Quotes & Saying about Philately & Stamps

• "Neither rain, nor snow, nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" - Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the Persian messengers in his history of the Persian Wars. This is inscribed on a stone face of the New York post office building.

• "The collecting of stamps brings untold millions of people of all nations into greater understandings of their world neighbours" - Francis Cardinal Spellman of America while laying the foundation stone of Cardinal Spellman Museum at Weston on July 27, 1972.

• "Consider the postage stamp, its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there" -  American humorist John Billings.

• "The philatelist will tell you that stamps are educational, that they are valuable, that they are beautiful. This is only part of the truth. My notation is that the collection is a hedge, a comfort, a shelter into which the sorely beset mind can withdraw. It is orderly, it grows towards completion, it is something that can't be taken away from us" - Clifton Fadiman in Any Number Can Play.

• "But, remember, I wish to have the best collection, not just one of the best collections in England" - King George V to JA Tilleard, Honorary Secretary, Philatelic Society, on appointing him as Philatelist to the King.

• "For seventeen years he did nothing at all, but kill animals and stick in stamps" - Sir Harold Nicholson (1886-1968) in Diaries and Letters about King George V.

• "All science is either Physics or stamp collecting." - Erenst Rutherford physicist and Noble Laureate.
• "As you see gentleman I am but a postman. It is no exaggeration. In the old days it was my job to deliver the mails .."  JRD Tata. Quoted in a book on British Airways - commemorating the 50th anniversary of Tata's history making flight of 1912.

• "What should I do? I think the best thing is to order a stamp with my face on it." - Charles, Emperor of Austria 1882-1922 on learning of his accession to the throne.

• "Next time ask my barber to approve them before you issue stamps with my portrait" - King Christian X of Denmark. In 1924 he was shown commemoratives of 300th anniversary of Danish Posts. The stamps showed his portrait facing the left and the right and his hair parted once to the left and next to the right.

• "Swifter are their movements that the eye can follow. they know not the difference between right and left, neither know what a letter is nor are its contents divulged to them; yet speedily they carry through the task entrusted to them. They have charged themselves to keep faith and therefore they have been granted the garland that festoons their necks" - Hohn-eddin-ban-Abdeldakar, an Egyptian said this praising the carrier pigeons some 800 years ago.

• "Among other things good and bad that modern civilisation had produced, surely the postal system which covers the whole world, is one of its most benficial activities. It affects every individual whereever he may be in the wide world connecting him with millions of others. That connecting link is the postal system which has grown from age to age, till it is what we see today" - Jawaharlal Nehru as a foreword to Mulk Raj Anand's book Story of the Post Office.

• "Stamp Collecting dispels boredom, enlarges our vision, broadens our knowledge, makes us better citizens and in innumerable ways, enriches our lives" - President Roosevelt

• "Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste". - W. B. Yeats (1865-1939), Irish poet, playwright. 

The postage stamp is a flimsy thing No thicker than a beetle's wing And yet it will roam the world for you Exactly where you tell it to - EV Lucas

Pattern Coins - 1947 to 1949 Dominion of India




Variety of Pattern coins were introduced during Dominion of India also known as India Union or Union of India.

It was time period  that existed between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950. As per unofficial records 14 different types of pattern coins were minted during dominion of India.

Metal composition of these pattern coins were of  : Nickel ,Brass , Bronze and Cu- Ni .

Here are list is of some of the pattern coins with images .

1. 1947(B) — 1/4 Rupee. Copper-Nickel.

2. 1947(B) — 1/2 Rupee. Copper-Nickel. 

3. 1947(B) — Rupee. Copper-Nickel. 

4. 1947(B) — Rupee. Nickel. Set 

5. 1949 — Pice. Bronze.

6. 1949 — Anna. Copper-Nickel. 

7. 1949 — 2 Annas. Copper-Nickel. Profile peacock left.

8. 1949 — 2 Annas. Copper-Nickel. Facing displayed peacock.

9. 1949 — 2 Annas. Brass. Proof

10.1949 — 1/4 Rupee. Nickel. 

11.1949 — 1/2 Rupee. Nickel. Worker with finished background.

12.1949 — 1/2 Rupee. Nickel. Worker with plain background.

13.1949 — Rupee. Nickel. Standing figure.

14.1949 — Rupee. Nickel

As far as my knowledge above pattern coins are rare and not available easily

.

It was time period Dominion 

Old coins

An old coins are - Window to history 

The National Emblem of India - depicting on republic India coins

The National Emblem of India is an adapted version of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. The Government of India adopted the Emblem on January 26, 1950. The original Ashoka Lion Capital comprises four lions, standing back to back, mounted on a cylindrical abacus. The abacus features the sculptures of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull, and a lion, separated by 24-spoked Dharma wheels over a bell-shaped lotus.

However subtle changes have been incorporated while adopting the Lion Capital of Ashoka as India's National Emblem. In the Emblem only three lions are visible, the fourth one on the rear is hidden from view. The Dharma wheel is present in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus has been done away with.

The words 'Satyameva Jayate' which literally means 'Truth Alone Triumphs' are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script. The words are quoted from Mundaka Upanishad, the concluding part of the sacred Hindu Vedas. The national emblem is prominently featured in the official letterhead of the Government of India and also appears on the diplomatic and national Passport of the Republic of India.

The Ashoka Chakra means the 'wheel of the law'. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Dharma Chakra, which means wheel. It has 24 spokes.

The most prominent Indian Mauryan emperor, called Ashoka the Great, built the Ashoka Chakra during the 3rd century BC. The Ashoka Chakra is inscribed widely among the Lion Capital of Sarnath and the Ashoka Pillar. The Ashoka Chakra is placed in the center of the National Flag of the Republic of India. It was adopted on 22 July, 1947. It is rendered in a navy blue colour on a white background. In order to add historical 'depth' and separate the National Flag from that of the Indian National Congress(INC) Gandhian spinning wheel is replaced with the Spokes of Ashoka Chakra in the center of the Flag.

	The Chakra signifies that there is a life in 'Movement' and 'Death' in stagnation.

Ashoka Chakra can also be seen on the base of Lion Capital of Ashoka which has been adopted as the National Emblem of India. The Chakra signifies that there is a life in 'Movement' and 'Death' in stagnation. The process of the wheel stands for cycle or the self repeating process with the changing of time in our life. The horse on the Right hand symbolizing accuracy and speed. The Bull on the Left hand stands for hard work .

Wonderful Qualities of Twenty Four Spokes :
1. Love
2.Courage
3.Patience
4.Peacefulness
5.Magnanimity
6.Goodness
7.Faithfulness
8.Gentleness
9.Selflessness
10.Self-control
11.Self sacrifice
12.Truthfulness
13.Righteousness
14.Justice
15.Mercy
16.Gracefulness
17.Humility
18.Empathy
19.Sympathy
20.Spiritual knowledge
21.Moral Values
22.Spiritual Wisdom
23.The fear of God
24.Faith or Believe or Hope

Design of Rs.1 ,2 ,5 & 10 cross coins

The new coins carry the same cross as was seen  on Rs 1,2,5 & 10 bimetallic  coins. The RBI alleges that the cross shows “unity in diversity.” However, it is unable to give an explanation as to from what angle does the cross project this message.

This design has been prepared by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, with the theme of Unity in Diversity.

This cross on the coin is nothing but the Crusaders’ Cross, also called Jerusalem Cross. Here is what it looks like:

It is called Crusaders’ Cross because it was given by the Pope Urban II to the crusaders for their very first crusade that was launched from Jerusalem. The four “crosslets” on the corners along with the main cross are supposed to show the five holy wounds of Christ.

Plastic Rupee to hit the Indian market.

A welcome change from the soiled, torn Indian currency.

This is good news indeed for everybody for the Reserve Bank of India is issuing polymer or plastic notes by the end of the year. The experiment will initially commence with the humble 10 rupees note and will gradually progress to dealing with plastic 20 and 50 rupee notes.

Now India can proudly join the long list of countries like Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Malaysia and Hong Kong that use polymer notes.

We can if the experiment is 'Eureka' happily do away with the rubber banded rolls of torn, soiled and scotch taped notes that are stashed away in old zippered bags in the corner of the safes, which would never see the light of day. They are the skeletons in the cupboards of our own guilt, when we accept soiled or torn notes from the butcher or the greengrocer or even our own tenant, too diplomatic to return them, for isn't the zippered bag in the corner of the safe always ready to welcome these decrepit of a derelict age as stowaways that nobody wants or does not know what to do with.

My only doubt is this. How will the women of the Indian household deal with these plastic notes, all those women who bundle their paper notes into the smallest of rolls that they can possibly make away from their kitchen to fit into the smallest of cloth bags, from which as the draper at the nearest cloth store, they unravel note upon note as nonchalantly as you please.

Will the old woman that sells greens at my door step find a bag sufficient to fit her plastic notes?

Will my maid servant that stashes her salary into the folds of her sari be able to do it anymore? Or will I have to pay her extra to buy herself a bag for her plastic notes?

Oh, these are small wavering thoughts of the mind that would quickly pass into oblivion once I set eyes on those plastic notes at the end of the year. Maybe hereafter I can safely touch those notes, that would have passed the hands of all and sundry and not rush off to the washroom to wash my hands with soap and water.

Can these plastic notes be washed and hung to dry? If I am a miser, maybe I can preserve the polymer possessions for posterity.

POLYMER NOTES IN INDIA

RBI to introduce 100 cr Rs 10 plastic notes

New Delhi


Soiled notes may soon be a thing of past with the Reserve Bank planning to introduce Rs 10 polymer banknotes whose life span would be 4 times the normal currency notes and would be difficult to imitate.

The apex bank has initially decided to introduce 100 crore pieces of Rs 10 polymer notes, for which it has floated a global tender, a senior central bank official said.

Explaining the rationale for introduction of polymer notes, the official said, these notes would have an average life span of 5 years compared to one year for the currency notes.

Besides, the official said, these notes are cleaner than paper notes and it would be difficult to counterfeit the currency.

The polymer notes were first introduced in Australia to safeguard against counterfeiting of currency.

Besides Australia, other countries which have introduced plastic notes include New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Bermuda, Brunei and Vietnam.