2016-10-28 Fri

Revenue stamps of British India are unique philatelic items that have proved an interesting and popular collecting subject.

In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, British India was divided between areas directly ruled by the British. For the betterment of administration, few revenue stamps were issued. The revenue stamps were according to the standardized designs but a little larger than postage stamps of the same period.

They not only make for attractive issues in themselves but also open the world of Colonial administration in all its glorious complexity! Court fees were at first intended to be paid using so-called 'stamped paper'. The printing machinery, however, could not keep up with demand, and it was decided to create special 'Court Fees' stamps instead, thus creating a wonderful blend of colonial administration and local application.

The stamps are a mixture of beautifully engraved works produced by De La Rue and other important security printers. The vast territory of India has given us perhaps the largest range of revenue stamps, depicting the monarchs of the British Empire.