Experimental Postmarks of India An Introduction By Carol j. Edholm April 2015
Brief History of India Post British East India Company set up post offices in Mumbai, Chennai & Calcutta government use only, 1764 March 1774 Postal services open to public. 2 annas (1/8 Rupee) delivery fee up to 100 miles distance Post Office Act 1837 gave India govnm t rights to move mail through EIC territory
First Postage Stamp of India 1 July 1852 1/2a Scinde District Dawk
Act XVII of 1854 Outlined uniform postage rates based on weight and distance Recommended Instruction Manual for postal system/employees for system uniformity
First stamp First Stamp issued under the new Act: 1/2a vermillion Queen Victoria never sold to public. Next issues 1/2a, 1a, 2a & 4a went on sale October
End of EIC Reign Control by East India Company ended 1858 India Crown Colony ruled by Parliament British Government controlled stamps until 1865, when India started printing her own Member of UPU 1876 Member of APPU 1964 (Asia Pacific Postal Union) Today, India operates under Indian Post Office Act 1898
Princely States India States not ruled by British Government 652 Princely States entered into treaties with British Monarchy. Most did not issue stamps. 2 types of States issued their own stamps:
Convention States (6) Entered into agreement with India Post to provide postal services within their territories (States). They used India stamps with their States overprinted Chamba, Faridkot, Gwalior, Jind, Nabha & Patiala
Feudatory States (36) Operated their own postal services and issued their own stamps, only valid within their States. Mail going outside Feudatory territory had to have additional India stamps. Some of these Feuds later became Convention States.
Jaipur State (Feudatory) N-7 = Chomu in Jaipur State, Nov 1941
India Independence Act 1947 Separated British India into two (2) countries: 1. Pakistan (August 14) 2. India (August 15)
Largest Postal Network in World In 1947, there were 23,344 post offices 2009, there were over 1,055,015 post offices 1,039,144 (89.76%) in rural areas Each post office serves average 21.21sq km and 7,175 people
India Postal Circles A -- North West Province Circle 1839 B Bombay 1774 C -- Bengal 1774 D -- Bihar 1877 I -- Central India 1879 J Rajputana (Rajpootana) Circle 1871 K -- Sind Circle 1869 L -- Punjab Circle 1860 M Madras 1774 N -- Central Provinces Circle 1866 O -- Oudh Circle 1870 R -- Burma Circle 1861 S -- Assam Circle 1873 (changed to G in 1875)
By 1914, Circles were merged, and others added: C -- Bengal & Assam P -- Bihar & Orissa B -- Bombay (including Sind) R -- Burma N Central Provinces M or MS Madras (Chennai) L -- Punjab & North West O -- Uttar Pradesh
DZNS From 1947 to 1997, India developed the Delivery Zone Numbering System where each Delivery Post Office was given a Number. Trials started in 1946 Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi & Madras. Then expanded from there: Example: Bangalore 1 st January 1948 Zone 1 Bangalore Head Office Zone 2 Bangalore City Zone 3 Malleswaram Zone 4 Baswangudi etc.
6-digit PIN India s Postal Index Number (PIN or PIN code) started 15 August 1972; still used today * To improve mail delivery * Divided into 9 regions of India First Digit Region States Covered 1 Northern Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir 2 Northern Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal 3 Western Rajasthan and Gujarat 4 Western Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh 5 Southern Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka 6 Southern Kerala and Tamil Nadu 7 Eastern West Bengal, Orissa and North Eastern 8 Eastern Bihar and Jharkand 9 APS Army Postal Service
PIN sample 734101 7 = Eastern Region (West Bengal, Orissa & North Eastern Provinces) 73 = West Bengal Circle 734 = sorting district 101 = individual post office Search brought up: Darjeeling Court S.O.; non-delivery, Darjeeling Division, North Bengal & Sikkim Region, West Bengal Circle, Darjiling District, West Bengal State. Also: Bhanugram S.O.; Darjeeling H.O. (delivery); Bhutia Busty S.O.; Darjeeling Bazar S.O. and Rose Bank S.O. (all non-delivery except H.O.) https://data.gov.in/catalog/all-india-pincodedirectory#web_catalog_tabs_block_10 OR http://www.indiapost.gov.in/pinsearch.aspx
What is an Experimental Post Office? An Experimental Post Office is opened for a period of 6 months in areas where it appears services are needed. If it gets enough business, it becomes permanent. If it does not, it is extended up to 2 years before it is made permanent, or closed. In 1950 s, 800 1,000 offices were opened each year; less now.
Types of Experimental Cancels P.O. = Post Office (Head), regular with delivery S.O. = Sub Office (subordinate), accounts to Head Office A.O. = Anchal Office; only in Travancore State B.O. = Branch Office; lower status than S.O. Operated by shopkeepers, schoolmasters, hospital attendants, etc., found in Village offices, Native post office, grocery stores, etc. T.M.O. = Transmit Mail Office; branch of Railway Mail Service; closed bags are received and dispatched. No letter sorting.
Early Experimental Cancellations E = Experimental #1 Is this an Experimental? Still in dispute. C = Bengal Circle, 60 Contai or Hidjele town M = Madras Circle, 133 Quilon; 114 Conjeevarum A = North West Provinces Circle, 79 Boodhana O = Oudh Circle, 7??
2 necessary Books Early Indian Cancellations and Postmarks 1852 1884 by W. Renouf; India Study Circle (no photo of cover)
Book of Postmarks
Experimental P.O. P.O. = A regular Post Office, run by Postmaster, with a regular crew below him. All types of Mail delivery Includes all services of an Indian Post Office, including Financial services
B-6 B = Bombay Circle 6 = Parihar
M-681 M = Madras Circle
A-463 A = NW Provinces Circle
463 = Ghaziabad
MS-103 MS = Madras Circle 103 = Bangalore
C-2251 C = Bengal Circle 2251 = Howrah
Abbreviated Experimental P.O.
N-159 N = Central Provinces Circle
S-40 S = Assam Circle 40 = Tonpong Plantation Post Office
C-21 C = Bengal Circle
B-545 = Poona, Bombay X = Surface not Air
Experimental S.O.
MS = Madras Circle
MS = Madras Circle
MS-199 MS = Madras Circle 199 = Rajahmundry, South India, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad State, Madras Circle
MS -100 MS = Madras Circle 100 = Reddypalayam Reddypalayam Village Branch Office of Avadi Post Sub Office in city of Madras, Tamil Nadu State, Madras Circle
MS-2218 Tiruchirappalli District, State of Tamil Nadu Madras Circle
Experimental A.O. A.O. = Anchal Office (means Area/Circle in Hindi or POST in Malayalam). All from Kerala Circle.
All A.O. cancels have T.A.D. at bottom of cancel = Travancore Anchal Department.
No. 16 = Branch Office
Received in Adoor, Kerala Circle
Pakistan First Pakistan Exptl PO cover = Guadur 4-17-1868 under Bombay Circle. Permanent Post Office 1-30-1869 Guadur was transferred to Sind Circle April 1869, then back to Bombay Circle 1879 India stamps used until 1947, then Pakistan stamps when it became a separate country. No reports of Experimental cancels Oct 1947 Sept 1958. K-1 Disbursing Office (Karachi) of Sind Circle 4 = Guadar Head Office under control of Karachi L = Lahore K = Karachi C = Calcutta; later became D = Dacca
No. 1 = Receiving Office Receiving Office
DA = Dacca, East Pakistan 206 =??? Chittagong = SE Bangladesh
Dubai K-77 Sharjah mail. K-46 Dubai mail. Purpose military mail, but found on civilian mail.
Kuwait Overprinted India stamps (Kuwait) used during WWII. May 1941, regular India stamps on Kuwait mail had SUPDT. OF POST OFFICES PERSIAN GULF cachet -- used to disguise Kuwait mail for security reasons. Cancel used June 25, 41 until Aug 9, 41.
The cachet and EXPTL cancel were withdrawn in October 1941, and this cancel was then used; first recorded usage November 1, 1941
Experimental Cancellations are also found on covers from Tibet and Burma. I do not yet have any.