Preview of Stamps Catalogue: VOLUME 1

CHAMBA

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Stamps of India overprinted with "CHAMBA STATE"

1886 Queen Victoria

5 R violet and blue
(Reduced size)

  3 p red
  3 p grey
  1/2 a green
  1 a brown
  1 a red
  1 a 6 p brown
  2 a blue
  2 a violet
  2 a 6 p green
  3 a orange
  4 a olive
  6 a brown
  8 a lilac
  12 a lilac on red
  1 R grey
  1 R red and green
  2 R brown and red
  3 R green and brown
  5 R violet and blue

All stamps have watermark 'Star', except the 6 a brown which has watermark 'Elephant head'.

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
3 p red	*	*
3 p grey	*	*
1/2 a green	*	*	Issued on the two shades of green of this 1/2 a stamp
1 a brown	*	*
1 a red	*	*
1 a 6 p	***	***
2 a blue	**	**
2 a violet	R	R
2 a 6 p	R	R
3 a	**	**
4 a	**	**
6 a	***	***
8 a	***	***
12 a	***	***
1 R grey	***	***
1 R red and green	R	R
2 R	RR	RR
3 R	RR	RR
5 R	RR	RR

(Misprints: "CHAMBA 8TATE:, with "8" instead of "S" and "CHMABA STATE": RR to RRR)

Other misprints exist, for example with inverted first "T" in "STATE".

These overprints were forged by the forger Francois Fournier. He also forged the cancel 'CHAMBA-STATE CHAMBA 13 MA. 00' with 'CHAMBA STATE' curved above a circular cancel (an image can be found in 'The Fournier Album of Philatelic Forgeries'). If anybody has more information, please contact me!

Forged Fournier overprints taken from a 'Fournier Album' (reduced size)

Forged Chamba cancel and other forged India cancels made by Fournier.

The forger Oneglia lists in his 1906 pricelist a forgery of the 1 R grey stamp (both stamp and overprint are forged).

1903 "CHAMBA STATE" on King Edward VII stamps of India

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green (INDIA POSTAGE)
  1/2 a green (INDIA POSTAGE & REVENUE)
  1 a red (INDIA POSTAGE)
  1 a red (INDIA POSTAGE & REVENUE)
  2 a violet
  3 a orange
  4 a olive
  6 a yellow
  8 a lilac
  12 a lilac on red
  1 R red and green

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
3 p	*	*
1/2 a	*	*	'POSTAGE'
1/2 a	*	*	'POSTAGE & REVENUE'
1 a	*	*	'POSTAGE'
1 a	**	**	'POSTAGE & REVENUE'
2 a	*	*
3 a	**	**
4 a	**	**
6 a	**	**
8 a	***	***
12 a	***	***
1 R	***	***

1913 King George V with overprint "CHAMBA STATE" in two lines

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green
  1 a red
  1 a brown
  1 1/2 a brown ('one and half')
  1 1/2 a brown ('one and a half')
  1 1/2 a red
  2 a violet
  2 a 6 p blue
  2 a 6 p orange
  3 a orange
  3 a blue
  4 a olive
  6 a yellow
  8 a lilac
  12 a red
  1 R green and brown

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
3 p	c	*
1/2 a	*	*
1 a red	*	*
1 a brown	*	*
1 1/2 a brown	R	R	'ONE AND HALF ANNA'
1 1/2 a brown	*	*	'ONE AND A HALF ANNA'
1 1/2 a red	***	***
2 a	**	**
2 a 6 p blue	*	*
2 a 6 p orange	***	***
3 a orange	**	**
3 a blue	**	**
4 a	**	**
6 a	**	**
8 a	**	**
12 a	***	***
1 R	***	***

1921 Stamp of India overprinted "CHAMBA"

  9 p ('NINE PIES' and bar) on 1 a red

1927 Stamps of India (King George V) overprinted "CHAMBA STATE" in one line

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green
  9 p green
  1 a brown
  1 a 3 p lilac
  1 1/2 a red
  2 a violet
  2 a red
  2 a 6 p orange
  3 a blue
  3 a red
  4 a olive
  6 a yellow-brown
  8 a lilac
  12 a red

With larger overprint

  1 R green and brown

1938 King George VI, overprinted "CHAMBA STATE" in one line

  3 p grey
  1/2 a brown
  9 p green
  2 a orange (Dak runner)
  2 a 6 p lilac (Dak Bullock car)
  3 a green
  3 a 6 p blue (Dak camel)
  4 a brown, 6 a blue
  8 a violet (mail lorry)
  12 a red
  1 R brown and grey
  2 R brown and violet
  5 R blue and green
  15 R green and brown
  25 R violet and blue

The overprint is small on the 3 p, 1/2 a and 9 p stamps, larger on the intermediate values and large on the Rupee values.

1942 King George VI, overprinted "CHAMBA" only

3 p grey, 1/2 a lilac, 9 p green, 1 a red, 1 1/2 a violet, 2 a red, 4 a brown, 1 R brown and grey, 5 R blue and green, 2 R brown and violet, 5 R blue and green, 10 R lilac and violet, 15 R green and brown, 25 R violet and blue.

Official Stamps

1866 Stamps of India with overprint "CHAMBA STATE" and additional overprint "SERVICE"

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green (two shades of green were issued)
  1 a brown
  1 a red 
  2 a blue
  2 a violet
  3 a orange
  4 a olive
  6 a brown
  8 a lilac
  12 a lilac on red
  1 R grey
  1 R red and green

Exists with misprint 'CHMABA', also 'SERV CE' or '8TATE' or '5ERVICE'.

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
3 p	*	*
1/2 a	*	*
1 a brown	*	*
1 a red	*	*
2 a blue	**	**
2 a violet	***	***
3 a	***	***
4 a	**	**
6 a	***	***
8 a	***	***
12 a	R	R
1 R grey	R	R
1 R red and green	R	R

Forged Fournier overprints taken from a 'Fournier Album' (reduced size)

The forger Oneglia lists in his 1906 pricelist a forgery of the 1 R grey stamp (both stamp and overprint are forged).

1903 King Edward VII, overprinted "SERVICE CHAMBA STATE"

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green (Postage)
  1/2 a green (Postage & Revenue)
  1 a red (Postage)
  1 a red (Postage & Revenue)
  2 a violet
  4 a olive
  8 a lilac
  1 R red and green

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
3 p	c	*
1/2 a	*	*	'POSTAGE'
1/2 a	**	**	'POSTAGE & REVENUE'
1 a	*	*	'POSTAGE'
1 a	***	**	'POSTAGE & REVENUE'
2 a	*	*
4 a	**	**
8 a	***	***
1 R	***	***

(What is this? 'CHAMBA STATE On H.M.S.'?)

1913 King George V with overprint "SERVICE" (small)

(Sorry, no image available yet)

  2 a violet
  4 a olive

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
2 a	RR	RR
4 a	RR	RR

1913 King George V with "SERVICE" broader and "CHAMBA STATE" (in two lines)

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green
  1 a red
  1 a brown
  2 a violet
  4 a olive
  8 a lilac
  1 R green and brown

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
3 p	c	c
1/2 a	*	c
1 a red	*	*
1 a brown	*	*
2 a	*	*
4 a	**	**
8 a	**	**
1 R	***	***

1915 Official stamp of India (King George) with "SERVICE" overprinted "CHAMBA"

(Sorry, no image availalbe yet)

  9 p on 1 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
9 p on 1 a	RR	?

1927 King George overprinted "SERVICE" and "CHAMBA STATE" ("CHAMBA STATE" in one line)

  3 p grey
  1/2 a green
  1 a brown
  2 a violet
  4 a olive
  8 a lilac
  12 a red
  1 R green and brown ('SERVICE' larger)
  2 R yellow and red 
  5 R lilac and blue
  10 R red and green

Later issues "CHAMBA" on official stamps of India with King George VI

The values 3 p grey, 1/2 a lilac, 1 a red, 1 1/2 a violet, 2 1/2 a violet and 8 a blue also received this overprint

1940? Postage stamps of India (King George VI) overprinted "CHAMBA STATE" in one line and "SERVICE" below

9 p green, 1 a red, 1 R brown and grey

1942 Postage stamps of India (King George VI) overprinted "CHAMBA SERVICE" in two lines

1 R brown and grey, 2 R brown and violet, 5 R blue and green, 10 R lilac and violet.

Postal stationery

Example:

Reduced size, circular postal stationary of India, with overprint "CHAMBA STATE" and a sun below it.