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Hello all,

There is a fantastic thread related to the "Uglies" and I would like to do something similar with Indian state revenue stamps and stamped papers.

So, in the next I would like to introduce states in alphabetical order.

The first state is Ajaigarh.

Ajaigarh was located in Central India agency, with 802 sq. miles area and about 85,000 inhabitants.

Ajaigarh issued both adhesive revenue stamps and stamped papers.

From Adhesives several series are known, some of them show state coat-of-arms.

Here are depicted some examples:



This is most common type - Court Fee KM Type 5



This Court Fee is much scarcer.

Next state will be Akalkot.

Great idea, Ikanek! I look forward to further instalments - particularly Barwani

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Interesting field.

I bought that huge priced book decades ago on these by Koepells and Manners or something like that.

Never knew there were so many!

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Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

Thanks to Tony and Glen.

Akalkot was located in Bombay Residency. Akalkot had an area of 498 square miles, with about 90,000 inhabitants.

Akalkot issued Court Fees, Receipts and Stamped papers.

The first series of Court Fees bears the inscription Akalkot state. The flag exists in several sizes (not mentioned in KM). Note that this Court Fee is unused



The second Court Fee series used changed spelling of state, now being Akalkat state. Note the doubling of red color (the flag and denomination).



Both the flags´ series are known with at least 2 perforation gauges and also there are several papers.

The third series included the flag in design and was not printed in second operation as opposed to the first two designs.



The forth and fifth series are smaller in size and bear inscription Akalkot state or Akalkat state respectively. The forth series is known with perfin Specimen.



The fifth Series:



The sixth Series is for Receipts.



Stamped papers from this state are also hard-to-find pieces (and from Ajaigarh much more difficult to find).

Keep up the good work ikanek, looking forward to see more.
Grant

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Some things get better with practice,except for getting up each morning.

Kishanghar SG Type 13 overprinted "Stamp Office - Kishanghar." Are these overprints listed in KM as revenues?

Maptrekker, I think the 'Stamp Office' is just a fiscal cancellation, but I'll defer to Ikanek, who knows these issues intimately.

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Maptrekker,
Tony is right that these "overprints" are only cancellations which denote fiscal use. For Kishangarh several types of such "cancels" exist. Except the cancels such revenues of Kishangarh bear also serial number written by hand in Hindi or English numerals and sometimes also additional text and/or punch hole.

But there is one exception. On this type one could find the small overprint for use in the Rajasthan state reading Sa Ra Sarkar (for more details please see Koeppel-Manner´s handbook). If you don't have this book I could post you scan of this overprint.

Thanks to both of you for setting me straight.

The cancellations I have seen are so perfectly centered that they look like they were placed on the stamps while they were still in sheet form.

Who knew that the Uglies used precancels - albeit fiscal?

The fiscal cancellations were indeed applied in the sheet form before affixing them on various documents. Most of them are well centered, generally applied by handstamp in shades of violet and red. However, the use of other colors is possible.

Similar precancels are also all overprints for use in union states of Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and many more.

On the Court Fee stamps also some additional data were applied before use - this is valid mainly for signatures of rulers, dewans (prime ministers) or stamp superintendants.

One precancel is also known for early Afghanistan stamp ("tiger heads").

"Stamp Office Kishangarh" handstamp is not a pre-cancel. Quoting KM-

"...'Stamp Office Kishangarh' which was applied prior to the release of the stamps for revenue use. The overprint then was not a precancel but specifically authorised use of the stamp for fiscal purposes."

Stamps of Kishangarh are primarily postal-fiscals. I believe this particular handstamp de-validated a stamp from postal use, making it a fiscal. However, I have seen at least one cover franked with 1 anna Yagnarayan Singh issue having the violet "Stamp Office Kishangarh" handstamp. This I believe is a casual usage and does not confirm postal usage of fiscal stamp...

Anyone....?

I would think a casual, accidental usage caused by oversight. I've seen two Barwani covers with Devi Singh 1 Anna red Revenues used as postage. One was refused, but the other passed through the post.

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

I am trying to study the stamps of Kishangarh in detail, at least the revenue stamps. But I also want to explore the postal fiscal nature of most of these issues. I have little to no knowledge about the postal stamps and postal history of Kishangarh, and frankly speaking without any guide to see me through the process, I don't see any chance of understanding these issues anytime soon? Can anyone help?

Are you a member of the India Study Circle? Looking through the archive CD of India Post, the Circle's journal, I found a number of articles that deal with the revenues and revenue use of stamps of Kishangarh. If you aren't yet a member, I'd strongly recommend it, for all aspects of the philately of what was British India. The Circle's Web site is at http://www.indiastudycircle.org/index.html

I know a number of collectors specialize in the postal issues, but I've always shied away from Kishangarh a bit, partly for the very reasons that attract you to it

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Digging around in the bottom of a cupboard for some Nepal just now, I discovered these



Does anyone have any idea of their value, if any?

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Tony, you have blocks of 4 of revenue stamps of Sikkim state. They were issued around 1940´s. KM lists them under KM 153 and 154, respectively. Their catalogue value is 340 US$, but their retail would be in 15-20 USD range.

Thanks for that quick reply, Ikanek. I think I acquired them some years ago in a mixed lot of Indian and Indian States stamps - mostly postage issues. I put these Sikkim, and the Indian stamps away, and forgot about them.

As they are of no use to me, but might be of use to someone else, I think I will put them up for sale here.

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

That reminds me of these revenues I have. The central picture looks like the Siva Mahadeva issues of Nepal and I can made out Nepal (नेपाल) on them. Anyone know their purpose.

I have several of them with combinations of 6-pointed stars, and with oval and rectangular seals.

Tony,
I was a member of the ISC but my membership lapsed. Need to re-join asap.
I have recently purchased the complete back issues of India Post, although I know it is now available in CD. Going through pages of paper gives a better feel than going through scanned images.
I hope to receive the bulky lot sometime this week. Let's see what wealth of information unfolds. But i do agree ISC is really helpful for the India collector.

Zarif

PS: Ikanek, do I seem familiar?

Zarif, I just hope you get an index to the India Posts! I don't think I'd like to try to tackle them without one.

And do rejoin the ISC. I dropped out for around 10 years before rejoining several years ago - and a very wise move it was, too.

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Yup got the index alright

Maptrekker, you are right, these revenues are from Nepal.
The inscriptions reads as follows:

At top - Shri Pashupatenath
At both sides - the same - Nalees Dastur (both words means law)
At the bottom - Nepal Sarkar (Nepal Service) and the lowest panel contains Moharu (Price) and denomination.

From this I think these are all used for Court Fees. The first one is 9 rupees and the second is 75 paisa.

Tony,
yes, revenues were sometimes used for postage purposes. But this may be by overlooking and/or sudden lack of postage stamps.
I have seen one Gwalior small revenue stamp attached with 2 normal postage stamps to a postcard.

Dear Zarif,

yes I think we exchanged several emails. I think, Mewar was your major interest?

Will you have an exhibit on the revenues in Stampmania 2009?
One friend of mine will show Bonai state revenues which I want to exhibit on 5-frames.

Thanks for the Nepali translations. Great information.

Yes we did exchange a few emails. Mewar was my major interest back then now its Kishangarh, although I am keen on Mewar still.
Unfortunately, no I have no exhibit for Stampmania 2009. Where is it being held?
I would love to see your exhibit on Bonai. 5 frames of Bonai should be something worth a look!

Zarif

Stampmania 2009 is the stamp show which will be held 17-20 December 2009 in Vadodara (Baroda) city. Further information

http://www.stampmania2009.com

For the Bonai state exhibit I still need some missing items, but especially documents with handstamped or machine stamp types.

Hello,
I have this fascination for the Indian Princely States, especially those of Rajasthan. As a child I read a detective novel by Satyajit Ray (yes he wrote books, directed cinema...even designed a stamp i think) about a mystery set back in Bikaner.
I was hooked!
I like fiscals, mostly because few people collect them. Princely States provide a plethora of material to study and doesn't tax on the wallet. But the most attractive feature of these issues is the crudeness. Many attribute these stamps (and their postal cousins) as 'uglies'. Well ugly they may be but I, for one am not complaining.
It was several years ago that I bought a Kishangarh document because of the large franking that I found wonderful. I inquired with the seller if he had more...and DID HE!
I have since bought a lot of materials but only recently started to study them.
I wish to post materials from my collection in this board for the readership to comment on and help analyze these mysterious issues.

Zarif

Hosting pics is more difficult than I thought. Will do so...soon.

I must agree with you. It was also for me love on the first sight.
I love predominantly the crudest issues (the uglies of uglies). But I must say that all states have at least some interesting issues.
For example, Mewar bi-colored issues (normal currency) is very complicated area and many printings and settings exist. Also, the key overprint found on most of them and applied for Rajasthan use exist either handstamped (but not so often as reported) or typographed. In the typographed key overprints there are at least 2 settings and many interesting printing varieties do exist.
Kishangarh also issued interesting series. So, I would like to help to collectors with identification which is still in the beginnings. Unfortunately, nearly none dealer takes care about identification (as compared with precise descriptions in stamp catalogs).

The next state is Alipura.

Alipura issued only one series of Court Fees and one series of Revenue stamps (general purpose).

Court Fee series:



On some of the Court Fee stamps is handstamp indicating use in Charkhari state (not yet reported) - in the centre:





Revenue stamp series:



Also, one type of stamped papers is known:

I am a little confused here. Can anyone suggest a free web space that is meant for the layman?

I am using Photobucket service which is easy to use, especially insertion of pictures in this forum is very easy.

Why do i keep on getting this message whenever i try uploading an image?

"It was not possible to determine the dimensions of the image."

Have you tried this?

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=284

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Jiri, have you seen the catalogue for the next Gärtner auction? It has a lot of Bonai, although it doesn't look very exciting, as well as some other lots of States revenues.

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Tony, yes, but I have them already. I would buy them if they will be on full documents. And he has some interesting lots.

Jiri,
Looking forward to your comments on the Kishangarh thread.

Zarif

Jiri, why so silent?

Zarif, not so much time. Moreover, I don't feel very well, some bacillus is trying to bang me.

Alirajpur (Ali Rajpur) had an area of 836 square miles and population of 101,963 inhabitants in 1931.

Several series of adhesives and stamped papers were issued. Unfortunately, I don't have scans of all types recorded.

Three regular and one provisional series were issued for Court Fees.

The first type from 1931, many values are known:



This type was used up to 1946.

The second type was the same except there was blank value tablet.

The third type used redrawn portrait of ruler. There are two printings known, they differ in spelling in value panels (Anna or Anne, Rupya or Rupye), many values are known, usage between 1947-1950.



Three series, each of the same denomination of 1 anna, are known for Documentary (or General revenues).
All types bear portrait of ruler Raja Sir Pratap Singh. The first two are from 1930´s.





The last adhesive is from 1940´s:



The stamped papers were issued in two types, the following type was used for revenue or court fees (for court fees small handstamp with Court Fee was applied):



One handstamped series is also known.

Nice! Some documents would spice up the thread...i am a sucker for usage-fiscal or postage

The Alirajpur items are very nice. I've always kept an eye on Alirajpur, as it was a neighbour of Dhar and Barwani, which both issued postage stamps. Might Alirajpur be another Dungarpur or Shahpura ...

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

I will try to add some more documents but I dont have many from these states right now.

New discoveries are possible, but I think that new state service with postage stamp is not so much probable. Maybe one possibility is to find some cover with Baraundha state? I have only 3 essays and 1 document with Court Fee stamp (very rare ).
Different situation is with revenues, I discovered about 5 states or districts which are not cataloged in KM.

Well, I have always thought that the Mewar 'masul chuka' labels were postage stamps! food for though...

Just about all the States did maintain their own postal systems for government mails. Barwani had ten State post offices in the early 1900s - before they were opened to the public some time around 1917. The question is when did the methods these State post offices used to indicate 'postage paid' cross over the line and become 'postage stamps'?

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu

Well, I can only speak for Mewar. The 'masul chuka' labels were used as 'seals' that showed prepayment of postage. Now, the postal rates of Mewar were fixed. So they indicated a specific 'rate'. Its like the priority mail labels, or first class rates that some of the modern postal agencies used. Now are these postage stamp? The question is open for interpretation.

I've thought Mewar was eminently collectible since I first read about it years ago in India Post. I don't think you'll get Gibbons to list it, just as they won't list, say, Rajkot. (Kotah will be the next to gain listing, I'd think.) That will restrict the market for Mewar and Rajkot to the connoisseurs, but so what? Gibbons only lists 'Wide' and 'Narrow' settings of the 1932-48 stamps of Barwani, but that doesn't stop me from collecting all nine settings

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'First I'll steal all the money, then I'll kill everybody, and then I'll go away', Père Ubu