Preview of Stamps Catalogue CD : VOLUME 1

INDIA 1854-1865, QUEEN VICTORIA

Currency: 12 Pies = 1 Anna; 16 Annas = 1 Rupie

Note: on my website many of the pictures can not be seen! They are of course present in the cd's;
contact me if you want to purchase them: .

The first stamps to be issued in India, were those of Scinde (see there for examples) in 1852.

1854 Victoria in a rectangle, Imperforated

2 a green 'B 1' cancel

(Reduced size)

  1/2 a blue
  1 a red
  2 a green

A 1/2 a red was prepared, but never issued.
Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1/2 a red RRR - Prepared, but not issued
1/2 a blue RR R
1 a red RR RR
2 a green RR RR

In the 1/2 a, there should be 9 1/2 triangles at the left and right borders of the stamp, the following stamp is a forgery (it has only 8 triangles). The blue stamp besides it is obviously from the same forger:

Forgery!

Other forgeries:

(Other forgery, reduced size)

(Could this be a product of Spiro?)

(A forgery with a very large 'chin')

(Other forgery)

It seems that the Moens made some unauthorized reprints of the 1/2 a and 2 a stamps in several bogus colours (black on blue, black on red etc.).

Reprints, literature: 'The identification of the Essays, Proofs & Reprints of the 1854 issue of India' by James A. Spence (1975).

1854 Victoria in a octagonal, Imperforated

  4 a red and blue

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
4 a	RR	R	With full margins: RR With inverted center: RRR

Forgeries; there are many forgeries, (by the way, I'm not quite sure if the above shown stamps are genuine!), examples of forgeries:

(Reduced size)

Forgery! Forgery with inverted center!

I know that Fournier and Peter Winter (and probably many others) have made forgeries of both the normal and the inverted center stamps.

(Modern Peter Winter forgery, made somewhere in the 1980's)

1855 Queen Victoria, inscription 'EAST INDIA POSTAGE'

1/2 a blue 1 a brown 1 a brown, typical cancel Used in Singapore ('B172' cancel) 8 a red

  1/2 a blue
  1 a brown
  2 a green
  2 a brown to orange
  4 a grey
  4 a green
  8 a red

These stamps have perforation 14.
Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
On bluish paper, no watermark (1855)
4 a grey RR ***
8 a RR ***
On white paper, no watermark (1856)
1/2 a R **
1 a R ***
2 a green RRR - Prepared, but not issued
2 a orange RR *** Red: R
4 a black RR ***
4 a green RRR RR
8 a RR ***
With watermark 'Elephant head' (1865)
1/2 a blue *** c Specialists distinghuish two types
1 a *** *
2 a orange R *
4 a green RR R
8 a red R *** Specialists distinghuish two types

Official stamps, Overprinted 'Service.' (small or large)

1/2 a blue 2 p orange
(Small 'Service' overprint)

(Large 'Service' overprint)

  1/2 a blue
  1 a brown
  2 a red
  4 a green
  8 a red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
On stamps with no watermark (small 'Service')
1/2 a	RRR	RR
1 a	RRR	RR
8 a	***	RR
On stamps with watermark 'Elephant head' (small 'Service')
1/2 a	RR	R
1 a	RR	R
2 a	RR	RR
4 a	RR	RR
On stamps with watermark 'Elephant head' (large 'Service')
1/2 a	R	**
1 a	R	**
2 a orange	***	*
8 a	***	*

A forged overprint:

(Forged 'Service' overprint)

Official stamps, overprinted 'On H.M.S.'

1/2 a blue 1 p brown

  1/2 a blue
  1 a brown
  2 a red
  8 a red

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
On stamps with watermark 'Elephant head'
1/2 a	***	*
1 a	***	*
2 a	R	***
8 a	***	***

These stamps overprinted with a crown and a value in 'CENTS' were used in Straits Settlements.

1860 Queen Victoria, inscription 'EAST INDIA POSTAGE'

  8 p lilac

This stamp has perforation 14.
Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
On bluish paper, no watermark
8 p RR RR
On white paper, no watermark
8 p R ***
With watermark 'Elephant head'
8 p *** ***

Official stamp, overprinted 'Service.'
  8 p lilac

Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon		*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value	Unused	Used	Remarks
8 p	RRR	RR	No watermark
8 p	RR	RR	With watermark 'Elephant head'

1866 Fiscal Stamp, overprinted 'POSTAGE' in green

  6 a violet

This stamp has the top and bottom cut off, therefore it is always imperforated at the top and bottom. Two types of the overprint exist: type 1 with 3 1/2 mm high overprint and type 2 with 2 1/2 mm high overprint:

Type 1 overprint: 3 1/2 mm high Type 2 overprint, 2 1/2 mm high
Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
6 a RR RR Both types

Similar stamps were issued as official stamps:

(Reduced size)

The values 1/2 a, 2 a (2 different designs), 4 a and 8 a exist with overprint 'SERVICE POSTAGE' or 'SERVICE TWO ANNAS'. These overprints are very rare:

(Images obtained from a Shreves auction)
Value of the stamps
vc = very common c = common * = not so common ** = uncommon
*** = very uncommon R = rare RR = very rare RRR = extremely rare
Value Unused Used Remarks
1/2 a RR RR
2 a RR RR Smaller sized stamp
2 a RRR RRR Larger sized stamp (as 4 a and 8 a)
4 a RRR RRR
6 a RRR RRR

For more stamps issued from 1866 to 1902 click here.

Copyright by Evert Klaseboer

Preview of Stamps Catalogue CD : VOLUME 1