The feudatory state of Sirmoor is situated in the lower Simla hills between the Ambala and Simla districts. Its area in 1904 was stated to be 1108 square miles and population 1,35,000.
Postal stationary covers from Sirmoor are very rare - one would estimate that less than 10 non-philatelic covers (versus those done by favour) are known. Registered covers from Sirmoor are extrememly rare, this particular registered cover from Paonta to Nahan is probably one of a couple known. The usual franking is 6pies (half anna) for an ordinary letter.
From an article by Major Douie:
"In the majority of cases in the Indian Feudatory states, ununsed stamps are far commoner than used ones, and a large proportion of those that purport to be used are obliterated to order. The only used copies which can be taken as genuinely used in some states are those on original covers. Sirmoor stamps on original covers are exceedingly scarse, and the only copies that I have seen belong to the early printings. It is believed that the reason for this is that the state authorities gave a contract for the sale of used stamps to a local contractor during a large portion of the time the stamps were current. Consequently all stamps which arrived on letters were removed from their covers and handed back to the postman by the recipient. These stamps were then handed over to the contractor who disposed of them to dealers and others. ....
It may certainly be taken that the stamps bearing obliterations of post offices other than Nahan are unquestionably genuinly used copies, as are most of Nahan obliterations."
While the process of extracting stamps from covers created a good record of the chronology of stamp issuance , it has resulted in very few genuinely used covers remaining.
References :
Notes on the Stamps of Sirmoor : Major F.M. Douie. Philatelic Journal of India , May 1922.
The Stamps of Sirmoor Major Evans. Philatelic Journal of India Aug 1939.
