India 10 Rupees Mahatma Gandhi postage stamp
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The 10 Rupees Postage stamp
depicting Mahatma Gandhi
issued by India in 1948 is one of India's most famous stamps. A set of 100 of these stamps were overprinted with the word "Service" and provided only to the Governor General of India for his official use. This "Service" overprinted stamp is one of India's costliest and rarest stamps. This stamp was a part of the "Service" 1948 set which was auctioned for 38,000 Euros in the David Feldman
's auction sale on 5 October 2007. In an auction on May 19 2011 at Geneva, David Feldman
's sold the 1948 10 Rupee Mahatma Gandhi stamp of India for a World Record price of EUR 144,000 (US$ 205,000), this is also a record for the most expensive modern stamp.
("Bapu"), the architect of Indian independence, was initiated in January 1948. The Indian Security Press in Nashik was entrusted the task to produce a set of 4 stamps. But before the stamps were issued, Gandhi was assassinated. The Indian Government decided to print these stamps using photogravure
press and hence had to employ the services of the Swiss printers, Helio Courvoisier, Sa. LaChaux De Fonds, instead of the Indian Security Press. The word "Bapu" was printed on the stamp in Hindi
and Urdu
languages as a symbol of communal harmony. Four sets of stamps with denominations 1.5 annas
, 3.5 annas, 12 annas and 10 rupees were issued. The stamps were controversial since Bapu was not shown in his customary dhoti
. One of the stamps of the set was issued with a very high price of 10 Rs., out of reach of the common populace in India. The stamps were issued on 15 August 1948, on the occasion of the Independence Day of India
.
, the Governor General of India, making it the world's least printed stamp. Of the hundred stamps that were overprinted with "Service", a few were gifted to dignitaries, while most remain at the National Archives, Postal Museums, etc. As per the recent book published by Dr. Reuben Ramkissoon and Dr. Rajagopalan , less than 8 copies of the Gandhi 10 Rs Service stamps reside in private hands. Forgeries of the overprint are known.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
depicting Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
issued by India in 1948 is one of India's most famous stamps. A set of 100 of these stamps were overprinted with the word "Service" and provided only to the Governor General of India for his official use. This "Service" overprinted stamp is one of India's costliest and rarest stamps. This stamp was a part of the "Service" 1948 set which was auctioned for 38,000 Euros in the David Feldman
David Feldman
David Feldman may refer to:*David Feldman *David Feldman , author of the Imponderables series*David Feldman , Irish philatelist and chairman of Swiss philatelic auction company, David Feldman SA...
's auction sale on 5 October 2007. In an auction on May 19 2011 at Geneva, David Feldman
David Feldman
David Feldman may refer to:*David Feldman *David Feldman , author of the Imponderables series*David Feldman , Irish philatelist and chairman of Swiss philatelic auction company, David Feldman SA...
's sold the 1948 10 Rupee Mahatma Gandhi stamp of India for a World Record price of EUR 144,000 (US$ 205,000), this is also a record for the most expensive modern stamp.
History
The plan to issue a set of stamps depicting Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
("Bapu"), the architect of Indian independence, was initiated in January 1948. The Indian Security Press in Nashik was entrusted the task to produce a set of 4 stamps. But before the stamps were issued, Gandhi was assassinated. The Indian Government decided to print these stamps using photogravure
Photogravure
Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking or photo-mechanical process whereby a copper plate is coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high quality intaglio print that can reproduce the detail and continuous tones of a...
press and hence had to employ the services of the Swiss printers, Helio Courvoisier, Sa. LaChaux De Fonds, instead of the Indian Security Press. The word "Bapu" was printed on the stamp in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
languages as a symbol of communal harmony. Four sets of stamps with denominations 1.5 annas
Indian anna
An Anna was a currency unit formerly used in India, equal to 1/16 rupee. It was subdivided into 4 Paise or 12 Pies . The term belonged to the Muslim monetary system...
, 3.5 annas, 12 annas and 10 rupees were issued. The stamps were controversial since Bapu was not shown in his customary dhoti
Dhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
. One of the stamps of the set was issued with a very high price of 10 Rs., out of reach of the common populace in India. The stamps were issued on 15 August 1948, on the occasion of the Independence Day of India
Independence Day (India)
The Independence Day of India is celebrated on the fifteenth of August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947. The day is a national holiday in India. All over the country, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in...
.
Technical details
The 10 Rs. stamp depicted Bapu in grey colour with a reddish-brown background. A total of 250,000 stamps were printed in sheets of 50 stamps, 5 rows of 10 stamps each, with a perforation of 11.5 mm.Service issue
A set of stamps over-printed as "Service" was issued to the Government of India for official purposes. Only 100 Mahatama Gandhi 10 Rs. stamps were overprinted with "Service" and issued for the use of C. RajagopalachariC. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
, the Governor General of India, making it the world's least printed stamp. Of the hundred stamps that were overprinted with "Service", a few were gifted to dignitaries, while most remain at the National Archives, Postal Museums, etc. As per the recent book published by Dr. Reuben Ramkissoon and Dr. Rajagopalan , less than 8 copies of the Gandhi 10 Rs Service stamps reside in private hands. Forgeries of the overprint are known.