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PHILATELY
Eternal India
encyclopedia
stamps came first, but they had a very short
life as they were embossed on brittle paper.
White stamps followed but embossing was
unclear. So stamps were finally embossed
in blue on white paper.
The first private design offered was the
'Lion and the Palm Tree' by Colonel Forbes
of the Calcutta Mint. But he could not prom-
ise an adequate supply. Then, Capt. Thuil-
lier, Deputy Surveyor-General, took up pro-
duction of stamps by lithography. He suc-
ceeded in bringing out the first all-India
stamp in October 1854. The stamps were of
1/2 anna value, blue in colour and had Queen
Victoria's head on them. Later others of one
anna, two anna, and four anna value were
printed.
The most sought-after stamp of this
period by collectors is the four anna with the
Queen's head inverted. It is called the in-
verted head. The Queen Victoria stamps
continued in various values, designs and
sizes till the turn of the century.
From 1856 to 1926, Indian stamps were
printed by Thomas dela Rue & Co. of Lon-
don, with the heads of Queen Victoria,
Edward VII, George V and George VI in
succession. In 1926, the India Security
Press came up at Nasik and the responsi-
bility of printing stamps was assigned to it.
The most-sought after stamp of the
Edward period is the 25 Rupee King Ed-
ward. The postal-used copy is hard to get
though telegraphic-used and parcel-used
copies are much easier to get.
In the post-Independence period the
most sought-after stamp is the 10 Rupee
Gandhi. It was printed in Switzerland on
silk paper. The 10 Rupee Gandhi over-
printed "service", is the most valuable
post-Independence stamp for any collector.
A genuine certified copy is hard to come by.
In the recent past, philately in India has
progressed very much and the credit for that
goes to the Philately Club of India which
has affiliates at state level.
The Postal Department has always
played a very active role in promoting phi-
lately and exhibitions are held in India at
state level, National level and International
level.
( S . B )
Current market value
EAST INDIA COMPANY, VICTORIA AND LATER ISSUES
Indicators in Ruoees
Y ear
Serial
Denomination
Colour
unused
used
1852
S3
1/2 a
Scarlet Shellac Wafer
-
2,50,000.00
1852
S2
1/2 a
Blue on White Paper
80,000.00
1854
21c
4 as
Bright Blue & Bright
-
40,000.00
1866
18
8 as
Purple (g)
60,000.00
30,000.00
1854
21a
4 as
Bright Blue &Bright Red
-
25,000.00
1854
21 b
4 as
Bright Blue &Bright Red
-
25,000.00
1852
Sla
1/2 a
White on Greyish Paper
-
20
,
000.00
1852
SI
1/2 a
White &White Paper
-
15,000.00
1854
21
4 as
Bright Blue & Bright Blue
-
15,000.00
1866
17
4 as
Purple (g)
30,000.00
12,500.00
1854
17
4 as
Indigo & Red
-
7,500.00
1854
18
4 as
Blue & Pale Red
-
7,500.00
1854
25
4 as
Blue & Rose Red
-
6
,
000.00
1854
26
4 as
Deep Blue & Red
-
6
,
000.00
1866
16
2 as
Purple (g)
12,500.00
6
,
000.00
1901-09
147
25 Rs
Brownish Orange & Blue
12,500.00
6
,
000.00
1854
19
4 as
Blue & Red
-
5,000.00
1854
20
4 as
Indigo & Deep Red
-
5,000.00
1854
22
4 as
Deep Blue & Red
-
5,000.00
1854
23
4 as
Blue & Red
-
5,000.00
1854
24
4 as
Pale Blue & Pale Red
-
5,000.00
1866
15
2 as
Purple (postage 3-1/2 mm. high)
6
,
000.00
3,500.00
1866-77
14
4 as
Green
10
,
000.00
3,000.00
1858
68
6 as
Purple
12,500,00
2
,
000.00
1858
66
6 as
Purple
7,500.00
1,750.00
1858
65
8 as
Carmine
12
,
000.00
1,500.00
1874-82
37
1 as
Brown
6
,
000.00
1,500.00
1854
15
4 as
Dull Red
15,000.00
1,500.00
1866
19
1/2 mauve
Lilac (g)
6
,
000.00
1,250.00
1854
15
4 as
Red
15,000.00
1,250.00
1854
8
4 as
Pale Blue
10
,
000.00
400.00
1854
8a
4 as
Blue
10
,
000.00
400.00
1855
35
4 as
Imperf
6
,
000.00
200.00
1855
36a
8 as
Imperf
6
,
000.00
200.00
1600
1 a
1/2 a
Vermilion
20
,
000.00
-
1855
45 b
4 as
Imperf
18,000.00
-
1600
1
1/2 a
Vermilion
15,000.00
-
1855
41 a
-
Imperf
15,000.00
-
1855
44 a
2 as
Imperf
12,500.00
-
1855
50 a
-
Imperf
12,500.00
-
1855
50
2 as
Yellow Green
8
,
000.00
-
1855
39 a
1 a
Imperf
8
,
000.00
-
1858
52 a .
8 pies
Imperf
6
,
000.00
1855
72 a
-
Imperf
5,000.00