It’s always exciting to put together an Indian Stamps collection as there are so many fascinating varieties and themes to look into. This is mainly because India is one of the very few countries in the world which is multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual in nature. There is a rich diversity in every possible aspect, be it history, traditions, architecture, art, literature, wildlife, flora or natural wonders. We also have noted personalities and scholars who offered their contributions in various fields such as science, technology, astronomy, politics, social service and much more. Through the study of Indian Stamps, you can gain a lot of knowledge about these varied aspects about our country. Today, let’s take a look at some interesting stamps of India.

First Indian Stamp
When we talk about the first Indian stamps we need to look at two different issues. Firstly, we have the Scinde Dawk, which is not just the first Indian stamp but also the first stamps of entire Asia. Before the Scinde Dawk was introduced in the year 1852, runners used to deliver letters and they were paid based on the distance they travelled and the weight of letters. This old postal system was called as Dak. The Scinde Dawk was circulated in the Sindh region and was made of a red sealing wax with an embossed design. These Rare Indian Postage Stamps bearing the value one and half anna are sought after by collectors as only 100 such examples exist today. The first Indian stamp to be issued after independence was the one featuring the Indian tricolour and slogan “Jai Hind”. It was issued on 21st November 1947 and bore the value three and a half annas.

Rare Indian Postage Stamps
When we talk about rare Indian postage Stamps, the first example that comes to mind is the 10 Rupees Indian Postage stamp featuring Mahatma Gandhi that was issued on the 1st Anniversary of our independence, 15th August 1948. 100 such stamps were overprinted with the word “Service” and were officially handed over to the Governor General of India. These old Indian stamps have been sold for Lakhs of rupees by auction houses across the world.

Several unique stamps of India have been issued by our postal department over the years like the scented stamps featuring rose, coffee, sandalwood and jasmine. So, this is not the end, it’s just the beginning. There is much more to explore when you are building an Indian Stamps Collection!