ExperimentalPostmarksofIndiaAnIntroduction…

ByCarolj.EdholmApril2015

BriefHistoryofIndiaPost•  BritishEastIndiaCompanysetuppostofficesinMumbai,Chennai&Calcutta–governmentuseonly,1764

•  March1774–Postalservicesopentopublic.2 annas (1/8 Rupee) delivery fee up to 100milesdistance

•  PostOfficeAct1837gaveIndiagovnm’trightstomovemailthroughEICterritory

FirstPostageStampofIndia

1July18521/2aScindeDistrictDawk

ActXVIIof1854

•  Outlineduniformpostageratesbasedonweightanddistance

•  Recommended Instruction Manual for postalsystem/employeesforsystemuniformity

Firststamp…

FirstStampissuedunderthenewAct:

•  1/2avermillionQueenVictoria–neversoldtopublic.

•  Nextissues1/2a,1a,2a&4awentonsaleOctober

EndofEICReign

•  ControlbyEastIndiaCompanyended1858•  IndiaCrownColonyruledbyParliament•  British Government controlled stamps until1865,whenIndiastartedprintingherown

•  MemberofUPU1876•  Member of APPU 1964 (Asia Pacific PostalUnion)

•  Today,IndiaoperatesunderIndianPostOfficeAct1898

PrincelyStates

•  IndiaStatesnotruledbyBritishGovernment•  652PrincelyStatesentered into treatieswithBritishMonarchy.Mostdidnotissuestamps.

•  2typesofStatesissuedtheirownstamps:

ConventionStates(6)EnteredintoagreementwithIndiaPosttoprovidepostalserviceswithintheirterritories(States).TheyusedIndiastampswiththeirStatesoverprintedChamba,Faridkot,Gwalior,Jind,Nabha&Patiala

FeudatoryStates(36)

Operatedtheirownpostalservicesandissuedtheirownstamps,onlyvalidwithintheirStates.MailgoingoutsideFeudatoryterritoryhadtohaveadditionalIndiastamps.SomeoftheseFeudslaterbecameConventionStates.

JaipurState(Feudatory)

N-7=ChomuinJaipurState,Nov1941

IndiaIndependenceAct1947

SeparatedBritishIndiaintotwo(2)countries:1.  Pakistan(August14)

2.  India(August15)

LargestPostalNetworkinWorld

•  In1947,therewere23,344postoffices•  2009,therewereover1,055,015postoffices•  1,039,144(89.76%)inruralareas•  Eachpostofficeservesaverage21.21sqkmand7,175people

IndiaPostalCircles•  A--NorthWestProvinceCircle1839•  B–Bombay1774•  C--Bengal1774•  D--Bihar1877•  I--CentralIndia1879•  J–Rajputana(Rajpootana)Circle1871•  K--SindCircle1869•  L--PunjabCircle1860•  M–Madras1774•  N--CentralProvincesCircle1866•  O--OudhCircle1870•  R--BurmaCircle1861•  S--AssamCircle1873(changedtoGin1875)

By1914,Circlesweremerged,andothersadded:•  C--Bengal&Assam•  P--Bihar&Orissa•  B--Bombay(includingSind)•  R--Burma•  N–CentralProvinces•  MorMS–Madras(Chennai)•  L--Punjab&NorthWest•  O--UttarPradesh

DZNSFrom1947to1997,IndiadevelopedtheDeliveryZoneNumberingSystemwhereeachDeliveryPostOfficewasgivenaNumber.Trialsstartedin1946–Bombay,Calcutta,Delhi&Madras.Thenexpandedfromthere:Example:

Bangalore–1stJanuary1948Zone1–BangaloreHeadOfficeZone2–BangaloreCityZone3–MalleswaramZone4–Baswangudietc.

6-digitPINIndia’sPostalIndexNumber(PINorPINcode)started15August1972;stillusedtoday*Toimprovemaildelivery*Dividedinto9regionsofIndia

FirstDigit Region StatesCovered

1 Northern Delhi,Haryana,Punjab,HimachalPradeshandJammu&Kashmir

2 Northern UttarPradeshandUttaranchal

3 Western RajasthanandGujarat

4 Western Maharashtra,MadhyaPradeshandChattisgarh

5 Southern AndhraPradeshandKarnataka

6 Southern KeralaandTamilNadu

7 Eastern WestBengal,OrissaandNorthEastern

8 Eastern BiharandJharkand

9 APS ArmyPostalService

PINsample7341017=EasternRegion(WestBengal,Orissa&NorthEasternProvinces)73=WestBengalCircle734=sortingdistrict101=individualpostofficeSearchbroughtup:

DarjeelingCourtS.O.;non-delivery,DarjeelingDivision,NorthBengal&SikkimRegion,WestBengalCircle,DarjilingDistrict,WestBengalState.

Also:BhanugramS.O.;DarjeelingH.O.(delivery);BhutiaBustyS.O.;DarjeelingBazarS.O.andRoseBankS.O.(allnon-deliveryexceptH.O.)

https://data.gov.in/catalog/all-india-pincode-directory#web_catalog_tabs_block_10OR

http://www.indiapost.gov.in/pinsearch.aspx

WhatisanExperimentalPostOffice?•  AnExperimentalPostOfficeisopenedforaperiodof6monthsinareaswhereitappearsservicesareneeded.

•  Ifitgetsenoughbusiness,itbecomespermanent.

•  Ifitdoesnot,itisextendedupto2yearsbeforeitismadepermanent,orclosed.

In1950’s,800–1,000officeswereopenedeachyear;lessnow.

TypesofExperimentalCancels

•  P.O.=PostOffice(Head),regularwithdelivery•  S.O.=SubOffice(subordinate),accountstoHeadOffice

•  A.O.=AnchalOffice;onlyinTravancoreState•  B.O.=BranchOffice;lowerstatusthanS.O.Operatedbyshopkeepers,schoolmasters,hospitalattendants,etc.,foundinVillageoffices,Nativepostoffice,grocerystores,etc.

•  T.M.O.=TransmitMailOffice;branchofRailwayMailService;closedbagsarereceivedanddispatched.Nolettersorting.

EarlyExperimentalCancellationsE=Experimental#1–IsthisanExperimental?Stillindispute.C=BengalCircle,60ContaiorHidjeletownM=MadrasCircle,133Quilon;114ConjeevarumA=NorthWestProvincesCircle,79BoodhanaO=OudhCircle,7??

2necessaryBooks

EarlyIndianCancellationsandPostmarks1852–1884byW.Renouf;IndiaStudyCircle(nophotoofcover)

BookofPostmarks

ExperimentalP.O.

P.O.=AregularPostOffice,runbyPostmaster,witharegularcrewbelowhim.AlltypesofMaildeliveryIncludesallservicesofanIndianPostOffice,includingFinancialservices

B-6B=BombayCircle6=Parihar

M-681M=MadrasCircle

A-463A=NWProvincesCircle

463=Ghaziabad

MS-103MS=MadrasCircle103=Bangalore

C-2251C=BengalCircle2251=Howrah

AbbreviatedExperimentalP.O.

N-159N=CentralProvincesCircle

S-40S=AssamCircle40=TonpongPlantationPostOffice

C-21C=BengalCircle

B-545=Poona,BombayX=SurfacenotAir

ExperimentalS.O.

MS=MadrasCircle

MS=MadrasCircle

MS-199 MS=MadrasCircle 199=Rajahmundry, SouthIndia,Andhra Pradesh,Hyderabad State,MadrasCircle

MS-100MS=MadrasCircle100=ReddypalayamReddypalayamVillageBranchOfficeofAvadiPostSubOfficeincityofMadras,TamilNaduState,MadrasCircle

MS-2218TiruchirappalliDistrict,StateofTamilNadu

MadrasCircle

ExperimentalA.O.A.O.=AnchalOffice(meansArea/CircleinHindiorPOSTinMalayalam).AllfromKeralaCircle.

AllA.O.cancelshaveT.A.D.atbottomofcancel=TravancoreAnchalDepartment.

No.16=BranchOffice

ReceivedinAdoor,KeralaCircle

PakistanFirstPakistanExptlPOcover=Guadur4-17-1868underBombayCircle.PermanentPostOffice1-30-1869GuadurwastransferredtoSindCircleApril1869,thenbacktoBombayCircle1879Indiastampsuseduntil1947,thenPakistanstampswhenitbecameaseparatecountry.NoreportsofExperimentalcancelsOct1947–Sept1958.K-1DisbursingOffice(Karachi)ofSindCircle4=GuadarHeadOfficeundercontrolofKarachiL=LahoreK=KarachiC=Calcutta;laterbecameD=Dacca

ReceivingOffice

No.1=ReceivingOffice

DA=Dacca,EastPakistan206=???Chittagong=SEBangladesh

Dubai

K-77Sharjahmail.K-46Dubaimail.Purposemilitarymail,butfoundoncivilianmail.

KuwaitOverprintedIndiastamps(Kuwait)usedduringWWII.May1941,regularIndiastampsonKuwaitmailhadSUPDT.OFPOSTOFFICES–PERSIANGULFcachet--usedtodisguiseKuwaitmailforsecurityreasons.CancelusedJune25,41untilAug9,41.

ThecachetandEXPTLcancelwerewithdrawninOctober1941,andthiscancelwasthenused;firstrecordedusageNovember1,1941

ExperimentalCancellationsarealsofoundoncoversfromTibetandBurma.Idonotyethaveany.