Posts Tagged ‘British India’

In previous years, in India, small copper tokens (called tickets); valued at 2 annas (1/8th of a rupee) were generally the medium of payment for postage. Single letters of up to 2-1/2 tolas (29 gm) were charged at the rate of 2 annas for every 100 miles.

Sir Bartle Frere of the East India Company became the Chief Commissioner of Sindh in 1850. Sir Frere was a great admirer of Sir Rowland Hill and the Penny Postage System he had introduced in Great Britain. Frere improved upon the postal system of Sindh by introducing a cheap and uniform rate for postage, independent of distance travelled. In 1851 the runners were replaced with an efficient system using horses and camels, following routes through Scinde province, generally along the valley of the Indus River. The mail was carried quickly and efficiently, connecting government offices and post offices from Karachi through Kotri and Hyderabad up to Shikkur in the north.

With the help of the Postmaster of Karachi, Sir Bartle issued the first postage stamps in Asia – embossed pieces of paper with a circular design in red, white or blue, of ½ Anna denominations. They carried the merchant mark of the East India Company. They were used in the Province of Sindh and also on the Karachi-Bombay route.

The first stamps of India came to be known as “Scinde Dawks”, as they were issued in the Province of Sindh. “Scinde” was how the British spelt the province of Sindh and “Dawk” is the anglicized spelling of the Hindustani word “Dak” or Post.  And so, to this day, India’s first stamps are referred to simply as The Scinde Dawks!

By contrast, the Scinde Dawk (the red stamp in the series) may exchange hands at prices as high as UK Pounds 2500 (US $ 5,000).

The Scinde Dawk stamps are rare classics of philately world.

Forgeries of these rare stamps are plentiful. The most easily detected fakes are not embossed on paper. Other crude fakes show a misalignment of the second letter ‘A’ of ANNA with the ‘K’ of DAWK; and in other fakes the ’1/2′ is not separated from the central heart shaped emblem. So, Philatelists Be care full about these Forgeries.

In 1st July 1852 India became the first country in Asia and the 10th country in world to issue postage stamps, issued by the province of Scinde (a part of India under British rule), by Sir Bartle Frere, then the Governor of Scinde. The shape was circular, with SCINDE DISTRICT DAWK  around the rim, leading the common name Scinde Dawk.  This was intended to use Scinde province only. The colour of the first stamps were red, white and blue and the denomination was ½ anna. This was also among the first circular stamps of the world.

The history

Scinde was a province in Western India with an area of about 57000 square miles and a population of about 2,500,000. Since the 4th century, Scinde was under several rulers such as Alexander the Great, Chandragupta, Muhammad Khan, Akbar and Nadir Shah of Persia till the British came to on the scene in the 1830’s.
Sir Bartle Frere, son in law of John Arthur, the governor of Bombay, was assigned with task of bringing postal reforms to Scinde. The postal administration was directly under the control of Bombay Presidency. In 1850, there were four post offices in the provinces of scinde, – Sukkur, Shikarpur, Hyderabad and Karachi. The route between Karachi to Bombay had important stages ie. Thatha, Bhuj, Ahemedabad, each route was further divided into small stages ie. 7 to 8 miles apart. The mails from these places were carried to Bombay by runners called Kasids. The distance  was covered these runners handling over the dak to the next  runners  covering the entire  route by successive relays delivering  the mail to Bombay. in about nine days time. They were basically the local tribals.

The stamp & Design

Sir Bartle Frere with the help of Edward Coffey, the postmaster of Karachi, he designed the first postage, which ultimately came to known as the Scinde Dawk. The set comprised of three embossed stamps, round in shape, in white, red and blue.

The most easily detected fakes are not embossed on paper. Other crude fakes show a misalignment of the second letter ‘A’ of ANNA with the ‘K’ of DAWK; and in other fakes the ’1/2′ is not separated from the central heartshaped emblem.

The 1854 first issues of India and also first stamps ever made in Asia included a Four Annas value in red and blue. However, an error occurred during production, showing the head “upside down.” This is one of the world’s first multicolored stamps. The design consisted of a profile portrait of Queen Victoria in blue inside an octagonal red frame with the words INDIA above and FOUR ANNAS below. These Four Annas Stamps are first printed in October, 1854 and 17,170 sheets were printed.

These stamps were a rush order and very urgently needed, because postage rate for a small letter from India to Europe at that time was eleven annas.  And it was impossible to find place on the small envelope for eleven 1 Anna stamps (the previous highest denomination).

First of all, two engravings were made on small copper plates, of the head die and frame die respectively. From these two dies a large number of impressions were taken on small pieces of transfer paper and transferred on to two different series of lithographic stones, the head stones in blue and the frame stones in red. On every stone there were 12 impressions, i.e., three rows of four, carefully synchronized to exact measurements to ensure that later the 12 blue heads would fit exactly into the centers of the 12 red frames.

The Printing Operators first printed the red frames on to sheets of paper which had been to the right size, and which had a characteristic oval watermark covering all the 12 impressions. These sheets were then put aside to dry, and later using blue printing with the head stones. By very careful alignment of the half printed sheets, the blue were printed as exactly as possible into the center of the red frames, thus completing the bi-colored stamps, and making the sheets ready for issue to the post office. If an operator put a sheet of red frames the wrong way up on to his stone of blue heads, what happened? Naturally, all the 12 heads on the sheet would be inverted relative to the red frames, and ‘Moreover head No. 1 would fall into frame No. 12, head No. 2 into frame No. 11, and so on. This is exactly what happened, and so was created the classic error, India 4 annas “Inverted Head.”

This error was not found before the stamps were issued, of course, and it seems to have been not discovered for many years after.

The Government of India Collection, in Delhi, has a cut to shape example on piece, position 2 on the sheet. Three cut to shape examples of the Inverted Head Four Annas repose in the Tapling Collection at the British Museum, London, including two (positions 3 and 4 on the printed sheet) on piece. One carefully cut to shape is found in the Royal Collection, position 5 on the sheet.

Cochin is a small state in the south-west of the Indian peninsula, which is presently known as Kerala Sate. Malayalam is the language of this region and all the stamps of this State are bilingual, displaying both Malayalam and English.

Cochin had the highest literacy rate of any state during the British period, and the people of Cochin were very fond of writing letters.

For collectors who use the Scott catalogue, there are 112 varieties of regular and 116 varieties of official (overprinted). And the Stanley Gibbons catalogue examines the series of portraits in more detail, resulting in 179 varieties of regular and 197 varieties of official issues.  And still there are many varieties which are not listed in these catalogues.

1865-1895

Raja Kerala Varma is not represented on the stamps of Cochin. In Cochin Postage were introduced in 1865, and the first adhesive Stamps were issued during the reign of Kerala Varma in 1892.

1895-1914

Raja Rama Varma I resigned in 1914 because of differences with the British Empire. A set of eight values (2p, 3p, 4p, 9p, 1, 1 ½, 2, 3a) were printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. From 1911 to 1913. Inverted and sideways watermarks are frequently found in the 1898 and 1902-3 issues. Advanced collectors can look into the inverted and sideways watermarks.  Nine stamps were overprinted for official use, in 1913.

1914-1932

Raja Rama Varma II, from 1921 his name was changed as Maharaja Rama Varma II. A set of 11 values (2p, 4p, 6p, 8p, 9p, 10p, 1 bis, 1 ½, 2 bis, 2 ¼, 3a) were printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. From 1916 to 1930.
Between 1922 and 1933, a range of supplements were overprinted on Rama Varma II stamps. Four varieties of 2p surcharges were overprinted on 3p blue (1922-29), a type 1a surcharge is found on the 2 ¼ of a yellow-green (1928), a surcharge 3p appears both on the green and 4p the 8p sepia (1932 – 33), a surcharge 9p was overprinted on 10p blue (1932-33), and finally an additional 6 pa been on the sepia 8p and 10p blue (1934).
A large number of Rama Varma II stamps are found overprinted for official use. The entire base (1919-33) is composed of 12 values. 2p and the 1a have never used for officials, and 6a, 12a and 1½r are only found overprinted.
1932-1941

Maharaja Rama Varma III, In 1938 Perkins, Bacon & Co. stop the contract with the state of Cochin, and an Indian firm began by printing stamps lithographic printing. Thus, two very different impressions are found during the reign of King Rama Varma III- those nicely printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co., and those less attractive offset printed variety.  Cochin’s all stamps after 1938 were offset printing.

Between 1933 and 1938, 11 values (2p, 4p, 6p, 1a, 1a8p, 2a, 2 ¼, 3a, 3a4p, 6a8p, 10a) were printed by Perkins, Bacon & Co. The ensemble is quite feasible in both used and unused condition. In 1938, five values (2p, 4p, 6p, 1a, 2 ¼ a) were offset printed by The Associated Printers of Madras. The brown-orange 1a is rare.
In 1939, 1a stamps were overprinted ‘ANCHAL’ for postal purposes (those who are not overprinted were used for revenue purposes).

1941-1943

Maharaja Kerala Varma II, was the younger brother of the former leader. His portrait on stamps gross rather unfortunate, because its true appearance is much more clean and elegant. He had a short white beard, which had to be difficult to illustrate. Kerala Varma II reigned for two years. The stamps were printed in 1943 and then overprinted for official use in 1944.

Six values (2p, 4p, 6p, 9p, 1a, 2 ¼ a) were offset printed by The Associated Printers. The 2p, 4p, and 1a values were first printed on paper with the watermark umbrella of the earlier stamps. A new watermark was then presented and used with all six values in this together. The new watermark had a broad conception, resulting in stamps showing various parts or none of the watermark.
All Nine varieties of surcharge overprints are common.
1943-46

Maharaja Ravi Varma was the younger brother of the former leader, who was, in turn, the younger brother of the ruler before him. Like the previous leader, his reign was short-only three years. From 1944 to 1948 the three values (9p, 1a3p, and 1a9p) were offset printed by The Associated Printers. In this set, the Maharaja is shown with head turned slightly toward the right side of the stamp design. Between 1946 and 1948, eight values (2p, 3p, 4p, 6p, 9p, 1a, 2a, 3a) were printed with the Maharaja’s head is slightly turned to the left side of the design. The first set of three is fairly common. And the second set in mint condition is rare and valuable.

In 1949, five were overprinted surcharges on stamps of Ravi Varma – 6p (on 1a3p) and 1a (on 1a9p) with the right head, and 3p (on 9p), 6p (on 1a3p), and 1a (on 1a9p) Head facing to the left. Later that same year, another type of surcharge was introduced – 6p (on 1a) and 9p (on 1a), the head facing left. These are rare in mint condition and even rarer in used condition.

The three values in the first category (head facing right) has been overprinted for official use. Nine values in the second category (head facing left) are overprinted for the official use.

1946-1948

Maharaja Kerala Varma III, was the last ruler of Cochin to represent on the stamps. As the two leaders before him, his reign is also two years only. Eight values (2p, 3p, 4p, 6p, 9p, 2a, 3a, 3a4p) were offset printed by The Associated Madras Printers from 1948-1950. Several values in this set are rare in mint condition. Surcharges are found two types of 3p (on 9p) and 6p (on 9p).
Eight values were overprinted for official use in 1949, 2p was not overprinted, and an additional 2 ¼ value was only issued with the official overprint. In the same year, three have been overprinted surcharges on 6p (on 3p), 9p (on 4p) and 3p (on 9p).
In 1949, two new stamps were introduced, which are like no other in the series of portraits of the Maharaja. They are in the horizontal format, and the leader of the image is reduced to the upper right corner. The main part of the design pictorial showing fishnets on a Chinese (2a value) and a Dutch palace on the other (2 ¼ value). They are not surcharged or overprinted for official use.

1948-1949

Maharaja Rama Varma IV, was the last official leader of the Empire Cochin. He is not represented on the stamps of the State. Some stamps depicting the former leader was still in production during his reign. In 1949 Travancore and Cochin merged and his kingdom has ended. He ruled for only one year. Under the Reorganization Act of 1956 the State, Travancore-Cochin lost a few districts, and gained a few others, to form a new state, Kerala, which is still in existence today.