Postage Stamps in India

Postage Stamps in India

In India, stamps were first introduced in Calcutta Post Office in January 1774, when Warren Hastings allowed carnage of mail of private individuals on payment of fee through the East India Company's postal network. Small copper tickets or tokens valued at Annas 2 (1/8th of a Rupee) were generally the medium for payment of postage. Single letters up to 2-1/2 tolas (29gms) weight were charged at the rate of Annas 2 for every 100 miles (160kms). These copper tickets were reported to have been withdrawn by the Government on 14 September, 1784. Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879) introduced the Penny Postage stamps in England on 6 May, 1840. The first postage stamps issued in India were in 1852 in the Province of Sind under the Bombay Presidency. Sir Bartle Frere, then Chief Commissioner of Sind, was asked by the Bombay Government to undertake the upkeep of the postal services of the province and also to popularise it among the public. He was a great admirer of Sir Rowland Hill and his Penny Postage Scheme. With the help of Edward Lees Coffery, then Postmaster of Karachi, Sir Bartle issued the first postage stamps on 1 July, 1852. They were embossed pieces of paper with a circular design in red, white or blue, `Scinde Dawks', as they were known, were of the denomination of 1/2 Anna. The number of stamps per sheet was probably 64, 8 rows of 8 stamps. However, the exact number is not known. They were used in the Province of Sind as well as on the Karachi-Bombay route. Though these, embossed stamps were recalled in September 1854, but the order was not apparently carried out till June 1866.
After 13 years of the use of postage stamps in England, the Government decided to extend their use in India. In 1853, the first design was prepared in the Mint at Calcutta and the stamps were struck under the guidance and supervision of Captain (later on General) Sir Henry Thuillier, then Deputy Surveyor General of India at Calcutta. The stamps were issued in July 1854. The printing of stamps in the Calcutta Mint ceased in November 1855. Thereafter they were printed at London by Thomas De La Rue & Company. The India Security Press was set up at Nasik in Maharashtra State in 1925 and the postage stamps have been printed at Nasik since then. The stamps are today printed by photogravure process. The stamps of the British period generally carry the effigy of the regnant King or Queen. India was the first country in the Commonwealth to issue airmail stamps. In 1929, a set of six airmail stamps was issued showing a De Havilland aircraft along with the King's portrait. The inaugurations of the new capital city of New Delhi, Silver Jubilee of the reign of King George V, victory in the Second World War were commemorated with the issue of pictorial stamps. India attained independence on 15 August, 1947. Thereafter Indian P&T Department embarked on a broad based policy relating to the issue of stamps. The first stamp, after Independence, was issued on 21 November, 1947 in the denomination of 3-1/2 Annas, depicting the National Flag. Since then, India has been issuing definitive as well as commemorative stamps. Six definitive series on themes relevant to the country's heritage and progress in various fields have been brought out. The Seventh Definitive Series on the theme of "Science and Technology" has commenced from 1986. Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru occupy place of pride on Indian stamps. The first set of 4 stamps paying homage to the Mahatma was issued on 15 August, 1948 and were printed by the Swiss firm, Heliss Courvoisier S.A. Commemorative stamps have been issued in honour of the Presidents of India, Prime Ministers, eminent Indian from the annals of India's stuggle for freedom as well as from the fields of literature, art, culture, education, etc. Many foreigners of international eminence have also been honoured through Indian stamps.
Special stamps highlighting India's cultural heritage, fauna and flora and various other aspects of national life have been issued from time to time. India postage stamps, during more than a century-old history, have carved a secure niche for themselves in the world of philately.