View source for Postage Stamps: India

[[File: Postage stamps of India, some historical highlights.jpg|Postage stamps of India: Some historical highlights; Graphic courtesy: [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=03_09_2015_011_026_002&type=P&artUrl=NEWSICE-STAMPS-OF-INDIA-03092015011026&eid=31808 ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]] 

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[[Category:India |P ]]
[[Category:Government |P ]]

= Philatelic auctions=
==1948 Mahatma Gandhi stamps fetch record £0.5m==
[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=1948-Gandhi-stamps-sold-for-record-Rs-414cr-20042017009011  1948 Gandhi stamps sold for record Rs 4.14cr, April 20, 2017: The Times of India]

[[File: A set of 1948 stamps picturing Mahatma Gandhi has sold for a record £500,000 (approximately Rs 4.14 crore, as on April 19, 2017.jpg|A set of 1948 stamps picturing Mahatma Gandhi has sold for a record £500,000 (approximately Rs 4.14 crore, as on April 19, 2017); [http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=1948-Gandhi-stamps-sold-for-record-Rs-414cr-20042017009011  1948 Gandhi stamps sold for record Rs 4.14cr, April 20, 2017: The Times of India]|frame|500px]]


The “unique“ strip of four ten-rupee stamps is considered the most important and desirable item of postIndian Independence philately, Jersey, UK-based dealer Stanley Gibbons said in a statement on Wednesday .

The purple-brown stamps are emblazoned with the word `SERVICE' and were issued to the then gov ernor-general's secretariat for official use. Only single stamps of this kind have previously been recorded to exist in private collections.

The purchase by an Australian investor is the latest in a number of transactions highlighting the strength of the market for rare Indian stamps. Stanley Gibbons sold a single Gandhi ten-rupee stamp to a client in Uruguay last year for 160,000 pounds (approximately Rs 1.32 crore). In March, an Indian stamp where the head of the young Queen Victoria had been inverted in error sold for £110,000 (approx. Rs 91lakh).

“The market for highquality Indian rarities is supported by the on-going desire of the wealthy , Indian diaspora and savvy international clients to own these historic assets,“ the dealer said.

Although the firm highlights the strength of the Indian collectibles market, it reported a pretax loss of £29 million last year amid financial restructuring and discovery of errors in its accounting methods.

=2016: Personalised stamps=
[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31808&articlexml=For-just-Rs-300-leave-stamp-of-yourself-30062016013040 ''The Times of India''], Jun 30 2016

Pankaj Doval

'''For just Rs 300, leave stamp of yourself with India Post''

One can now have your picture printed on a postal stamp. Be it a picture of a bride and groom or an infant on his first birthday or those of close buddies during a college reunion, the Indian postal department is ready to give a special touch to your cherished moments -a special stamp customised just for you.
And don't worry about the cost -it is as low as Rs 300 for a pack of 12 stamps.

“Philately is one of the core focus areas for the postal department and we have been looking at initiatives that take the postal department closer to the masses,“ postal secretary SK Sinha told TOI.

In fact, the initiative has been in the offing for some time, but the postal department has now decided to give it a fillip. The facility is available at key post offices across major towns and cities. And the postal department has now decided to offer the service through the online chan nel and one can make a booking through the philately section of its website http:www.epostoffice.gov.in “We are receiving a good reaction to the move, and thus it is being offered at more and more locations. The online route is also gaining traction,“ Sinha said.

While the post office hands out the customised stamps right on the stamp after you hand them over your preferred picture, the online route could take at least three to four days.

“We also seek a government identification card and a declaration from the indi vidual to ensure that the information and the picture provided to us is genuine,“ the top postal official said.

There are a variety of themes being offered to go with the customised stamps, including the Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves, Port Blair Island, Mysore Palace, Hawa Mahal, the Fairy Queen train, the Ghats of Varanasi, Ellora Caves, Victoria Memorial, The Sun Temple of Konark and the Gateway of India.

The postal department has also introduced an offer for the corporate sector and private institutions.