Lot 60332 – Jammu & Kashmir – Outgoing Mail to British India, Mixed

1866–1867 An exceptional pair of outgoing covers from Jammu to Pind Dadan Khan, illustrating cross-border postal handling and transitional usages. The first, dated 10 July 1866, is franked with ½ anna and routed via Sialkot (10 July) and Jhelum (11 July). The cover is underpaid, lacking the required British-Indian postage, and bears a black “1 AS” marking indicating postage due—a notation of considerable interest and apparently unrecorded in the literature. The second cover, dated 5 November 1867, also bearing ½ anna grey-black, shows red transit markings of Sialkot (6 Nov.) and Jhelum (7 Nov.). On entry into the British-Indian postal system, a ½ anna British-Indian adhesive was applied and cancelled with the U-26 obliterator of Sialkot. Notably, this represents a late usage of the circular Jammu & Kashmir issue, occurring after the introduction of new stamp issues in September 1867. A highly instructive and scarce pair, illustrating postal rates, deficiencies, and inter-administration handling during a transitional period. (SG £1500)