India 89 World Philatelic Exhibition at New Delhi 20.1.1989

India 89 World Philatelic Exhibition. The Department of Posts has issued four sets of stamps in 1987 and 1988. This 5^th and last set of four stamps commemorating the World Philatelic Exhibition at New Delhi are on the following topics:-

(60P) This stamp is on stamp collecting, a hobby requiring very little introduction. The hobby must have begun soon after issue of the Penny Black (1840). Confined initially to school-boys and enthusiasts, by 1863 it had attracted serious interest. People find in stamps, apart from their illustrative and pictorial value, sufficient interest to justify the study of their specialities. Each design's history was worth tracing through various mutations of sade, paper, watermark and peforation. Thus stamp collecting moved towards a systamatic study and grouping of stamps. It also acquired a new name, "Philately' (Greek 'Philos' meaning 'fond of' and 'Atelia' meaning 'exempt from tax').

(Rs1.50) The  stamp shows a Traveller's Coach and Post Office, better known as Dawk Gharee (mailcart). The first wheeled cart was used in 1841 in Meerut by one Mr. Smith. Thereafter post offices hired whel carts. In 1842, the service was introduced between "Mynpooree" and "Allyghur" and later from Aligarh to Delhi and Meerut. the illustrated Dawk Gharee belonged to Mr. Beacon of M/s. Greenway and Company, Calcutta. The Company held a licence to carry the Rayal Mail/Foreign Mail between Calcutta, Diamong Harbour and Barrackpore. They also carried mail and passengers on the Calcutta-Banaras-Patna route. The coachman announced his approach whirling his bell-studded whip and sounding his bugle.

(Rs5.00) The stamp is a reproduction of the Travancore Anchel Stamp of 2 Chuckrams denomination.The former Idian Sate of Travancore had an independent postal or Anchal System with a mail transport service including a boat mail service and the Railway Anchel Service. The first adhesive Anchel Stampwas introduced on 16-10-1888 in denomination of 1,2, & 4 Chuckrams (1 Chuckram = 3.57 paise) in ultramarine, red and green printed on laid paper bearing a large sheet watermark showing a conch shell surrounded by "GOVERNMENT" in an arch with "OF TRAVANCORE" below in a straight line. These were the earliest feudatory stamps surviving till 1953.

(Rs6.50) The stamp depicts Early Philatelic Magazines. Phiatelic literature, especially periodicals, played a vital role in disseminating news and information and bringing togather philatelists. A few early efforts, such magazines as "The Philatelic World" and "The Indian Philatelists", both started in 1894, were short lived. 'The Philatelic Journal of India', issued by the Philatelic Society of India, was first published at Calciutta in 1897 and is still current. 'India's Stamp Journal' has seen over 50 years of publication and 'Signet' and 'Ind Dak', a decade. Other magazines like 'Top Phil', 'Stamp World', 'Digest', etc. are steadily contributing their efforts to Phiately. The stamp depicts the mast heads of some of the early philatelic magazines.