India Postage Stamps - Centenary - 1st October 1954

On 1st October 1954, India completed 100 Years of the issue of its First Postage Stamp, which also coincided with the placing of the Post Offices under the centralised control of a Director General. India has the unique honour of being the first country in Asia to issue postage stamps. Many  ideas were mooted to celebrate the Centenary, by the Director General of Posts, which gave birth to many controversies. Details of such controversies are recorded in India’s Stamp Journal (1954 issues). One of the controversies was, about the venue for the Centenary Exhibition. Calcutta had a claim because the First Indian Stamp was printed at the Surveyor - General’s Office at Calcutta. Bombay had also a claim because Bombay was the hub of philatelic activities in India. But the Government of India decided to hold India Postage Stamp Centenary and International Stamp Exhibition at Eastern Court, Queensway, New Delhi, from 1st to 15th October 1954. Both Bombay and Calcutta were not happy with the decision and decided to hold independent stamp exhibitions at Bombay and Calcutta in October and December respectively. 

Department issued an attractively bound printed Souvenir Album containing facsimile reproductions in original colours of all postage stamps issued during the last 100 Years The album contains 24 plates housing all 206 stamps issued in between 1854 and 1954, together with a brief write up of stamps. The sale price was Rs.25/- only. This volume was prepared and printed by Nasik Security Press, by the photogravure process. It appears that India is the first country in the world to have produced such a representative record of stamps issued during the past 100 Years.

Another Souvenir Album containing India’s Post Independence Postage Stamps in mint condition was also issued for Rs.65. A Book on the history of Indian Post Office along with the history of India Postage Stamps was also brought out. It was edited by Sri Mulk Raj Anand and was priced Rs.15/- only.

To celebrate the historic occasion of the Centenary of India Postage Stamps on 1st October 1954, the Department issued four commemorative stamps, in denominations of 1 anna, 2 annas, 4 annas and 14 annas depicting the different modes of carrying mails during these 100 Years.