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

26 It is a scarce stamp on cover; used it is more commonly found with the cancellation of the British post office at Srinagar, usually showing later type cancellations, probably most often from parcels. 8 anna red –SG 101–. This stamp passes through a number of shades, though they do not appear to indicate chronological use, varying from scarlet vermilion through various shades of red to rose. The fact that this stamp was recorded in the Philatelist for 1 November 1867 would appear to indicate that it was on sale not later than the end of September 1867. Since it has the highest value, one is tempted to believe that this single-die stamp was the last to be produced and therefore all other values had appeared earlier. Varieties can be found tête-bêche. A number of blocks exist; one of six in the Tapling collection shows the right hand stamps in the second and third rows inverted in relation to the other four. Such blocks are almost invariably found used, usually with the 5 over L-6 duplex Kashmir cancellation. Frequently these blocks show an impression of having been attached to a canvas, no doubt to large canvas covered parcels. SG 101b to 168a, Jammu & Kashmir New Rectangulars May 1878 to 1894 For the New Rectangulars seven plates in all were engraved—one of 1 / 8 anna denomination, two of ¼ anna, one each of ½ anna, 1 anna and 2 annas (all of these being single-denomination plates) and one composite plate containing the 4 annas and 8 annas. All plates were separately hand-engraved as previously, and give a combined total of 113 distinct types of stamps. Of these the 1 / 8 annawas not issued until some five years after the other denominations; and fromone—the second ¼ anna plate—no stamps were ever put into use. The engraver of the Old Rectangulars, Rahat Ju, was again employed except for the second (unissued) plate of the ¼ anna and the high-value composite plate, these two having been entrusted, for some reason unknown, to a different engraver whose name has never been disclosed. If we may judge from the composite plate, all plates would seem to have been made up in order to fit the perforating machines instead of (as ordinarily) making the perforators fit the plates. The “A” machine was capable of perforating 15-subject plates with five horizontal rows, each of three subjects, while the “B” machine could perforate 20-type sheets containing five rows of four. The Composite plate, however, contained 16 subjects only—eight each of 4 annas and 8 annas, and this was brought up to 20-type size by dividing each group of eight by a central horizontal row of four blank spaces and, thereby, rendered suitable for perforation by the “B “ machine. The unissued ¼ anna plate was of 12 subjects only, but long before this plate was engraved, perforation had definitely been abandoned. Plate Type of Plate 1 / 8 anna Single 15-type (of stamps) ¼ anna (issued) Single 15-type (of stamps) ¼ anna (unissued) Single 12-type (of stamps) ½ anna Single 15-type (of stamps) 1 anna Single 20-type (of stamps) 2 anna Single 20-type (of stamps) 4 + 8 annas Composite 16-type (of stamps) It may be stated, broadly, that all plates were, in the first instance, affixed to their beds by small marginal rivets only, some of which gave impressions in printing. At a later period the plates were disbedded and re-fixed by other rivets or screws, the heads of all of which produced impressions in the printing. The primitive Circular and Old Rectangular issues were followed, in May 1878, by a modern, well-executed issue, the so-called New Rectangulars. They were no longer printed in watercolours or cloggy oil colours, but In printer’s ink, which resulted in much clearer impressions. The native paper was replaced with European papers of good quality. The various denominations were printed in sheets of individually engraved clichés. The initial printings were in Red—the standard colour for Jammu—followed by Slate Violet, Blue and similar shades, for use in Kashmir. The New Rectangular issues contain printings in black, intended for official use. The old seal cancellations were soon replaced with more modern devices. New Rectangular Stamps