Signed and Sealed

A rare George V complete set of stamps

Bearing the Merchants’ Mark of the British East India Company, the stamp in blue was valued at one-half anna when it was first printed in 1852. The first stamp of Asia, the rare blue Scinde Dawk now holds a value of Rs 2.80 lakh. That is how much it is expected to fetch at the auction “Stamps, Postal History and Stationery” in Delhi, on September 27, at The Crystal, Laxmi Nagar. “All three variants of this rare stamp are included in the auction. India was the first country in Asia and one of the firsts in the world to get an organised postal system in 1837,” notes Kaizad Todywalla of Todywalla Auction, from Mumbai, that has organised the auction.

It was also the first to introduce Air Mail in 1911. On auction is a collection of rare postcards and envelops from the first Aerial Post flight from Allahabad to Naini Junction on February 18, 1911, including a postcard signed by the pilot Henri Pequet, estimated at Rs 3 lakh.
Apart from stamps, the auction comprises original specimens, essays and proofs of various designs of stamps that were introduced, including some experimental designs. Among others is an unusual error stamp of 1977 “India Flowers” with “India” omitted from print. It is estimated at Rs 2 lakh, as is a 1825 pre-stamp cover having the entire rare oval dispatch stamp of “Chandernagore” in French-India.

Leading the auction at Rs 10 lakh is a 1948 Mahatma Gandhi 1½ anna service stamp on the cover sent by Governor Generals Camp Post Office on August 17, 1948. “There are no more than 11 in the world. It was issued on August 15, 1948, sent from the office the next day, and has a cancellation on August 17.

While the auction traces the history of British monarchs in India through postage, with stamps of Queen Victoria to King Edward VII, King George V and King George VI, it also features the first set of stamps depicting the Ashokan (Ashok Pillar) and the tricolour, issued in November 1947.

“India has such rich history and culture, the value of philately is bound to amplify over the years. These stamps not only add uniqueness to an aficionado’s collection, but are now increasingly becoming an option for investment too,” says Todywalla, adding that the total estimate is expected at Rs 2 crore.