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

27 Another new feature was perforation. However, the perforating machines appear to have had a very short life, and were subsequently abandoned. Very few perforated sheets have survived, and the only perforated stamp known on cover is the½anna. All perforated Issues (and all Imperforates issuedprior toApril 1881) were printed in JammuCity. New Rectangular and Official Stamp Paper The 1878-1881 issues of the new rectangulars were printed on a great variety of papers. The earliest printings are on European laid papers of varying thickness, horizontally as well as vertically laid. From the middle of 1878, wove papers of different kinds were also used. Three grades of thickness may be distinguished: “thick” or more than 0.005”; “thin” or less than 0.002”; and the remainder which is generally about 0.004”. The three grades can be distinguished relatively easily without measuring them. The thick paper is very thick, and relatively uncommon, the 2 anna value being the least uncommon. The thin wove of the definitive Issue of 1879 is often flimsy and toned, and is very common. The medium wove paper is neither as thick as the former, nor as thin as the hitter, and relatively uncommon. The wove papers used from 1879 onward can be divided into two kinds: fine smooth grayish toned, and coarse rough yellowish toned. These paper varieties continued throughout the early issues of the new rectangular period, and as they often overlap with each other and with other varieties. they have no further chronological significance within the period 1879-1881. SG 101b to 104b (¼ anna to 2 annas ordinary white laid paper and rough perforation 10 to 12) SG 104 (Lot 10178) Perforation was adopted for sheets of three by five stamps (for the ¼ and ½ anna values, and later for the 1 / 8 anna), and for sheets of four by five (for the 1 and 2 anna values). A perforation pattern was included in the design of the ½ anna stamp, which was probably printed and issued first, since it was always in greatest demand. The gouge size, though rough, was 10 to 12, and the holes of the perforation design were intended to be pierced by the pins of the perforating device. Perforation was done by the harrow method—that is, by a machine that perforates an entire sheet by one operation (as distinct from the line method of perforation, when one line of pins pierces a single row of holes at a time, so that holes may overlap, in a manner of speaking, at the intersections). Since there were two sizes of sheets, it has been assumed (specifically by Sefi and Mortimer) that there were two kinds of perforating machines. However, only one such machine has ever been seen. It was found in a dilapidated state when the princely mail was discontinued in 1894. Masson described this machine in the following terms: “The perforators are line brass needles, unsharpened, about one-sixteenth of an inch long. There is a brass lid, with hinges and handles broken off; which is said to have completed the machine. No wonder the perforations are ‘rough’!”.Except for the ½ anna red (SG 102) and ½ anna slate violet (SG 104), other values or colours are rare SG 105 to 116 (½ anna to 4 annas ordinary white laid paper imperforate) SG 106 (Lot 10183) SG 107 (Lot 10184) SG 109 (Lot 10185) SG 112 (Lot 10188) In August (now believed to be May) 1878 the ½, 1 and 2 anna plates were printed in Jammu, in shades of slate- violet, slate-purple, mauve, violet, bright mauve, slate-blue, dull blue –SG 105 to SG 111. Also, the ¼, ½, 1, 2 and 4 annas were printed in red printers ink for use in both Jammu and Kashmir provinces up to 1879.