India – The Scinde Dawks
The Government of India first issued stamps in 1854. However, prior to that, in 1852, small embossed stamps were issued in the Province or District of Sind for local use. These were the first adhesive stamps issued in the whole of Asia.
The issue was authorised by Sir Bartle Frere – the British Commissioner in the Province – and it is thought that at least some of the stamps were produced in England, possibly by De La Rue. But records of the stamps and their production have long since been destroyed or lost.
All 3 types of the stamp were denominated as half anna, and the embossing was of a small double circle with the words “Scinde District Dawk” in the circle, and in the centre a curious heart shaped symbol with “1/2 anna” below. Embossed on red circular wafers, plain embossing also took place on white paper and in blue also on white paper. However, the order in which this took place is still unknown.
Quite a number of the stamps survive, however those embossed on the red wafers are the scarcest, especially unused; the two in the Royal Philatelic Collection are used. The two pages shown here have all the examples in the Collection, including three forgeries.
By the time India’s own stamps had been produced, instructions were given that the Sind stamps should be withdrawn. Sind itself was in the Bombay Presidency, but after Partition is now part of Pakistan.
印度——信德驿站邮票
印度政府在1854年首次发行邮票。但是在此之前的1852年，信德省（或区）已发行了为当地使用的小型压印邮票。这些邮票是全亚洲最早发行的单枚粘贴邮票。
邮票由信德省的英联邦专员巴特利· 弗里尔（Bartle Frere）批准发行——这些邮票被认为至少有一部分是在英国，并可能是由德纳罗（De La Rue）公司印制。但是邮票和它的印制档案早已销毁或遗失。
全套3枚邮票的面值均为1/2安那，圆形凹凸版压印，在邮票四周的双圆形之间为“信德区驿站”字样。邮票中间是一个奇妙的心形符号（译按：此心形原是英国“东印度公司”的标记），其下为“1/2安那”。邮票印在红色的脆薄封缄纸上，也有印在白纸上以及用蓝色印在白纸上。但是，其印制的顺序现仍不明。
相当一些邮票被保存下来，其中压印在红色脆薄封缄纸上的最为珍罕，未使用过的新票更是如此。英国王室邮集里存有二件。此次展出的二页是邮集内的所有藏品，包括3枚赝品。
当印度政府自己发行邮票时，发出了停售“信德驿站邮票”的指令。信德原属孟买管辖，但在印巴分治后，现在是巴基斯坦的一部分。
172