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Personalised Stamps of India

The Personalised stamp or “P” Stamp was pioneered by Australia Post during Australia – 99 (International Stamp Exhibition) which was held at Melbourne from 19th to 24th March, 1999.

Second country to introduced these ‘P’ Stamps was Thailand, during Bangkok-2000. It became popular during London-2000. Slowly several countries issued the ‘P’ Stamps, but chose their specific chosen names i.e. Great Britain (smilers), Canada (Picture Postage), Indonesia (Personalized Stamps & PRISMA), New Zealand (Personalised stamps), Singapore (My Stamp) and Slovakia (Personal Stamps).

Personalised Stamps or “P” Stamp means that a personal photograph printed alongside the actual postage stamp. The “P” Stamp consists of two parts like se-tenant. The first part or one part contains the postage stamp with a value and the other half, which was left blank by Security Printers will contain photograph of the buyer. Usually, the postage stamp so used is the current postage stamp. It means that whenever Personalised Stamps were issued by any country, they used the then current postage stamps of their country alongside the personal photograph.

To have a personal photograph along with a postage stamp attracted the general public including philatelists. So these “P” Stamps were made available during Fairs, Stamp Exhibitions etc. To attract Tourists, it was made available at International Airports.

My Stamps

In India, the Department of Posts wanted to come out with “P” Stamp during Indepex-Asiana 2000, but could not implement the scheme for some undisclosed reasons.

When Personalised Stamps could not be produced in India, an Indian Version of “P” Stamp was issued from Calcutta by India Post, West Bengal Circle, during 15th India Industrial Trade Fair, at Kolkata from 21st to 31st December, 2001. In this Indian Version of ‘P’ Stamp, a blank ¼ size sheet paper perforated in Stamp-sized perforation in 4 rows X 4 rows was made available with Post Office. When a buyer approaches, his photo is printed in one row, so that the adjacent row remains vacant. Then an Indian Postage Stamp (a commemorative postage stamp in circulation or in use) is affixed in the blank space. Thus an Indianised version of ‘P’ stamp is ready.

1. 15th India Industrial Trade Fair, Calcutta from 21st to 31st December, 2001.

Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata
 
Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata

2. 27th Calcutta Book Fair, Calcutta from 31st January to 10th February, 2002.

Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata
 
Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata

3. 16th India Industrial Fair, Calcutta from 21st to 31st December, 2002.

Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata
 
Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata

4. 28th Calcutta Book Fair, Calcutta from 29th January to 9th February, 2003.

Personalised Stamps issued at Kolkata

The price of such ‘P’ Stamp was Rs. 30/- for printing of the photograph and actual face value of postage stamps which remained same on all four occasions. A receipt was also issued for every sheet purchased by India Post.

Four different size perforations were used for such ‘P’ Stamps by India Post, WB Circle. The particulars are as follows:

1. Crude perforation on ungummed glazed paper was used on the first occasion. Two different size of perforation to house different size of stamps were used, i.e. 29 x 43 mm for normal usual Stamps and 59 x 43 mm for Panchtantra Se-tenant Stamps. This crude perforation on ungummed glazed paper was used on all four occasions.
2. Security gummed paper with perfect perforation was used on 2nd occasion and remained in use in 3rd and 4th occasion.
3. Security gummed paper with elliptical holes was used on 3rd occasion.
4. Security gummed paper with 48 x 41 mm size perforation was used to house big sized Stamps.

By seeing the popularity of Personalized Stamp in Calcutta, the Department of Posts, Gujarat Circle planned to issue ‘P’ stamp during GPA-2002 – One Frame Philatelic Exhibition on 2nd and 3rd October, 2002 which was going to be held in Ahmedabad GPO, Salapose Road, Ahmedabad – 380 001 organized by Gujarat Philatelists Association.

Blank ¼ size glazed sheet papers with Logo of India Post, with perforation were arranged along with Posters, Cash Memos, Envelopes to house P Stamp Sheets etc. were prepared for issue of “P” Stamps with approval of India Post, Gujarat Circle.

In a Press conference on 1st October, 2002 at Philatelic Bureau, Ahmedabad GPO, the DPS Gujarat Circle confirmed that Ahmedabad is going to become only city after Calcutta to issue Personalised Stamps.

Trial Run of ‘P’ Stamps were prepared. But due to last minute technical problems, the said Personalized Stamps could not be issued and the scheme was scrapped.

Proposed issue of Personalised Stamps at Ahmedabad
 
Proposed issue of Personalised Stamps at Ahmedabad

A few examples of the Trial Run of such ‘P’ Stamps are known to exist.

It is still a mystery, why West Bengal Postal Circle could not issue ‘P’ Stamps after February 2003, though they were very successful in issuing ‘P’ Stamps in their last 4 occasions.

After waiting for more than 10 years, India Post finally issued ‘P’ Stamps with a new nomenclature – “My Stamps” during Indpex-2011- World Philatelic Exhibition held on 12th February, 2011 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. India Post issued 29 different New Postage Stamps by using motifs of already issued Stamps.

The DDG (Phil) explained “My Stamp” in his letter No. D.O.No.16-17/2010 – Phil dated 12-01-2011, that they are “going to issue postage stamps called “My Stamp” in which a postage stamp has been designed along with blank space on which the customer’s photograph will be printed during Indipex-2011. In other words, it will be the set of two stamps, one stamp will be with the denomination of Rs. 5/- and the other will carry the photograph or visual of the customer, as it will carry Rs. 5/- postage stamp, it is requested that it should not treated as unpaid. However, if the personalised photograph is not accompanied by a proper postage stamp, it is invalid.”

17 different sheetlets were issued. Each sheetlet contains 12 postage stamps in denomination of Rs. 5/- each along with 12 blank spaces.

My Stamps First Series

The particular of such sheetlets is as follows:

1. Sun Sign Capricorn 8. Sun Sign Leo
2. Sun Sign Aquarius 9. Sun Sign Virgo
3. Sun Sign Pisces 10. Sun Sign Libra
4. Sun Sign Aries 11. Sun Sign Scorpio
5. Sun Sign Taurus 12. Sun Sign Sagittarius
6. Sun Sign Gemini 13. Taj Mahal
7. Sun Sign Cancer  

All 12 stamps of the above 13 sheetlets contain same design.

My Stamps First Series
14. Wild Life 16. Panchtantra
15. Train Engine 17. Aircrafts

These 4 sheetlets contain 4 different designs. It means 3 stamps of a single design per sheetlet. Wild Life sheetlet contains stamps of Lion, Tiger, Elephant and Rhino. Train Engine sheetlet contains WP/1-1963, GIP No.1-1853, WDM2-1963 and F/1-1895. Panchtantra sheetlet contains Lion & Rabbit, Crow & Snake, Monkey & Crocodile and Tortoise & Geese. And Air Crafts sheetlet contains LCA-Tejas, Dhruv, Dhruv& HT-2.

The peculiar truth regarding these “MY STAMP” sheetlets is that the postage stamps used therein, were new postage stamps, though motifs were taken from already issued stamps. Thus we see the creation of 29 new postage stamps, which were not issued in regular sheet form. In past, India Post has issued a soauveneer sheet on Mother Teresa without issuing in sheet form. Gandhi Khadi stamp was also issued as a souveneer sheet on 12th February, 2011 and not in regular sheet form. Thus we see that India Post is doing some aerobatics which were never done before.

These postage Stamps of My Stamp were printed at India Security Press, Nashik Road. The printing process of these stamps was Wet Offset. The designer of these Stamps is Mr. Braham Prakash.

The publicity for “My Stamp” by India Post was so enormous that the identity or recognition of new postage stamp was lost. General public including Stamp Collectors were buying this new product of India Post, as “MY STAMP” and not realizing that they should buy these as new postage stamps. That is why, a small quantity of these sheetlets were sold during INDIPEX-2011. A rough estimate of all 17 sheetlets taken together is 13000 sheetlets only.

There were two more reasons for negligible sale of “My Stamp”. The first one was that India Post announced that the MY STAMP counters would be opened in many selected GPO’s in near future and people should not rush to get them only in the exhibition. Secondly, Indian Stamp Collectors are always hesitantto buy any product of India Post on premium hurriedly. These sheetlets of My Stamps were sold for Rs.150/- each, having postage stamps worth Rs.60/- only.

After a few months from Indipex-2011, when India Post did not open any MY STAMP counters at GPO’s as promised, anxiety for new postage stamps in “MY STAMP” increased to a great extent among Stamp collectors and Stamp Dealers. Magnitude of hunger for new postage stamps had no limits. The price of sheetlets of My Stamps jumped many folds.

When J&K Postal Circle announced Chinar – 2011 state level stamp Exhibition at Srinagar from 26th to 29th September 2011, in which they were goingto sell ‘My Stamp’ as Customised Stamps with scenes of Srinagar, Kashmere and other places of India, alongwith personalized stamps, the desire of Stamp Lovers to buy these stamps was so enormous that the price hike in My Stamp did not distract them. Though the price of ‘My stamp’ was increased to Rs. 300/- per sheetlet, the sale of these sheetlets crossed 13,000 figure.

After the success of My Stamp at Chinar-2011, it was sold through out India in State level and District level Stamp Exhibitions and Fairs etc. till stocks were exhausted.

It appears that Stamp Collector has understood that “My Stamp” is collectable as new Postage Stamp of India and it should have a place in India Stamp Collection.

Chinar 2011 My Stamps

I, being a research student, the first thing which came in my mind was “what is the printing quantity of each Postage Stamp or different sheetlets. Nobody have the authentic figure but the open secret is one lac sheetlets approx, if all 17 different sheetlets are taken together. It means roughly 6000 sheetlets each.

In response to my RTI application a Xerox copy of a letter of Director (Philately) being no. DO-16-171/2010-Phil.(pt) dated 2/01/2011 was sent to me. It reads as follows:

“The quantity for printing of these sheets would be as follow:

1. Rail Engine - 4000 sheets
2. Air Crafts - 4000 sheets
3. TajMahal - 4000 sheets
4. Panchtantra - 4000 sheets
5. Wild life of India - 4000 sheets
6. Astrological Signs - 30000 sheets (2500 sheets x 12 designs)
Total : 50000 sheets

Each sheet will have 12 stamps of Rs.5/- denomination each with a blank space along side each stamp for printing of customer's photograph.

Each should be individually numbered on the front in sequence as a security measure. I was not convinced by the answer because I have seen many other Letters of the Department of Posts stating different quantity and in one of such letter different designs of stamp. Actually all these letters were exchanged at the time of Planning.

I tried to find the truth, but I did not get a better answer, on my further efforts.

As I do not have direct evidence, I started collecting circumstantial evidence. As all sheetlets were serially numbered, I started recording the maximum number of a particular Design. In my opinion, maximum number of a design should be considered to the coming or next thousand. It means 1000+ is considered as 2000 only. If we go by this rule the printing of the different sheetlets is as follows:

Design
Highest no. recorded
Quantity Printed (Aprox)
Train
A – 7,938
8,000
Aircrafts
B – 7,016
8,000
Tajmahal
C – 6,684
7,000
Animals
D – 8,830
9,000
Panchtantra
E – 9,295
10,000
Aries
F – 4,532
5,000
Taurus
G – 5,126
6,000
Gemini
H – 4,614
5,000
Cancer
R – 4,025
5,000
Leo
J– 4,839
5,000
Virgo
K – 4,815
5,000
Libra
L – 4,755
5,000
Scorpio
M – 5,013
6,000
Segitorus
N – 4,844
5,000
Capricorn
S – 4,076
5,000
Aquarius
P – 5,296
6,000
Pisces
Q – 4,538
5,000
Total
105,000

In my opinion, printed quantity of sheetlets should be around1 Lac only. Now one can understand the scarcity of these stamps or sheetlets. If these sheetlets or stamps are not collected at the earliest opportunity, it may be too late to collect these postage stamps.

India Post sold these sheetlets for Rs. 150/- each in February 2011. After that from September 2011, the selling price was increased to Rs. 300/-, which remains same till date (November 2012) except during Bihar Stamp Expo (10 to 13 February 2012) where the price was Rs. 500/- per sheetlet.

Thus the minimum price charged by India Post is Rs.25/- per postage stamp of Rs.5/-. It means India Post is charging Rs.20/- as premium per postage stamp.

The List of Exhibitions name in which ‘My Stamps’ were issued is as follows:

Dates
Exhibition
Place
Remarks
12/02/2011 to 18/02/2011
INDIPEX-2011
New Delhi
P-FS
My Stamps at Indipex-2011
Dates
Exhibition
Place
Remarks
J & K Circle
26/09/2011 to 29/09/2011 CHINAR-2011
Srinagar
P+C - FS
In between October & November Exhibition organised by APS
Baramula
P+C - FS
In between October & November Exhibition organised by APS
Uri
P+C - FS
In between October & November Exhibition organised by APS
Anantnag
P+C - FS
In between October & November Exhibition organised by APS
Srinagar cantonment
FS
23/11/2011 to 26/11/2011 Stamp Show-2011
Jammu
P+C - FS
New Delhi
During October - November 2011 District Level Exhibition
Delhi
‘P’ - FS
During October - November 2011 District Level Exhibition
Delhi
‘P’ - FS
11/10/2011 to 12/10/2011 District Level Exhibition Delhi ‘P’ - FS
19/10/2011 to 20/10/2011 District Level Exhibition Delhi ‘P’ - FS
14/11/2011 to 27/11/2011 International Trade Fair Delhi ‘P’ - FS
07/12/2011 to 09/12/2011 Tele Communication Fair Pragati Maidan, New Delhi ‘P’ - FS
22/01/2012 to 24/01/2012 DHAROHAR-2012 Delhi ‘P’ - FS
My Stamps at Delhi Exhibitions
Dates
Exhibition
Place
Remarks
Uttar Pradesh Circle
16/12/2011 to 18/12/2011 UPHILEX - 2012
Lucknow
P+C - FS
09/02/2012 to 11/02/2012 - Bareilly
P - FS
17/02/2012 to 19/02/2012 - Agra
P - FS
24/03/2012 to 25/03/2012 - Kanpur
P - FS
Gujarat Circle      
23/12/2011 to 25/12/2011 GUJPEX-2011 Vadodara
P+C - FS
19/01/2012 to 20/01/2012 AMPEX-2012 Ahmedabad
P+C - FS
24/02/2012 to 25/02/2012 Golden Katar-2012 Camp, Ahmedabad
P+C - FS
Customised My Stamp at Gujpex 2011
Dates
Exhibition
Place
Remarks
Rajasthan Circle
04/01/2012 to 07/01/2012 RAJPEX - 2012
Jaipur
P+C - FS
29/02/2012 to 1/03/2012 - Army Camp, Jaipur
P+C - FS
Maharashtra Circle      
13/01/2012 to 16/01/2012 MAHAPEX-2011 Pune
P+C - AS
04/02/2012 to 11/02/2012 - Kala Ghoda Cultural Festival, Mumbai
P+C - AS
24/02/2012 to 25/02/2012 Golden Katar-2012 Camp, Ahmedabad
P+C - FS
Bihar Circle      
10/02/2012 to 13/02/2012 BIHAR STAMP EXPO  Patna
P - FS
Kerala Circle      
13/02/2012 to 16/02/2012 KERAPEX-2012 Calicut
P+C - AS
Haryana Circle      
21/02/2012 to 23/02/2012 HARPEX-2012 Gurgaon
P - AS
Assam Circle      
16/06/2012 to 18/06/2012 APS Satgaon,Narangi, Guwahati
P
Meghalaya      
13/06/2012 to 15/06/2012 APS C/o 99 APO Shillong
P

NOTE:  ‘P’- Personalised Stamps | ‘C’ - Customised Stamps | ‘FS’ - Full Set | ‘AS’ - Astrological Sign only

Beside the above list, there are chances that ‘My Stamp’ was issued from other places also.

India Post issued Second Series of My Stamps with four new designs on 19th October 2012 at Pune featuring flowers viz. Lily, Dahlia, Cineraria and Pansy in sheetlet of 12 stamps.

Customised My Stamp at Gujpex 2011
Customised My Stamp at Gujpex 2011
Customised My Stamp at Gujpex 2011
Customised My Stamp at Gujpex 2011

In response to RTI application, the director Philately replied wide letter F.No.36-60/2012-Phil, dated _/12/12 that the quantity printed on theme of flowers is 75000 sheets each, which comes to 3 lakh sheets or 36 lakhs stamps or 9 lakh stamps each type of flowers.

Third series of My Stamp was launched vide Office Memorandum F. No. 17-5/2013-Phil, dated 22nd July 2014 issued by Philately Division, Department of Posts. In the third series 10 new themes were launched, viz. Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Taj Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Mysore Palace, Fairy Queen, Port Blair Island, Ajanta Caves, St. Francis Church and Greetings. Though the notification was issued on 22nd July 2014, the Fairy Queen design was made available at many philatelic bureaux much earlier. Date of issue has not been announced for all 10 designs.

So far in all My Stamp sheetlets same stamp designs have been used for all 12 stamps. For the first time in the sheetlet of Mysore Palace, two different views of the Palace, one of day time view and another of night view with illumination have been used in two columns of 6 each.

These new themes are based on local tourist attraction places and the distribution of the same has been done in view of the location of the above places, except Taj Mahal, Fairy Queen and Greetings which are distributed to all postal circles, rest of the themes are circulated only to the concerned circle headquarters.

My Stamp Taj Mahal
My Stamp Hawa Mahal
My Stamp Mysore Palace
My Stamp Port Blair Island
My Stamp Ajanta Caves
St. My Stamp Francis Church
Red Fort My Stamp
Qutub Minar My Stamp
My Stamp Fairy Queen
My Stamps Greetings

On the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations, fourth series of ‘My Stamp’ on Gujarat theme was launched at Vibrant Gujarat Post Office, ‘India Post’ Pavilion at Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show 2015, Gandhinagar on 7th January 2015. In this issue three different stamp designs having images of Mahatma Gandhi and Sabarmati Ashram, Kite Festival and Dandiya Dance have been incorporated in the sheet of 12 Stamps in row of two each.

‘My Stamp’ on Gujarat theme

JAI PHILATELY

Contributed by Ashok Kumar Bayanwala, Ahmedabad

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