momentum with the issue of a six-value set for the Twelfth Agricultural and Industrial Exposition, held in Cairo in March 1926.

The stamps were requested of the Survey Department in June 1925. It assigned the Superintendent of its Photo-Process Office to take photographs of suitable subjects. From one of them, showing water buffalo pulling a traditional plough, three sketches were made and submitted to the Postmaster General in October 1925.

1926: Surcharges on the high values

The Postal Administration, with characteristic frugality, decided to use up the large unsold inventory of the Agricultural and Industrial Exposition high values by converting them to low values in higher demand. The job was given to the Government Printing Works in Bulaq, Cairo, which carried it out by typographing new values in bold characters, in French only, across the middle of the stamps. The 50m became 5m, the 100m became 10m, and the 200m became 15m.