Chamba: Overprinted Indian Stamps of a Himalayan Convention State, 1886–1950

The state behind the stamp

Historical Chamba occupied Himalayan territory south of Kashmir, with its capital above the Ravi, under a Rajput ruling house. As a Convention State it used Indian stamps overprinted with its name, CHAMBA STATE and later CHAMBA, from 1886 until they were replaced by Indian stamps in 1950. A Chamba stamp has three parts to identify: the Indian base stamp, the State name and, on officials, SERVICE.^[3][1][28]

The rulers

The district handbook gives the succession from Sri Singh to Lakshman Singh. A ruler’s reign and the dates a stamp was issued or valid are different kinds of evidence.^{[24][8][1][3]}

Reign	Raja	Note
1844–1870	Sri Singh	The first post office in Major Blair Reid’s reforms from 1863
1870 – 17 April 1873	Gopal Singh	Succeeded his brother; abdicated in favour of his son Sham Singh
17 April 1873 – 22 January 1904	Sham Singh	Sent the first indent in 1885; signed the revised convention of 1896
22 January 1904 – 6 October 1919	Bhuri Singh	Succeeded his brother
6 October 1919 – 7 December 1935	Ram Singh	The later George V stamps
7 December 1935 – 1948	Lakshman Singh	A council under Major Toulmin until 1945; merger agreed 8 March 1948

Chronology

Date	Event
1863	First post office, in Major Blair Reid’s reforms
December 1885	Raja Sham Singh’s first indent for overprinted stamps
April–June 1886	Red proofs rejected; black proofs approved
30 September 1886	The first postal convention; ratified 4 December 1886
about October 1886	First supply of overprinted stamps
January 1887	“Date of execution of convention” in Stewart-Wilson’s handbook
1887	Seven branch offices opened
September 1887, March 1890, July 1891	Further printings; CHMABA error about July 1891
December 1895 – October 1896	High rupees supplied: 192, then 480 more of each
August–October 1896	Revised convention signed and confirmed
1902–1905	Edward VII stamps reported
1926	Indian base stamps move from De La Rue to Nasik, Multiple Star paper
1938	George VI transport set of eighteen
8 March and 15 April 1948	Merger agreements; Himachal Pradesh inaugurated
1 April 1950	Chamba overprints replaced by Indian stamps; valid until 1 January 1951

The stamps

The ordinary issues and their values, from the research checklist. Official stamps are described in prose in the chapters and not listed; nor are the overprint settings, errors and papers of each issue.

Period	Issue	Values
1887–1897 coverage	Queen Victoria, CHAMBA / STATE	½ anna, 1 anna, 1½ annas, 2 annas, 2½ annas, 3 annas, 4 annas, 6 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, 1 rupee, 2 rupees, 3 rupees, 5 rupees
1900; 1902–1904	Late Queen Victoria additions	3 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas
1903–1907	Edward VII ordinary	3 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, 3 annas, 4 annas, 6 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, 1 rupee
1913–1927	George V, single-star watermark	3 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, 3 annas, 4 annas, 6 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, 1 rupee, 1½ annas, 2½ annas
1921	George V denomination surcharge	9 pies on 1 anna
1927–1928	George V, multiple-star watermark	3 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, 3 annas, 4 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, 1 rupee
1932–1937	George V later types and colours	9 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 1¼ annas, 1½ annas, 2 annas, 2½ annas, 3 annas, 4 annas, 6 annas
1938	George VI portrait and postal-transport designs	3 pies, 9 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, 2½ annas, 3 annas, 3½ annas, 4 annas, 6 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, 1 rupee, 2 rupees, 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 15 rupees, 25 rupees
1942–1947	George VI later low values	3 pies, 9 pies, ½ anna, 1 anna, 1½ annas, 2 annas, 3 annas, 3½ annas, 4 annas, 6 annas, 8 annas, 12 annas, 14 annas
1943 catalogue group	George VI later rupee overprints	1 rupee, 2 rupees, 5 rupees, 10 rupees, 15 rupees, 25 rupees

Sources

• [1] C. Stewart-Wilson, British Indian Adhesive Stamps Surcharged for Native States, Part I: Chamba, Faridkot, Gwalior, Philatelic Society of India, Calcutta, 1897.
• [3] Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition, 1911, “Chamba”: historical geography and Bhuri Singh’s accession.
• [8] Ram Chandra Pal Singh, Himachal Pradesh District Handbook: I, Chamba, Census of India 1961 series.
• [24] Census of India 2011, Chamba District Census Handbook, Part XII-A.
• [28] Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Convention States: Chamba.
• Evert Klaseboer, online Indian States catalogue: Chamba.