The ½A Circular Handstamp

The ½-anna circular die is one of a triplet of brass handstamps that came into postal use at Jammu in the spring of 1866. They were used with watercolor pigments during the 1866-1877 period and in oilcolors for about a year in 1877-78 (links in the corner.) No essays or proofs are known for any of the three circular dies. The dies remained available for many years beyond 1878 for the production of reprints for collectors, and were finally defaced in 1898, some years after the closing of the State posts in 1894. Here’s a link to the bottom of the screen for a display of some of the period watercolor forgeries.†

watercolors

The capital letter prefixing our stamp numbering refers to a printing implement; thus A,B,C are used for the triplet of circular dies of ½a, 1a, and 4a, respectively, and so on.

Grey-Black 1866         Deep Black 1874

The ½a grey-black watercolor on native paper, spring 1866 to autumn 1867. This stamp (above left) is by far the most prevalent stamp of the first year, especially in used condition cut-round. Unused, the stamp is scarcer than catalogue prices would suggest. Thin applications of the pigment give a watery-grey demeanor as seen above, but a range of thicker and blacker applications are more often encountered. These early printings, however, must be assiduously distinguished from the type shown on the right above, namely:

The ½a deep black watercolor on native paper (above right.) While some of the early blacks can also be quite dark, one’s assignment of an item to the early or the late type will only occasionally be a hesitant one. The late issue, which is said to have been produced in 1874 primarily for the philatelic market.

State Cancellations. Though all the circulars are usually assumed to have been produced at Jammu, it is interesting that the first known postal usages are all from Srinagar, cancelled either by pen or in brick-red from a circular seal (both of which happen to be found on the following scan.) The earliest items from Jammu, by contrast, are identified by a magenta smudge from a second circular seal, which is first attested some three weeks or so after the first attested mailings at Srinagar. The late 1874 printings in blacks were cancelled, if rarely, at Jammu only in black with a square seal with rounded corners (examples of which can be seen downscreen on other stamps.)

First known J&K cover, image (with thanks to) Anthony Bard. This cover was posted at Srinagar on 6 zelqa'de 1282 ~ 23 March 1866 (Friday) and arrived at Amritsar, via Sialkot, on 29 March 1866 (the following Thursday) according to the British receiving datestamp. The latter is accompanied by jawâb† notation for the next day: 13 zelqa'de [1282] ~ 30 March. Inspection of the space to the right of the stamp reveals that matching British postage (probably the ½a blue Victoria) had once been affixed to the envelope, but it was lost at an unknown time.
   By the way, the cover pictured in Staal p 88 was the erstwhile record holder for earliest known cover, 24 March 1866. That was also an external cover, Srinagar to the depot at Katra Ahluwalia at Amritsar. The absence of both British postage and postage-due notation has enabled it to pass incorrectly by generations of philatelists as an internal affair. The oft-misdated cover shown on Staal Plate I bearing a 1a royal blue circular was posted on Saturday 24 March, and so would have shared honors for first cover for a time.

The Early ½a Blues

The ½a grey-blue watercolor on native paper, April 1866. The scan shown above, taken from Winthrop Boggs’ 1941 Blue Book article, is of a curious and important ‘two-venue’ cover. The arrow points to what the Haverbeck catalogue (Lot 1239) calls a 1a ‘dull blue’ circular. As no ½a circulars in blue were generally recognized at that time, it was natural to (mis)take the stamp for the common one-anna, and that was indeed the assignment given to it by Boggs, who served as the catalogue’s editor shortly before his death in 1973. Closer inspection, however, reveals the stamp to be the ½a:

Here is the notorious stamp in question, rotated and in a larger format. Note particularly the shape of the Dogri -k, etc. It is surely a ½a. The State postage thus carried is only twice, not thrice, the British ½a blue. The Scott catalog specifically lists a 1a dull blue circular, perhaps through Boggs’ influence on the American listing at the time via this very cover. While he had helped to emend Scott’s ascriptions of the circular denominations early, his misreading of the denomination in the case at hand resulted in the catalog’s not recognizing the existence of a half-blue some six-plus decades ago, and the lapse holds to this day (as of 2005 anyway.)

Another such two-venue cover from June of the same year is reported by Tim Eames in India Post 29 02 (1995.) Again, a ½a black circular was cancelled first at Srinagar with the brick-red seal. The second stamp, a ½a grey-blue circular was struck with the seal of Jammu in magenta. I guess we are supposing that Boggs’ dull-blue is Eames’ grey-blue? Gibbons does not distinguish this sub-shade in the ½a ultramarines group. The pen-cancellation on the Boggs cover is jawâb† notation.

The very existence of any blue in the early ½a was not generally recognized even as late as the Staal reference of 1983. Since for the 1-anna denomination it is the blues that are prevalent and the blacks that are essentially absent, some commentators speak of color error for the half dozen or so of both kinds that are thus color-switched. It is not obvious to us that the two-venue covers involved errors of color, separated as they are by several weeks and both reflecting anomalous postal handling; the distinction might well have been purposeful on early jawabs. More (unused) candidates in ‘half-blues’ are claimed yearly now that the very existence of the category has become more widely appreciated. We do not know how the detailed shade story is shaping up for these emerging items. In the past all such passed perforce as shades of the late bright blues, and no doubt many still should, but others truly mislabelled in older collections might be expected to emerge over time.

The ½a “Reds”

The red watercolor family of circulars makes for a bit of a problem. Not only are dated specimens decidedly scarce (fewer than a dozen being now attested in the half-anna) but the different issues appeared only sporadically over a near-decade period (1868-77.) This scarcity of reds on dated covers is accounted for by the fact that these printings were evidently only supplementary to the half-anna red productions from the Jammu plate. Some precarious help in dating comes from finding exact shade and paper counterparts among these Jammu plate rectangulars. Whatever reds that might properly belong to the Special Printings are included here with the other reds. Do check out the Séfi & Mortimer note† on the ‘Jammu Reds’. The modern key reference is T. Eames, India Post 29, 42 (1995.)

The ½a scarlet-red watercolor circular on native paper. This pigment finds a close match in a counterpart rectangular, which is attested postally for a rather long period (1869-74?) before the Special Printings. In daylight, there is a slight bluish undertone to both. The circular is not reported in used condition and according to Eames might have been a color trial for the rectangulars.

The ½a orange-red watercolor on native paper. Other denominations in this shade show up as early as autumn 1872. The example shown here from October 1875, a rarity in the Hellrigl collection, is reminiscent of the orange-vermilions seen in other issues that are subject to chemical darkening, including a common Kashmir 1a of the same period.

Eames distinguishes a bright orange-red in the post-1874 period, here A3.3. Purer oranges, such as found in the two higher-denomination circulars and in the Jammu plate, seem not to be known for the ½a circular.

The ½a bright red watercolor on native paper. It is known both unused and used, if rarely, with the black Jammu square seal in 1874 (Eames.) The shade is also seen in the two higher circular denominations and also among the Jammu rectangulars. The 8a Kashmir rectangular comes in a very similar or identical shade.

The unique unused ½a carmine-red or “cherry-red” watercolor on native paper, 1876? Hellrigl collection. This printing accompanies ultra-scarce brethren in the 4a circular (no 1a known) and the Jammu plate.

Above: A ½a rose-red watercolor on native paper. Inspection reveals some curious geometry in the stamp, such as the straight edge(s) on its left. The status of this piece is not clear, but it does seem to have been through the mails from Jammu.

Something Else

The ½a orange-ochre watercolor (definitely watercolor) on very thick (0.26 mm) native paper, dating unknown, status unclear, and absolutely ochraceous. Eames reports a ½a brownish-orange watercolor circular on native paper, possibly unique, cancelled in 1870 with the black Jammu square seal. The shade of the scan is like the orange-ochre also reported by Eames for the 1a Kashmir rectangular.

Late Watercolors (post-1874)

The literature usually refers to the issues of this period as ‘Special Printings’. Masson referred to the original early issues as ‘permanents’ and these later productions as ‘superfluous’. It is true that most are scarce to unknown in postally used condition. Whatever red circulars may properly belong to this group are entertained separately with the other reds. The reason is that we don’t know which red(s), if any, formally belong with the Specials; somehow they do seem to be a class apart.

The ½a deep black or jet black watercolor on native paper, 1874. These are darker and usually shinier than the early grey-blacks of the original issue. Used copies, far scarcer than the catalogues would suggest, were obliterated in black with a square seal of rounded corners (the iron-mine seal) at Jammu, such as seen on all the used items below. A variety on very thick native paper is known.

The ½a emerald watercolor on native paper, 1876. Emeralds are understood to contain arsenic (lick them only if you must) and are said to make good fungicides in case you do not like them cluttering up your stamp albums. Authentically used copies are rare. The pigment (also used for Jammu rectangulars at the same time) is similar to that used in the 4a Kashmir single-die printings known already from late 1868.

The ½a yellow watercolor on native paper. This is a detail from the only known copy on cover, a postage-due railway cover from Jammu to Calcutta, 17 July 1876. Ex Masson. A rarity in the Hellrigl collection, and clearly a lovely stamp besides. Who, after all, could be interested in J&K philately if it were not for such as these to compete with the bobsledding sets from Chad.

The ½a bright blue watercolors on native paper, 1876. Kindred shades are also known in the Jammu rectangulars of the same period. A deeper shade is distinguished but, as seen in the pair above, light parts of dark items and deep parts of light ones can look much the same to the eye. In used condition Séfi and Mortimer speak of “great rarity,” and so we are mighty pleased with our own copy on the left. There was another in the Hancock collection that those authors believed was genuinely cancelled with the Jammu square. The specimen on piece shown above was pictured in Eames India Post 29 02 (1995). The 1a and 4a counterparts may not be definitely known now in used condition, low pricing in catalogues notwithstanding.

The ½a imperial blue watercolor on native paper, uncataloged. The stamp was once under consideration for inclusion as a ‘royal blue’ in the Gibbons listing under the Special Printings, and certain to invite mischief under that name. The shade is also the ‘royal blue’ pictured in Tim Eames’ article mentioned in the preceding entry, with counterparts in the 1a and 4a, and which are there deemed to be of the earliest period. Certainly the designation ‘royal blue’ is apt for these items whatever else may go by the name. The shade is known elsewhere as deep blue and assumed late, i.e., from ca. 1876 in the Specials period. The quiverings of our own antennae (for which we plead complete unaccountabilty) concur that this item is not early. Further discussion of the royal blues proceeds more properly on the 1a circulars† page.

½a Watercolor Circulars (native paper)

Die I Forgeries

This type of period forgery comes in the ½a and 4a denominations only. The name ‘Die I’ comes from the fact that they were once widely accepted to be the rare first issues of the State. Their dates are not known, but some commentators have expressed the opinion that they should be not later than 1870 (reasons here unknown.) £50 prices are said to have been paid in the 19th century, obviously a considerable sum for a stamp at that time. Their star fell after they were recognized to be forgeries by David Masson [“Die I Kashmir: Is It a Forgery?”, The Philatelic Journal of India 3 69 (1899).] He was of the opinion that it was a manufacture of Paris, though his reasons are not given.

Die I Forgeries. The ½a black watercolor on native paper (above left) and on buff "rice-straw" paper (right.) Evans felt that such paper was not manufactured in India.

Die I Forgery. The ½a sap-green on native paper. The item shown here does not pick-up in the familiar way of watercolors in water tests; we have some doubt as to whether it should be deemed watercolor. Why were forgeries made in green when there were no greens to forge?

It is in reference to these forgeries that the Gibbons catalogue appends the following note: “Forgeries exist of the ½ and 1a in types which were at one time supposed to be authentic.” The 1a should read 4a, this being an uncorrected holdover from times before the mid-1980s when the catalogue had the designations of the two dies reversed. Though Scott had the those designations correct decades earlier, that publication too cites the incorrect denominations on these forgeries, there named the “Die A” type.

Die X Forgeries

These constitute a different type of period watercolor forgery, also discussed by Masson. The name “Die X” is a provisional concoction of our own. We use it merely to suggest a certain parallelism with the Die I type, but one that avoids the notion that the dies were ever mistaken for authentic pieces. The productions are indeed scarce, though convention instructs us to report that they are not so rare as the Die I type. The Die X also exist in the 1a denomination, but apparently not in the 4a, which is the reverse of the Die I case.

Die X Forgery. The ½a grey-black watercolor on native paper. One of the several distinguishing features is the pronounced curvature of the first stroke in the central symbol and the peculiar rendering of ‘Jammu’ at the 1 o’clock postion, which is quite at odds with that of either the Die I type or the original.

Die X Forgery. The ½a brown-black watercolor on native paper. A version in oilcolor is also listed Séfi & Mortimer. The mauve cancellation is understood to be an imitation of the Jammu seal in magenta.

Die X Forgery. The ½a blue watercolor on native paper. A version in oilcolor is also listed in Séfi & Mortimer.

Die X Forgeries. The ½a ‘blood-red’ watercolors on native paper. The pigments shown here might be much the same, but in different concentration. Other shades of red are listed in the table below, all watercolors. The stamp paper of the specimen on the right is precisely that of the piece to which it is attached.

long-tail forgery

Long-tail Forgery. The ½a? black watercolor “long-tail” on native paper. Quoting from Séfi & Mortimer, p 259: “The central numeral, instead of showing three strokes, appears as an uncolored square having a small projection... Opposite this projection, the native character resembling an “R” [i.e., the kâ in sarkâr] in the outer inscription has its tail much longer than that of the character in originals.” This scan is from their Plate 51.

½a circular period forgeries

This way to the ½a oilcolor printings†.

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