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

19 The 1 anna on the plate occupied the left lower corner, the remaining three types being those of ½ anna denominations. All four types, having been separately engraved, differ from each other in their details. Stamps from this Plate, as in the case of the plates and dies engraved for Kashmir, shew, in the lower part of the inner oval, the Dogra year 1923 which is the equivalent of 1866. SG 52 to 59 (September 1867, for use in Jammu) SG 54 (Lot 10075) SG 56 (Lot 10078) SG 59 (Lot 10086) SG 52 and 53 (September 1867, ½ anna and 1 anna greyish-black, Watercolour on Native Paper) The earliest known date of use is September 13th, 1867, and the shade of black is that of the first circulars: there can be little doubt but that both were printed side-by-side, The stamps are rare, having been quickly withdrawn from use, and superseded by printings to blue, in order to avoid confusion with the and ½ and 1 anna rectangulars of the Kashmir Province which were also being printed in black. The duration of this issue can scarcely have exceeded one or two weeks. SG 54 to 59 {September 1867–May 1868, ½ anna and 1 anna Blue (shades) Watercolour on Native Paper} This issue lasted for some eight months until May, 1868. The stamps are scarce in unused condition, but, when used, are far more common than any of the preceding black issue, whether used or unused, a fact not appreciated by present catalogues. An analysis of a very large amount of material in the Masson, Sefi, and other important collections proves that the old colour-divisions of indigo, deep ultramarine and violet-blue possess but little importance and are perfectly useless for providing the basis of a chronological sequence of printings. The indigo is somewhat more violet than true indigo and varies, as does ultramarine in intensity; while the so-called “violet-blue” is merely a rather pale and warm shade of Indigo and all three shades are found used at all period of the issue. It is not, of course, suggested that differences of shade should be ignored by collectors, since such shades show very clearly the results of numerous small “hand-to-mouth” printings, sufficient for immediate requirements. The shades, however, most certainly do not indicate distinct printings, made at definite periods. SG 60 to 65 (1868 May, red—shades—for use in Jammu) SG 61 (Lot 10089) SG 62 (Lot 10091) SG 64 (Lot 10096) SG 60 to 63 (May 1868 to 1872, ½ anna and 1 anna red and orange-red in Watercolour on Native Paper) Masson gave the date of the first red issue as June, 1868, but his collection showed no example used until 1869. It is significant also that, though both Circulars and Rectangulars were printed in the same pigments, Masson should have given 1869 as the date of the first red Circular stamps (Gibbons now lists the first reds as used in May 1868). Of these, the orange-red is rare, particularly in the 1 anna, and the colour is, at times, very brilliant and distinctive. It occurred, however, at various times during the duration of the issue, and does not characterise a single well- defined printing. The red stamps are the commonest, whether used or unused, of all the Jammu Rectangulars. Strips of three are known, skewing the 1 anna as the central stamp, this being caused by two plate-impressions having been made without a space between them. As In the case of the preceding blue issue, these stamps are also known to have been used from the Kashmir Province.