Thursday, November 02, 2006

Rare Item From Poonch


Poonch has been described as a feudatory state, but technically speaking it was feudatory not to the British , but to the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The initial stamps of Poonch are very rare. Shown is the one of the four known mint copies of SG1. This particular example has small defects - the certificate from BPA(2006) being as usual harsh and stating - "Indian Feudatory States - Poonch: 1876 6p red, on yellowish white wove paper, no wmk, imperf, design 22*21mm, value in circle, five rosettes in outer pane (SG1), unused with part original gum, blue ink manuscript on reverse, thinned and defective is genuine. Sd- Philip Kinns"

Of the other three known copies , one is creased, one is disputed (the 2003/4 issued BPA certificate does not bear Dr. Kinns signature), and another is defaced (partially printed).

From an article in the Philatelic Journal of India ,1932 - By Douie:

"The philatelic rectitude of this state is beyond dispute. No fewer than three issues had served their purpose and become obsolete before their existence was known to the outside world. The first issue was recorded in 1899, fifteen years after the last copy was used, the second issue in 1930, 51 years after it became obsolete, and the third issue in 1899, eighteen years after its demise - a record which must be unique. The fourth issue appeared in 1884, and was the first issue to be correctly recorded in the philatelic press. The only fault which can be found with the stamps is the number of different coloured papers on which the stamps appear, thus giving rise to an apparently unnecessary number of varieties in the stamps of the fourth issue. ... The first issue of Poonch consists of one value only, a six pies or half anna stamp. ... I have some forty copies of this stamp of which 25 are fortunately on dated covers or pieces. The period during which it did duty was from November 1978 (or possibly earlier) till March 1884. The stamp is not common and is very rare unused, the three copies in the Masson collection being the only ones I have seen"

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