BAHAWALPUR STAMPS

HISTORY OF THE STAMPS OF BAHAWALPUR

Before issuing its own stamps Bahawalpur was using the postage stamps of British India until 1945. On 1st January 1945, it issued its own stamps of the State, for official use only, this set of stamps was totally inscribed in Arabic language.

On 1st December 1947 the State of Bahawalpur issued its own first regular stamp, a commemorative stamp for the 200th anniversary of the ruling family of the Abbassids, in the honour of Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan I, and inscribed "BAHAWALPUR". Secondaly a series of 14 pictorials appeared on 1st April 1948, depicting various Nawabs and their buildings.

These pictures are of stamps issued in 1949. These stamps were stylishly Prepared and showed the industrial symbols of Bahawalpur State. Which are irrigation barrage, wheat, cotton and local bullock. About sixty Bahawalpur stamps were issued and all of them are in supreme quality.

The next revolution in stamps occured in 1961 when Pakistan moved to decimal currency system. Anas were a thing of past, and the paisas were in the new system. Again there was a shortage of Postage stamps and the new currency denominations were simply printed over the existing stamps of Bahawalpur. Intresting errors can be found in the stamps of this era, and a few of the bloopers can be seen in the pictures available.

The picture on the left is containing almost the all the regular and official stamps ever issued by the Government of the Former State of Bahawalpur excluding all of the stamps that were in use by the State before it issued its own first stamp.

Almost all of the sixty odd stamps of the Bahawalpur State are readily available and are not expensive, having been printed in big numbers. The most expensive Stamp is of ten rupees of 1948, at around US 30 Dollars. Most of the stamps are beautifuly designed and finely finished.