Stamp Story, No. 17 Company Stamp

Press, Volume C, Issue 29477, 1 April 1961, Page 10

Stamp Story, No. 17 Company Stamp

tßp KEN ANTHONYI

rpHIS stamp takes us right back to the days when India was controlled by a company. When it was first Issued—in 1855—the country was administered by the Honourable East India Company, which not only had its own postal services, but also commanded its own army and navy. Although the stamp is inscribed "East India Postage,” it was used throughout the whole at the Indian sub-con-tinent and is one of the few stamps to have been issued by a company instead of a State government. The East India Company was established by Royal Charter of Elizabeth I in

1600. By 1612, the first trading station had been set up in India, and eventually the whole country came under the company’s direct or indirect control.

So great was the company's power that for more than 150 years it ran the only post then existing between Britain and India, quite independently of the British Post Office Not until November 1, 1858, was India brought under the British Crown; and even then Indian stamps continued to bear the East India inscription. It was finally changed to "India Postage” after Queen Victoria had assumed the title of Empress of India in 1877. Many years later, India produced another stamp curiosity: the only design that had to be altered because of a grammatical error. In 1919 a stamp came out with the value expressed as "One and a Half Anna.” Scholars were quick to protest at such abuse of the English language and the offending stamp was withdrawn. Another was substituted in which the value was correctly shown as “One and a Half Annas.”—(Central Press Features, Ltd. All rights reserved.) A'