Indian Themes on foreign stamps……

 

Sher Shah Suri

Sher Shah Suri (1486- 1545) also known as Sher Khan  was the founder of the Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi. An Afghan (Pathan) by origin, he defeated the Mughals and took control of North India in 1540. He first served as a private before rising to become a commander in the Mughal Army under Babur and then as the governor of Bihar . He is also remembered for purportedly killing a fully grown tiger with his bare hands in Bihar.

In 1537, Sher Khan turned against his master and overran the state of Bengal to establish the Sur Empire. A soldier of fortune, Sher Khan also proved himself a gifted administrator as well as an able general. His reorganization of the empire laid the foundations for the later Mughal emperors, notably Akbar the Great, son of Humayun. During his five year rule from 1540 to 1545, he set up a new template for civic and military administration. He conquered Bihar in 1534 & Bengal in 1538. In 1539, Sher Khan faced Humayun in the battle of Chausa. He forced Humayun out of India. Assuming the title Sher Shah, he ascended the throne of Delhi.

He adopted a tri-metal coinage based on copper, silver and gold coins and re-organised the postal system in his kingdom. The system of tri-metalism which came to characterize Mughal coinage was introduced by Sher Shah. While the term rūpya had previously been used as a generic term for any silver coin, during his rule the term rūpiyacame to be used as the name for a silver coin of a standard weight of 178 grains, which was the precursor of the modern rupee.

Sher Shah rebuilt the longest highway in South Asia. The highway was called the Shahrah-e-Azam (also Sadak-e-Azam, Badshahi Sadak and later Grand Trunk Road by the British). It is still in use in present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab region Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal. Mughals extended Grand Trunk Road westwards: at one time, it extended to Kabul in Afghanistan, crossing the Khyber Pass. The road was later improved by the British rulers of  colonial India. It was extended to run from Calcutta to Peshawar (present-day Pakistan). Over the centuries, the road acted as a major trade routes in the region and facilitated both travel and postal communication.

Sher Shah built monuments including Rohtas Fort (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Pakistan), many structures in the Rohtasgarh Fort in Bihar, Sher Shah Suri Masjid, in Patna, built in 1540-1545 to commemorate his reign.Qila-i-Kuhna mosque, built by Sher Shah in 1541, at Purana Qila, Delhi, a Humayun citadel started in 1533, and later extended by him, along with the construction of Sher Mandal, an octagonal building inside the Purana Qila complex, which later served as the library of Humayun. 

Sher Shah died from a gunpowder explosion during the siege of Kalinjar fort on May 22, 1545 fighting against the Chandel Rajputs. His death has also been claimed to have been caused by a fire in his store room.

His mausoleum, the Sher Shah Suri Tomb (122 ft high) stands in the middle of an artificial lake at Sasaram, a town that stands on the Grand Trunk Road.

India (1970) & Pakistan (1991) released stamps to honour him.

 

- Kenneth Sequeira, Dubai ( UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

My recent Covers

Poland

Easter……

Andrzej Bek, Poland

Germany

 

Wolfgang Beyer, Germany

From our Readers……

Color and Perforation Error on MS

 

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

New Stamp from India…

 

Civil Aviation Centenary

Date of Issue : 14 March 2012

India Post  issued a set of  four stamps and a Miniature Sheet on 14 March 2012  to commemorate 100 years of civil aviation in the country.Indian Civil Aviation completed 100 years on 18th February, 2011. 

: Mansoor B., Mangalore

 

Interview

Recently Etv Gujarati had taken Interview  of renowned philatelist of Ahmedanad Mr Praful Thakkar.  It could be viewed  on following URL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBjjz5i7Iqg&context=C40d6959ADvjVQa1PpcFMCT2VUYjT5FZCAdOQNUyPCUOVkNeApiuA

Praful Thakkar, the renowned philatelist of Gujarat is Limca Book Record Holder in 2009 for Autographs & Canteen Tokens and  is a collector of autographs, stamps, First Day Covers (FDCs), coins, medals, tokens, badges , badge plates etc. and many more collectibles of India since last more than 45 years. He has written several books on these subjects of Hobbies. His recent book is on autographs. Mr Praful Thakkar may be contacted at e mail : pkthakkar@yahoo.com

Error on stamps

Gum missing

: Vijay Modi, Himmatnagar ( Gujarat)   email : vijay_idom@rediffmail.com

 

Request to contributors

The contributors are requested to send small files for publication. As due to unavoidable reasons I am unable to download heavy files.

My  broadband connection is not working for the last 15 days due to Big Road repair project on Shamshi - Kullu  highway and all telephone lines of BSNL have been broken down in whole Shamshi area   for unlimited period . This has caused lot of problem for Internet connectivity in offices and home. Now I am using another 2G connection which takes time to download heavy files. So plz do not send  your mails with heavy files.

New stamps on Birds…

 

 

Slovakia

 

Great Bustard

Slovakia Post  has issued a new stamp featuring Great Bustard. Great Bustard (Otis tarda) is Slovakia's heaviest flying bird. It grows up to more than one meter with a wing span of up to 2.5 meters and the heaviest individuals can weigh up to 22 kg. This, originally a steppe bird, inhabits the agricultural landscape at an altitude up to 300 m above sea level. It feeds on both plant and animal food and harder seeds to a small degree. The plant food includes, in particular, leaves, buds, and flowers, whole plants of field crops and weeds.

 

Peru

The Peruvian Postal Service has announced two new postage stamps featuring two of world’s most endangered birds.

   Austria

 

Austria Post issued a  new stamp featuring  pair of nesting storks. The issue also celebrates 90 years of Burgenland as part of the Republic of Austria.

Club News

Pride of India Collection

Pride of India Series includes  25 best selected stamps jointly launched by India Post & Hallmark Group.Each stamp is gold plated replica of the stamp made of pure Silver. For more details log on to : http://www.prideofindiacollection.com/

 

 

View complete series of Pride of India Collection on

http://www.setenantsofindia.blogspot.com/

From our Readers….

Army Postal Service Covers – Part- 5

- P. Ramakrishnan

201	HQ AREA DELHI	01/06/1995
202	CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE	23/09/1995
203	SUB HONARY KARAM SINGH PVC	14/10/1995
204	FLYING INSTRUCTOR'S SCHOOL 12 SQUARDON	26/10/1995
205	THE DOGRA REGIMENT 11	30/10/1995
206	THE BIHAR REGIMENT 3	01/11/1995
207	THE NAGA REGIMENT	01/11/1995
208	THE RAJPUT REGIMENT	09/11/1995
209	CAVALARY 45	21/11/1995
210	ARMY ORDANCE CORPS	08/12/1995
211	ARMY SERVICE CORPS	08/12/1995
212	THE BRIGADE OF THE GUARDS 14	13/01/1996
213	THE MECHANISED INFANTRY REGIMENT	13/02/1996
214	EVOLUTION OF SIGNAL COMMUNICATION	15/02/1996
215	ARMY MEDICAL CORPS	15/03/1996
216	MILITARY COLLEGE OF ELECTRONICS AND MECHANICAL	15/07/1996
217	MILITARY COLLEGE OF TELE COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING	01/10/1996
218	THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY 14	04/10/1996
219	THE SIKH REGIMENT 2	07/10/1996
220	THE MECHANISED INFANTRY REGIMENT 4 (1 SIKH)	12/10/1996
221	FIELD REGIMENT 16	01/11/1996
222	THE ASSAM REGIMENT	04/11/1996
223	SQUADRON AIR FORCE 27& 114	13/11/1996
224	CENTRAL PROOF ESTABLISHMENT	18/11/1996
225	THE RAJPUTANA RIFELS 11	25/11/1996
226	THE MECHANISED INFANTRY REGIMENT 24 (20 RAJPUT)	04/12/1996
227	THE GORKHA RIFLES 1	04/12/1996
228	THE KUMAON REGIMENT 15	05/12/1996
229	THE DOGRA REGIMENT 10	05/12/1996
230	THE PUNJAB REGIMENT 18	06/12/1996
231	BANGALORE MILITARY SCHOOL	07/12/1996
232	HQ DIVISION 20	10/12/1996
233	THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY 1	11/12/1996
234	HORSE 4TH STANDARD PRESENTATION	12/12/1996
235	ENGINEER REGEMENT 38	27/12/1996
236	TRISHNA - GOOD WILL ADVENTURE SAILING EXPEDITION	10/01/1997
237	DEFENCE SECURITY CORPS	25/02/1997
238	THE DOGRA REGIMENT	03/03/1997
239	THE MAHAR REGIMENT 9TH REUNION	11/03/1997
240	ARMY EDUCTION CORPS	01/06/1997
241	HQ NORTHERN COMMAND	17/06/1997
242	ARMY AVIATION	15/08/1997
243	THE SIKH REGIMENT 4	12/09/1997
244	HQ WESTERN COMMAND	15/09/1997
245	CENTRAL BASE POST OFFICE 1	24/10/1997
246	AIR HQ COMMUNICATION SQN	31/10/1997
247	ASC SCHOOL, BAREILLY	06/11/1997
248	PARA 3 BATTLE HONOUR SRINAGAR, (SHELATANG)	07/11/1997
249	SQUARDRON AF 29 & 41	07/11/1997
250	MILITARY HOSPITAL SHILLONG	10/11/1997
251	NATIONAL CADET CORPS	23/11/1997
252	FIRST BATCH OF REGULAR ARMY OFFICERS OF INDEPENDEN	04/12/1997
253	THE GRENADIERS REGIMENT 8	10/12/1997
254	VETERINARY CORPS 8TH REUNION	14/12/1997
255	ARMY POSTAL SERVICE CORPS	17/12/1997
256	FIELD ORDNANCE DEPOT	13/01/1998
257	THE SIKH REGIMENT 17	01/02/1998
258	THE DOGRA REGIMENT 8	01/02/1998
259	THE GORKHA RIFLES 6 BN 5	04/02/1998
260	THE GORKHA RIFLES 6/8	04/02/1998
261	THE GORKHA 3&9	21/02/1998
262	PARA 3	18/03/1998
263	THE MAHAR REGIMENT 5	23/03/1998
264	AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT 19	01/04/1998
265	THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR LIGHT INFANTRY	15/04/1998
266	ARMED FORCES MEDICAL COLLEGE	01/05/1998
267	THE GORKHA RIFLES 11/5	08/05/1998
268	THE DOGRA REGIMENT 14	01/07/1998
269	THE SIKH REGIMENT 18	01/07/1998
270	THE SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY 4	12/07/1998
271	THE DOGRA REGIMENT 15	15/07/1998
272	THE FIELD REGIMENT 42	01/08/1998
273	AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT 45	01/09/1998
274	AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT 46	01/09/1998
275	HQ DIVISION 4	28/09/1998
276	ARMED ENGR REGIMENT 114	13/10/1998
277	MOVEMENT CONTRAL UNIT AIR FORCE	23/10/1998
278	THE KUMAON REGIMENT CENTRE	27/10/1998
279	THE MAHAR REGIMENT 6	30/10/1998
280	THE PUNJAB REGIMENT 15	01/11/1998
281	THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY 11 REUNION	02/11/1998
282	THE GORKHA RIFLES 1	05/11/1998
283	THE GORKHA RIFLES 4	19/11/1998
284	THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES 8 REUNION	26/11/1998
285	INDIAN MILITARY ACADEMY	10/12/1998
286	AIR DEFENCE ARTILLERY	23/12/1998
287	PARA (1 KUMAON) 3	25/12/1998
288	THE MECHANISED INFANTRY REGIMENT 3 (1/8 G R)	19/02/1999
289	MEDIUM REGIMENT 268	15/03/1999
290	UN PKO SEMINAR	17/03/1999
291	THE BRIGADE OF THE GUARDS	26/03/1999
292	THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES 5	28/03/1999
293	THE MECHANISED INFANTRY REGIMENT 9 (7 GRENADIERS)	01/04/1999
294	SURYA SAINIK INSTITUTE	01/05/1999
295	DIRECTORATE GENERALL ARMED FORCES MEDICAL SERVICE	16/05/1999
296	AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT 105	24/08/1999
297	TERRITORIAL ARMY	09/10/1999
298	AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT 144	16/10/1999
299	THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT 1	17/10/1999
300	CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE	20/10/1999

P. Ramkrishnan may be contacted at email : pramakrishnan1@royalenfield.com

 

2nd Africa – India Forum Summit 2011

Miniature sheet -color error

 

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

K2 (Godwin Austen) stamp…

 

Date of issue : 19 May 1988

On stamp : Godwin Austin, the correct name of peak is Godwin Austen

Wrong spelling of peak on stamp

India Post issued a set of 4 postage stamps on 19 May 1988 on Himalayan Peaks.Many collectors might not be aware of the fact that the stamp with Rs 4 denomination issued on K2 (Godwin Austen) bears the wrong spelling of the peak. On stamp the designer has inserted Godwin Austin which should have been Godwin Austen.K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest. With a peak elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 feet) and India’s highest mountain peak. The name Mount Godwin-Austen was suggested, in honour of Henry Godwin-Austen, an early explorer of the area.

Discussion

What is an approppriate maxim Card ?

Here  is a scan of Maxim card sent by Mr Sanjiv Jain of Dehradun. I publihed two cards prepared by him with cancellation from Bilaspur (CG)  in my last post. After the publication I received mails from some philatelists of Bilaspur as they were anxious to know how a collector from Dehradun could get max cards cancelled at Bilaspur. For all  those who are keen to know is just to inform them  that  a person has  liberty to get cancellation from any place of his choice if he can approach that  place ….

However in case of these Maxim Cards the choice for  place of cancellation is not appropriate. It should have been  New Delhi where Rashtrapati bhawan is located and easier to obtain for a collector from Dehra Dun.

Here is another card from Mr Jain with four stamps on it. As per FIP rules and regulations there should be ONE stamp on the view-side of the card. The card with more than one stamp cannot be considered as Maximum Card.

Club News….

 

 

Indian Errors major interest at SG Auction

Stanley Gibbons June auction demonstrates the strength of Indian and Chinese stamps with a bidding frenzy for rare Indian errors and 60% of China lots selling for double estimate or more.

15th June saw collectors and investors from across the globe focusing their attention on the Stanley Gibbons bi-annual public auction, held at 399 Strand, London as more than 1000 world lots went under the hammer.

Starting with foreign countries, the auction got off to a strong start with all Chinese lots finding buyers. More than 60% of Chinese lots went for double or more their pre-auction estimate including lot 19; the ever popular 1964 Chinese Peonies 2y miniature sheet (SG MS2199a) fine u/m, which sold for £2,760.

The highlight of the foreign section however, was lot 57; A 1862 (April 9) Neapolitan Provinces cover to Glasgow franked with the 1861 1g, 2g, 5g and 20g which were cancelled by two Napoli al Porto cds’s. This superb quadruple franking cover with two other covers sold for £16,100 after a long battle between room and telephone bidders.

The highlight from the British Commonwealth offering was a very strong section of India, where errors were strongly fought over. Lot 271, a 1976 Wildlife 25p with black omitted (SG 825a) fine u/m with a catalogue value of £500, reached £1,610, but this was quickly outshone by the very next lot; a 1992 Birds of Prey error of value (SG 1525a) fresh and fine u/m which realised £11,500 against a catalogue value of just £1,000.

The Great Britain session held in the afternoon saw lot 1092, a collection of approximately 350 RAF Covers in seven volumes, most being signed by such as William Reid VC, Douglas Bader and Sir Barnes Wallis, realising more than double its pre-auction estimate, at £2,530.

Interestingly for a philatelic auction, one of the final items to go under the hammer, lot 1183, a mixed accumulation of coins, achieved more than five times its pre auction estimate, selling for £506.

Source: Stanley Gibbons

 

West Delhi Philatelic Society is going to organize a stamp Festival in Delhi from 24 – 25 September 2011 at Ambedkar Bhawan, Rani Jhansi Road New Delhi. For more details Mr Vinod Sabharwal may be contacted at email : vksabharwal@gmail.com or indianstampghar@gmail.com  Ph : 9818148338, 9810241363

 

For Autograph Collectors

              

   

For the lovers of Autographs, Autograph Club of India is a registered Club in Kolkata.The club promotes and guides the study of autographs and organizes exhibition of autographs.  For more details Mr Santosh Kumar Lahoti,  may be contacted at email : sklahoti@gmail.com  Website : www.autographindia.com 

 

2nd Africa - India Forum Summit FDC

India Post has wrongly printed the map of India on the back of the First Day Cover issued for the 2nd Africa India Forum-Summit issue of May 25, 2011. It is shown in  reverse position on back side of the FDC which is actually the mirror image of the correct position. View details on following links.

Courtesy : Shrikant Parikh

Se-tenant Stamps of India

Wrong Image

Corrected version

Courtesy : Stamps of India

From our Readers…

Private FDC

Mr. Boben J E of Trivandrum has prepared private FDC of 2nd Africa – India Forum Summit 2011.

-Kasinath R from Thanjavur ( Tamil Nadu) writes…

I saw the private cover of 2nd Africa – India Forum Summit 2011, created by Mr. Boben in your blog, and earlier in another philatelic site. I noticed an error in the postmark obtained at Trivandrum that, a large chunk of Indian eastern coast is missing in the postmark, which is a grave error. This must be notified to the concerned bureau and steps need to be taken to replace the postmark.