Postage
Stamps of Jammu and Kashmir
by Chander M. Bhat
A Collection of J&K Postage Stamps
Post in Jammu and Kashmir existed as early as 1820. This was carried by
runners. Jammu and Kashmir had both joint and separate stamps on issue
concurrently in 1866-77. All the issues were inscribed in native script only.
Separate stamps issued in Jammu and Kashmir discontinued on 1st Nov. 1894. The
then Poonch, a feudatory state tributary to Jammu and Kashmir had it own postal
system and separate stamps were used by this part of the region till 1894.
From 1866 to 1878 Jammu and Kashmir stamps were printed by hand in black, blue,
red, green and yellow watercolours. All of these stamps were printed at the
Jammu printing works, with supplies for use in Kashmir sent there periodically.
The blue watercolours show a considerable variety of different shades. Stamps
were printed in small batches as required using a mixture of pigments, which was
virtually impossible to reproduce exactly. Individual prints may have the paint
thickly applied or more of less watery, so that the general appearance of
different stamps from the same issue may vary. As with the blue watercolours,
the red and orange watercolour issues exhibit a variety of different shades and
the pigment colour shade can usually be used to identify the period of printing
and use of these stamps.
The first use of the orange shade was for the 1a Kashmir old rectangular, when
the ½a and 1a composite plate was split in July 1867. Red watercolours were
introduced in 1868 for the Kashmir 8as single die and the earliest date for the
Jammu old rectangulars is May 1868. Printing in red watercolours with periodic
limited issues in orange continued for the Jammu old rectangulars until the
introduction of the oil colours in about June 1877. The 1a and 8as Kashmir
rectangular continued to be used until the introduction of the new rectangular
designs in May 1878. The 4as circular was the highest value printed for use in
Jammu and the ½a and 1a circulars were occasionally used to supplement temporary
shortages of the Jammu rectangular, although it is possible that they were
originally printer’s trail for the rectangular.
All the above stamps were in use till 1st November 1894.
A Collection of J&K Postage Stamps
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