Indian Princely States - Jammu & Kashmir A Selection from the Dan Walker Collection June 12, 2018

15 Cancels Srinagar Round Seal (1) Srinagar Round Seal (2) Jammu Iron- Mine Seal Jammu Round Seals with and without outer ring The Srinagar Round Seal (1) – March 1866 This seal cancel was introduced in 1866 with the stamps, and was used at the public post office of Srinagar. It wore out very quickly in its early years. The inscription reads “Zarb Srinagar”—“Srinagar Strike” (very rare and appears as unreadable solid circle). The Srinagar Round Seal (2) (the main Srinagar cancel) – 1866 This brick-red pigment seal cancel served as a chief obliterator for more than a decade (1866 to 1879) but printed in black from 1877 till November 1879. The Inscription reads munshi dak Srinagar—Official Post Srinagar. This is the 2nd Srinagar Seal usually mistaken for seal 1, which it is not (like the above cancel appears as unreadable solid circle). The Jammu Round Seal (with and without outer ring) – April 1866 The above seals in magenta were used from April 1866 and discontinued in May 1868, the same month that Jammu Reds were first used. It was also struck in black (1868-70) after which it was replaced by the Jammu iron- mine seal. It was thus a considerably shorter-lived implementation than the Srinagar seal. The inscription reads “Jammun dak khane”—“Jammu Post Office”. It was also used as in a form of a transit marking. The impression is somewhat typical smudged. The Jammu Iron-Mine Seal – April 1870 The seal was produced in 1858, some six years before the beginning of the State stamps, but perhaps put into use in 1870 (mid-April). This seal served as a chief obliterating cachet in the Jammu post office for more than nine consecutive years, yet the seal on stampless covers is scarce. The Jammu Iron-Mine seal is 19 x 19 mm with corners tapered-in. This marking is known as “Jammu Square”, the “black square”, “the Jammu Iron-mine” or even “Iron-mine” (even though its corners were truncated to form a kind of octagon). It replaced the Jammu circular seal that was being struck in black at this time (and indeed since that summer of 1868). The inscription reads “mohr-e kan-e Jammu 1915”—‘Seal of the Iron Mine of Jammu 1858 AD’. The usage was discarded from August or September 1879, during the early New Rectangular period. Stamps SG 1 to 5a (First Issues, 23 March 1866, handstamped in water colour on native paper) SG 1 (Lot 10000) SG 3 (Lot 10015) The first issue of the circulars. which was intended for use in both the Province of Jammu and the Province of Kashmir, was printed in watercolours {on native paper} and comprised the following stamps: ½a. 1a. Grey Black (March 1866-September 1867) 1a. Royal Blue (March 1866-April 1866) ½a. 1a. 4a. Ultramarine (April 1866-May 1867)