Philatelic Exhibition: Travelling Post Office Handstamp
Technical Data
| Stamp Set | INDIA - 89 world Philatelic Exhibition |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | December 20, 1988 |
| Denomination | Rs. 6.50 |
| Quantity | 1,500,000 |
| Perforation | comb 13½ x 13 |
| Printer | Security Printing Press, Nashik |
| Watermark | No Watermark |
| Colors | Multicolor |
| Catalog Codes |
Michel IN 1196 Stamp Number IN 1254 Yvert et Tellier IN 1002B Stanley Gibbons IN 1342 |
| Themes | Philatelic Exhibitions | Philately |
India-89 World Philatelic Exhibition
Introduction:
- Event: India-89 World Philatelic Exhibition.
- Organizer: Department of Posts.
- Series: Fourth set of stamps featuring two cancellations, one from the RMS (Railway Mail Service) and the other from the DLO (Dead Letter Office).
Indian Postal System:
- Scale: One of the largest in the world.
- Historical Coverage: Covered a much larger geographical area in the nineteenth century, including undivided India, Burma, and certain outposts of the British Empire like Aden, Singapore, and Shanghai.
- Philatelic Interest: The vast geographical coverage and multifaceted activities of the postal system make it an interesting and instructive study for philatelists specializing in postal history collections, focusing on routes, rates, and markings.
Focus on Cancellations:
- Significance: Markings are a colorful aspect of postal history collections.
- Relevance: Postal cancellations were chosen as the subject for this stamp set due to their historical significance and visual appeal.
Stamp 1: Travelling Post Office (TPO):
- Depiction: One of the earliest hand stamps of the TPO in the ‘Allahabad-Cawnpore’ railway sector.
- Usage Period: From December 1864 to 1869.
- Establishment: The first TPO was established on 1st May, 1864, under a Superintendent at Allahabad.
- Routes: Operated on the ‘Allahabad-Cawnpore’ and ‘Calcutta-Delhi’ railway sectors.
- Post Mark Details: Circular with a diameter of 25 to 26 mm.
- Upper Rim: “TRAVELLING”
- Lower Rim: “POST OFFICE”
- Inner Details: “No. 1”, date, and “AC” in three horizontal lines.
- Example: Used by the 1st set of the experimental TPO on 21st August, 1864.
Stamp 2: Dead Letter Office (DLO):
- Depiction: Type of cancellation used by DLOs in 1886.
- Origin: Traced to the Act of 1837, which prescribed the treatment of undelivered letters.
- Initial Process: Undelivered letters lying for over three months were sent to the GPO of the Presidency, listed in the official Gazette, remained for 18 months, and were destroyed after a further 12 months.
- Establishment: Dead Letter Offices were set up in the 1860s, with actual markings used towards the end of the decade on envelopes and postal materials.
- Square Marking: 18 mm with “D.L.O.”, post office, and date in three horizontal lines within the square.
Acknowledgements:
- Text Material Courtesy: Shri G.B. Pai, Col. L.G. Shenoi, and the India-80 catalogue.