Francobolli dell'India: quali valgono davvero

What are Indian stamps worth by era?

Early British India issues and princely state stamps hold the value. Post-independence commemoratives were printed in large quantities and are generally worth little.

Which Indian stamps are worth money?

The Scinde Dawk of 1852, the 1854 Queen Victoria issues (above all the inverted-head 4 annas), scarce princely state issues, and the 1948 Gandhi 10-rupee stamp, especially in sound unused condition.

• Scinde Dawk (1852). Issued for the province of Sind, and the first adhesive stamp in Asia. Genuine examples are rare and heavily faked.
• 1854 Queen Victoria issues. India's first national stamps, lithographed in several dies. The 4 annas is bi-coloured, and the version with an inverted head is one of the world's famous rarities.
• Princely state issues. Some states printed tiny quantities. Overprints for convention states are common targets for forgery.
• 1948 Gandhi commemoratives. The set of four is collected everywhere, and the 10-rupee value carries most of the money. Official overprinted versions are rarer still.
• Covers and postal history. Early Indian mail, especially to and from Britain, is collected in its own right.

Are old Indian stamps from the 1960s to 1990s worth anything?

Usually very little. India issued large numbers of commemoratives in that period and collectors saved them in quantity, so most sell for a few rupees or cents each.

This is what surprises people searching for an “Indian stamps price list”: the stamps in a family album are usually the common ones. Value sits with the pre-independence material, and with condition. An album of 1970s commemoratives is a nice collection, not a windfall. See are old stamps worth money?

How do I identify an Indian stamp?

Read the inscription and the currency. British India stamps say “India” with a monarch's portrait and use annas and rupees, while post-1947 issues carry the Ashoka lions emblem, and princely state stamps name the state.

• Annas and pies date a stamp before 1957, when India decimalized to naye paise.
• A monarch's head means British India, which dates it between 1854 and 1947.
• “Service” overprints mark official mail stamps, which are collected separately.
• A state name, such as Hyderabad, Travancore or Jaipur, means a princely state issue with its own catalogue listing.

Stanley Gibbons is the standard catalogue for India and the states. See stamp catalogue numbers.

Are Indian revenue stamps the same as postage stamps?

No. Revenue stamps pay a tax or duty on documents such as receipts and agreements. They're collected, but they're valued separately from postage stamps and are usually inexpensive.

Many searches for Indian stamp values are really about revenue stamps used on paperwork. If a stamp says “Revenue”, names a court fee, or appears on a legal document, that's what you have.

Are Indian stamps on old envelopes worth more?

Often, yes. Indian postal history is widely collected, and covers showing early routes, military field post offices or unusual destinations can be worth considerably more than the stamps alone.

• Pre-1947 covers carrying British India stamps, especially to or from Britain and other colonies.
• Field post office and military mail, including mail from Indian forces serving overseas in both world wars.
• Princely state covers, where the state's stamps are shown in genuine postal use.
• Airmail and early flight covers, which connect to the first air routes between Europe and India.

The rule is the same as everywhere: don't soak stamps off an envelope that looks old or unusual until someone has looked at it. See how to remove stamps from envelopes.