Roy,
The feudatory state stamps were used for postal service within the state. For letters going outside the state, British colonial stamps were also needed (in addition to the state stamps).
The stamps were never used for intra state postage within India, let alone to foreign destinations.
For domestic mail within the state only state stamps could be used.
Hyderabad or otherwise known as Nizam's Dominions first issued postage stamps in 1869 and of course stopped making their own stamps once it became part of India. As to why you never see covers, I am not sure, except to say that finding covers from certain feudatory states can be quite a challenge.
In the state of Sirmoor for example, the government believed that the stamp was the property of the state, so stamps were removed from envelopes before being provided to the addressee.
Hyderabad is one of the (many) states for which I do not have a cover.
My two Hyderabad covers. I lied it seems.
Here my cover from Jammu and Kashmir sent to an Indian destination, but outside the borders of Jammu and Kashmir. The state stamp is added to the postal stationary, and pays for postage out of the state, and the colonial stamped envelope pays the postage to the destination.
A number of feudatory states issued their own postal stationary.
For the ultimate in information on Indian states our Australian friends have a thread "banging the Drum for the Uglies"the lead contributor being someone who must be the lifetime expert on (some) Indian States.
You may not wish to contribute for fear of being lambasted but the information on this subject is priceless.
Malcolm
I have never been a fan of the Indian States stamps, but I was thinking about them in the context of "A stamp from every country".
What was the status of the stamps with respect to the governance of India?
Were the States stamps recognized by the UPU for international usage?
Was the use of States stamps mandatory in the state, or optional?
If I lived in one of the feudatory (or convention) states, under what circumstances would I use States stamps vs. Indian stamps?
I note that Scott has a notation under Hyderabad that it was an "independent princely state annexed by India in 1948", however I never see covers with Hyderabad stamps in boxes of Indian covers.
Roy
re: Indian Feudatory States - a question
Roy,
The feudatory state stamps were used for postal service within the state. For letters going outside the state, British colonial stamps were also needed (in addition to the state stamps).
The stamps were never used for intra state postage within India, let alone to foreign destinations.
For domestic mail within the state only state stamps could be used.
Hyderabad or otherwise known as Nizam's Dominions first issued postage stamps in 1869 and of course stopped making their own stamps once it became part of India. As to why you never see covers, I am not sure, except to say that finding covers from certain feudatory states can be quite a challenge.
In the state of Sirmoor for example, the government believed that the stamp was the property of the state, so stamps were removed from envelopes before being provided to the addressee.
Hyderabad is one of the (many) states for which I do not have a cover.
re: Indian Feudatory States - a question
My two Hyderabad covers. I lied it seems.
re: Indian Feudatory States - a question
Here my cover from Jammu and Kashmir sent to an Indian destination, but outside the borders of Jammu and Kashmir. The state stamp is added to the postal stationary, and pays for postage out of the state, and the colonial stamped envelope pays the postage to the destination.
re: Indian Feudatory States - a question
A number of feudatory states issued their own postal stationary.
re: Indian Feudatory States - a question
For the ultimate in information on Indian states our Australian friends have a thread "banging the Drum for the Uglies"the lead contributor being someone who must be the lifetime expert on (some) Indian States.
You may not wish to contribute for fear of being lambasted but the information on this subject is priceless.
Malcolm