PostmarksofExperimentalPostOfficesofIndia&States

AnIntroduction…(1886-1976)

byCarolj.EdholmISC-ROMPEX,May2018

Thecoverthatstarteditall….

IndiaPostalCircles(BritishIndia)

A--NorthWestProvinceCircle1839B--Bombay1774C--Bengal1774D--Bihar1877I--CentralIndia1879J--Rajputana(Rajpootana)Circle1871K--SindCircle1869L--PunjabCircle1860M--Madras1774N--CentralProvincesCircle1866O--OudhCircle1870R--BurmaCircle1861S--AssamCircle1873(changedtoGin1875)

By1914,Circlesweremerged,andothersadded:C--Bengal&AssamP--Bihar&OrissaB--Bombay(includingSind)R--BurmaN--CentralProvincesL--Punjab&NorthWestMorMS--Madras(Chennai)O--UttarPradesh

2necessaryBooks

Excellentinformationforanyonestudyingpostalhistory.

WhatisanExperimentalPostOffice?

•  AnExperimentalPostOfficeisopenedforaperiodof6monthsinareaswhereitappearsservicesareneeded.

•  Ifitgetsenoughbusiness,itbecomespermanent.

•  Ifitdoesnot,itcanbeextendedupto2yearsbeforeitismadepermanent,orclosed.

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

TypesofExperimentalCancels

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

•  A.O.=AnchalOffice;onlyinTravancore&CochinStates,whichlatermergedwithIndiaPost

•  B.O.=BranchOffice;lowerstatusthanS.O.Operatedbyshopkeepers,schoolmasters,hospitalattendants,etc.,foundinVillageoffices,grocerystores,etc.

Early19thcenturyExperimentalCancels

E=Experimental#1–IsthisanExperimental?Stillindispute.C=BengalCircle,60ContaiorHidjeletown#2--M=MadrasCircle,133Quilon#3--114Conjeevarum#4--A=NorthWestProvincesCircle,79Boodhana#5--O=OudhCircle,7??*Expt’lCancelsamplesbyMr.Northey;ISCNewsBulletin;January1961,p4

Unusual early experimental cancel from Nawanshahr.Knownas “Office” date stamp, for receipt anddespatch,and used on Unregistered articles (but not unpaid,registered, insured, money orders or other postalbusiness).IndiaPost,No048,Vol10,pg57

BookofPostmarksCancelsasshowninpostofficebooks(RajputanaPostalCircleexperimentalpostmarks)Cancelimpressionsmustbeclearanddistinct.Postmastermustinitialbookdaily.Noticeseveralvarietiesofexperimentalcancels.

Noinitialsonbackofpage,butsomedateswerecorrectedbypostmasterorclerkEXPTLP.O.J-1116=RajputanaPostalCircle;postofficecityunknown

ExperimentalP.O.

P.O.=AregularPostOffice,runbyPostmaster,witharegularsupportcrew

IncludesalltypesofMaildelivery

IncludesallservicesofanIndianPostOffice,includingFinancialservices

Myearliestcover

ExperimentalP.O./S-40/1-26-86(1886)S=AssamPostalCircle40=TonpongPlantationPostOffice(NEIndia)40=TingkongTeaPlantationpostofficeinDibrugarh,Assam

Secondcancel:Nagaur/NOV13/87

ExperimentalP.O.__18/NO.9/87(1887)

Nagaur,Marwar,BritishEastIndia,RajputanaPostalCircle(J).

ExperimentalP.O./B-6/30AUG‘98(1898)B=BombayPostalCircle 6=Parihar

AssamisinAssamPostalCircle(S)

ExperimentalP.O./C-21/16DE07(1907)C=BengalPostalCircle– incoming

Lenzie,NO28’07--??? ToSathi,India;WestChamparaninBiharPostalCircle(D);BengalusedCin1907

Lenzie,N.B.

Lenzie,N.B.NorthBritishRailwayservingLenzieandKirkinteillochinEastDunbartonshire,Scotland

ExperimentalP.O./M-681/31May08(1908)M=MadrasPostalCircle

Rasipuram3JU08–receivingcancel

TamilNaduState,MadrasPostalCircle(M)

ExperimentalP.O./A-463/28JUL41A=NWProvincesPostalCircle

463=Ghaziabad

ExperimentalP.O./MS-103/29APR42MS=MadrasPostalCircle103=Bangalore

Plentyofpostmarksshowingstopsalongtheway.

ExperimentalP.O./___/23Oct42Poonjar,Travancore/KeralaStateinsouthIndia.StillaFeudatorystate.PerPresidentLine=seriesofAmericanPresidentoceanliners

EXPTL.P.O./30JUN/1948/N-110.ToIndoreCityfromAmraotiinBerar/Nagpur,CentralProvincesPostalCircle.Reversecancel:IndoreCity/DELY/__JLY48

PostIndependenceExperimental

Cancels

EXPTLP.O./18SEP51/N-159N=CentralProvincesPostalCircleMilitarycoverwithTombstonePostageDue56BasePostOfficecancelExperimentalisnowabbreviatedEXPTL

EXPTLP.O./C-2251/4JAN57C=BengalPostalCircle2251=Howrah,WestBengalRegistrationlabel=DhalasimlainHowrahdistrict,WestBengal

ExperimentalP.O.B-545/9SEP65B-545=Poona,BombayPostalCircle

X=senditemviaSurfaceRoute,notAirMail

EXPTLP.O.__38or39/10Feb_2NewusagefromJammuinKashmireinOudhPostalCircle(O)

Othermarkings:FPONo.1652,FOAandCentralReservesPoliceForce–trainedinguerillawarfareforcounter-terrorism

Re-usedEXPTLcover

ExperimentalS.O.

ExperimentalS.O./5Nov1947/MS-100MS=MadrasPostalCircle100=ReddypalayamReddypalayamVillageBranchOfficeofAvadiPostSubOfficeincityofMadras,TamilNaduState,MadrasCircle

ExperimentalS.O./8APR1948/MS-103MS=MadrasPostalCircle103=Mysore,PrincelystateinBritishIndia

ExperimentalS.O./19Oct48/MS-95MS=MadrasPostalCircle

ExperimentalS.O./6DEC49/MS-123MS=MadrasPostalCircle

ExperimentalS.O./6JAN1950/MS-199MS=MadrasPostalCircle

199=Rajahmundry,

SouthIndia,Andhra

Pradesh,Hyderabad

State,MadrasPostalCircle

EXPTL.S.O./BG-83onRegistrationlabel.Bangalore,MadrasPostalCircle

RegistrationLabelandCanceleraredifferentsizetype,butbothareBG-83.Bothoutforrepairs?WhatPostalCirclenormallyusesBG?Forthiscover,MadrasPostalCircle.

REG/28263/JaipurCity

EXPTL.S.O./18SEP71/MS-22182218=TiruchirappalliDistrict,StateofTamilNadu,MadrasPostalCircle(MS)

ExperimentalA.O.A.O.=AnchalOffice(meansArea/CircleinHindiorPOSTinMalayalam).AllfromCochin/Travancore/KeralainMadrasPostalCircle(M/MS)

ExperimentalA.O./No./24CHI118Reverse:Quilon23-1-118AllA.O.cancelshaveT.A.D.atbottomofcancel=TravancoreAnchalDepartment

ExperimentalAnchalOffice/No.16/11MEF112/TravanacoreReversewritten:12/10.8.112Village(orBranch)Office

ExperimentalA.O./23SEP50/T.A.D.AfterTravancorenolongerFeudatoryState.CancelallinEnglish

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

ExperimentalP.O./4JUL57(Lookslike54,butis57)NoPostalCircledesignationMailedfromJaranwala,Lyallpur/FaisalabadDistrict,WestPakistan(KP)

ExperimentalP.O.DA-206DA=Dacca,EastPakistanGair/B.O./8FEB59/Chittagong=SEBangladesh

ExperimentalP.O.KP-61/21FEB64Quetta,WestPakistan