Postage stamps and postal history of Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history
of Sri Lanka
.
Sri Lanka, known as Ceylon before 22 May 1972, is an island country in South Asia
, located about 31km off the southern coast of India
. After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal
and the Netherlands
beginning in the 16th century, before control of the entire country passed to Britain around 1796. A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948.
The stamp features a portrait of Queen Victoria and is brown in colour.It is a 6 penny denomination used to send a half ounce letter from Ceylon to England.8 more stamps were issued in year 1857, all featuring the portrait of Queen Victoria.One of the 5 stamps that were issued on 23rd april 1859 is considered to be the most valuable stamp in Sri Lanka.It is a 4 penny denomination with a dark pink colour known as the 'Dull Rose'.
Postal history
Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Sri Lanka, known as Ceylon before 22 May 1972, is an island country in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, located about 31km off the southern coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
beginning in the 16th century, before control of the entire country passed to Britain around 1796. A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948.
First stamps
The first stamps for Ceylon were issued on 1 April 1857.The stamp features a portrait of Queen Victoria and is brown in colour.It is a 6 penny denomination used to send a half ounce letter from Ceylon to England.8 more stamps were issued in year 1857, all featuring the portrait of Queen Victoria.One of the 5 stamps that were issued on 23rd april 1859 is considered to be the most valuable stamp in Sri Lanka.It is a 4 penny denomination with a dark pink colour known as the 'Dull Rose'.
See also
- General Post Office, ColomboGeneral Post Office, ColomboThe General Post Office, also known as the GPO, is the headquarters of the Sri Lanka Post. It is also the office of the Post Master General.-Building:...
- List of people on stamps of Sri Lanka
- Post and Telegraph SignalsPost and Telegraph SignalsPost and Telegraph Signals was a regiment of the Ceylon Army. Raised in 1955 with staff from the Department of Post and Ceylon Telegraph Department. The government hoped to minimized the effects to the Post and Telegraph services in the event of trade union action by mobilizing the personnel...
- Sri Lanka PostSri Lanka PostThe Department of Posts, functioning under the brand name Sri Lanka Post, is a government operated postal system in Sri Lanka. The postal headquarters is the General Post Office which is located in Colombo. The department itself comes under the purview of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Posts...
- Souvenir sheets of Sri LankaSouvenir sheets of Sri LankaA souvenir sheet is a small group of postage stamps still attached to the sheet on which they were printed. A souvenir sheet is designed so that it contains stamps issued with a beautiful background related to the theme of the stamps. Both the stamps and the entire sheet are valid for mailing,...
Further reading
- Crofton, C.S.F.C. S. F. CroftonCharles Stanhope Foster Crofton was a British philatelist and a member of the Indian Civil Service.-Early life:Crofton was the only son of Major Henry Crofton R.A. . He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge.-Philately:Crofton specialised in the philately of India and Ceylon...
The Fiscal and Telegraph Stamps of Ceylon. Ed. B. Gordon Jones. London: Bridger & Kay for The Philatelic Society of India, 1911. - Rodrigo, Chandra, Rodrigo's Catalogue of Ceylon/Sri Lanka Postal Stationery Part I - Air Mail Letter Sheets, Dr Chandra Rodrigo, 2008
- Rodrigo, Chandra, Rodrigo's Catalogue of Ceylon/Sri Lanka Postal Stationery Part II - Postal Cards, Letter Cards, Letter Sheets, Wrappers, P.T.P.O. Wrappers, Dr Chandra Rodrigo, 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 9789555089012