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Asia/Other : Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

 

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Cattywumpuss
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The odds are good, but the goods are odd.

24 Aug 2015
01:14:29pm
Greetings All! I'm in need of some help again. I think this is the correct place for this post, but let me know if it is not. Anyway, back to my question. I was recently sorting through some stamps I have from India and I was having fun as my stamps cover a period of time when the currency the stamps were issued in was changing.

Thus I have been having trouble figuring out which stamps are oldest based on the currency and denominations. I have stamps that are marked with a denomination and then the currency:

1 A
2 As
3 Ps
1 Re
13 N.P.
10 P.

and then stamps that are decimalized in the form of:

0.15
1.35

Does anybody happen to know what the currency abbreviations stand for, and also what order they were released in? Any help would be most appreciated. I did try looking on the web already, but the articles I found were not very helpful. Thanks, and have a great day,

Paul.
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smauggie
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24 Aug 2015
01:51:00pm
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

The monetary system of India under British rule was a base 12 system much like the monetary system in Britain, except with different names.

12 Pies = 1 Anna (Pie is sort of equivalent to a penny)
12 Annas = 1 Rupee (Anna is sort of equivalent to a shilling)

The Rupee was an equivalent to a pound.

A number of other British territories in Asia also used the Pie, Anna and Rupee. For some reason only Aden comes to mind at the moment.

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canalzonepostalhistory.wordpress.com
TuskenRaider
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24 Aug 2015
02:31:14pm
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Hi smauggie & Cattywumpuss;

Could it be Pakistan, Burma, and Zanzibar that you are thinking of?

I think there are more, but I can't remember either!

Just Chillin'....
TuskenRaider

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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

24 Aug 2015
10:46:26pm
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

The "N.P." refers to "New Pies" I think, used to differentiate the currency after a re-evaluation to a decimal system (Naye Paise).
Unless things have changed in the last fifty years, Rupees cannot be exchanged for "real" money anywhere else. I remember being in Bombay (Mombai) in the 1960s and making the required official stop at a bank to exchange about $10 so that I had a legal right to have Rupees on my person. The rate was 10 Rupees to one dollar, but everywhere I went I was offered a better rate for crisp greenbacks, both in the open and at just about every store.
I had bought a $20 gold coin in Beirout for about $80.00 and once I found the right guy was able to get about 1,500 Rupees for it. Actually I think it was closer to 2,000.
That was enough to have a great time as we went from port to port around to Calcutta, (Kolkut) and have enough to have a blow-out party in the Royal Merchant Seaman's club on the last night before sailing. I think I still have a few ten rupees notes at home.
Indian Rupees were legal tender in several other nations for some time after independance but eventually most developed their own currency although that currency itself may have kept the name "Rupee"


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boseauro
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25 Aug 2015
05:40:41am
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

1835 - 1 rupee = 16 annas = 64 pice (paisé – singular, "paisa") = 192 pies (singular, "pie")
From 1 April 1957 - 1 rupee = 100 nayé paisé (NP)
From 1 June 1964 - 1 rupee = 100 paisé

So, mainly Pies, Pice and the Anna are pre-independence currency and the Naya paise, Paise and Rupee are post -independence currency but do keep in mind all the currencies were existing during the pre-independence as well but the Pies, Pice and the Anna were almost not in use post-independence.Currently Rupee and Paise are existing.


1 A - 1 Anna - stamps available since 1854
2 As - 2 Annas - stamps available since 1854
3 Ps - 3 Pies - stamps available since 1899
1 Re - 1 Rupee - stamps available since 1874
13 N.P. - I believe the "Map of India" stamp available since 1957
10 P - stamps available since 1965

For the decimalized, if you could let me know the currency.

Regards
Auro

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Cattywumpuss
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The odds are good, but the goods are odd.

26 Aug 2015
02:14:11pm
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Thank you all for the wonderful replies. You have certainly helped make things a bit clearer for me. I don't actually remember seeing a currency mark on the decimalized stamps, but I might have been going cross eyed by then as I was up way too late at night sorting them out.

Once I get home (currently at work) I will post pictures of them to help with identification if I cannot find a currency mark on them. Thank you all again,

Paul.

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"It was like this when I found it, I swear!"
Cattywumpuss
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The odds are good, but the goods are odd.

31 Aug 2015
12:37:59am
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Hi Auro. So sorry it has taken me this long to get those decimalized stamps online. I have not been feeling well this weekend. Anyway, here are some of the decimalized stamps from India that I have:

Image Not Found

Then there is this one next:

Image Not Found

And finally this one:

Image Not Found

Thanks once again for the wonderful help, and hope you have a great week,

Paul.

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"It was like this when I found it, I swear!"
Dani

05 Nov 2015
02:30:32pm
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

These stamps with decimalised denominations are as below:

1) Electric Locomotive - 0.10 = 0.10 Rupee = 10 paise (1 Rupee = 100 Paise)
2) Plucking Tea - 0.15 = 0.15 Rupee = 15 paise
3) x Asian Games - 150 = 1 Rupees & 50 Paise

Hope details are clear.

regards

Dani

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AntoniusRa
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The truth is within and only you can reveal it

06 Nov 2015
05:49:47pm
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Most of the stamps of India thru 1984 can be found here. It should help you in finding when different denominations went out of or came into usage. Also you should find it helpful in organizing your collection.
The stamps are on Scott Specialty pages and show every major issue as cataloged by Scott.

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mitch.seymourfamily.com/mward/collection/mapindex.html
malcolm197

07 Nov 2015
11:59:16am
re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

You should note that there is a lack of consistency in how decimal currency is shown on modern stamps.

As an example the 0.10 locomotive stamp shown also exists denominated as 10. this is 0.10 just shown in a different way

It is obviously catalogued as a different stamp, but as far as face value is concerned it is exactly the same. So 10,10np (sometimes 10nP) and 0.10 are all the same viz.one tenth of a Rupee.

Note early decimal Indian stamps particularly higher value definitives often have upright and sideways watermarks to confuse matters even more. Indian stamps ( other than the classics and native states) do not generate much interest in the West as in general they are badly designed and poorly printed ( and in many cases the subject matter is somewhat obscure), but I feel that they have a unique charm

Malcolm

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Author/Postings
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Cattywumpuss

The odds are good, but the goods are odd.
24 Aug 2015
01:14:29pm

Greetings All! I'm in need of some help again. I think this is the correct place for this post, but let me know if it is not. Anyway, back to my question. I was recently sorting through some stamps I have from India and I was having fun as my stamps cover a period of time when the currency the stamps were issued in was changing.

Thus I have been having trouble figuring out which stamps are oldest based on the currency and denominations. I have stamps that are marked with a denomination and then the currency:

1 A
2 As
3 Ps
1 Re
13 N.P.
10 P.

and then stamps that are decimalized in the form of:

0.15
1.35

Does anybody happen to know what the currency abbreviations stand for, and also what order they were released in? Any help would be most appreciated. I did try looking on the web already, but the articles I found were not very helpful. Thanks, and have a great day,

Paul.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"It was like this when I found it, I swear!"
Members Picture
smauggie

24 Aug 2015
01:51:00pm

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

The monetary system of India under British rule was a base 12 system much like the monetary system in Britain, except with different names.

12 Pies = 1 Anna (Pie is sort of equivalent to a penny)
12 Annas = 1 Rupee (Anna is sort of equivalent to a shilling)

The Rupee was an equivalent to a pound.

A number of other British territories in Asia also used the Pie, Anna and Rupee. For some reason only Aden comes to mind at the moment.

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canalzonepostalhisto ...
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TuskenRaider

24 Aug 2015
02:31:14pm

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Hi smauggie & Cattywumpuss;

Could it be Pakistan, Burma, and Zanzibar that you are thinking of?

I think there are more, but I can't remember either!

Just Chillin'....
TuskenRaider

Like
Login to Like
this post

www.webstore.com/sto ...

Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
24 Aug 2015
10:46:26pm

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

The "N.P." refers to "New Pies" I think, used to differentiate the currency after a re-evaluation to a decimal system (Naye Paise).
Unless things have changed in the last fifty years, Rupees cannot be exchanged for "real" money anywhere else. I remember being in Bombay (Mombai) in the 1960s and making the required official stop at a bank to exchange about $10 so that I had a legal right to have Rupees on my person. The rate was 10 Rupees to one dollar, but everywhere I went I was offered a better rate for crisp greenbacks, both in the open and at just about every store.
I had bought a $20 gold coin in Beirout for about $80.00 and once I found the right guy was able to get about 1,500 Rupees for it. Actually I think it was closer to 2,000.
That was enough to have a great time as we went from port to port around to Calcutta, (Kolkut) and have enough to have a blow-out party in the Royal Merchant Seaman's club on the last night before sailing. I think I still have a few ten rupees notes at home.
Indian Rupees were legal tender in several other nations for some time after independance but eventually most developed their own currency although that currency itself may have kept the name "Rupee"


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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
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boseauro

25 Aug 2015
05:40:41am

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

1835 - 1 rupee = 16 annas = 64 pice (paisé – singular, "paisa") = 192 pies (singular, "pie")
From 1 April 1957 - 1 rupee = 100 nayé paisé (NP)
From 1 June 1964 - 1 rupee = 100 paisé

So, mainly Pies, Pice and the Anna are pre-independence currency and the Naya paise, Paise and Rupee are post -independence currency but do keep in mind all the currencies were existing during the pre-independence as well but the Pies, Pice and the Anna were almost not in use post-independence.Currently Rupee and Paise are existing.


1 A - 1 Anna - stamps available since 1854
2 As - 2 Annas - stamps available since 1854
3 Ps - 3 Pies - stamps available since 1899
1 Re - 1 Rupee - stamps available since 1874
13 N.P. - I believe the "Map of India" stamp available since 1957
10 P - stamps available since 1965

For the decimalized, if you could let me know the currency.

Regards
Auro

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Cattywumpuss

The odds are good, but the goods are odd.
26 Aug 2015
02:14:11pm

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Thank you all for the wonderful replies. You have certainly helped make things a bit clearer for me. I don't actually remember seeing a currency mark on the decimalized stamps, but I might have been going cross eyed by then as I was up way too late at night sorting them out.

Once I get home (currently at work) I will post pictures of them to help with identification if I cannot find a currency mark on them. Thank you all again,

Paul.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"It was like this when I found it, I swear!"
Members Picture
Cattywumpuss

The odds are good, but the goods are odd.
31 Aug 2015
12:37:59am

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Hi Auro. So sorry it has taken me this long to get those decimalized stamps online. I have not been feeling well this weekend. Anyway, here are some of the decimalized stamps from India that I have:

Image Not Found

Then there is this one next:

Image Not Found

And finally this one:

Image Not Found

Thanks once again for the wonderful help, and hope you have a great week,

Paul.

Like
Login to Like
this post

"It was like this when I found it, I swear!"
Dani

05 Nov 2015
02:30:32pm

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

These stamps with decimalised denominations are as below:

1) Electric Locomotive - 0.10 = 0.10 Rupee = 10 paise (1 Rupee = 100 Paise)
2) Plucking Tea - 0.15 = 0.15 Rupee = 15 paise
3) x Asian Games - 150 = 1 Rupees & 50 Paise

Hope details are clear.

regards

Dani

Like
Login to Like
this post
Members Picture
AntoniusRa

The truth is within and only you can reveal it
06 Nov 2015
05:49:47pm

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

Most of the stamps of India thru 1984 can be found here. It should help you in finding when different denominations went out of or came into usage. Also you should find it helpful in organizing your collection.
The stamps are on Scott Specialty pages and show every major issue as cataloged by Scott.

Like
Login to Like
this post

mitch.seymourfamily. ...
malcolm197

07 Nov 2015
11:59:16am

re: Indian Stamp Currency Denominations

You should note that there is a lack of consistency in how decimal currency is shown on modern stamps.

As an example the 0.10 locomotive stamp shown also exists denominated as 10. this is 0.10 just shown in a different way

It is obviously catalogued as a different stamp, but as far as face value is concerned it is exactly the same. So 10,10np (sometimes 10nP) and 0.10 are all the same viz.one tenth of a Rupee.

Note early decimal Indian stamps particularly higher value definitives often have upright and sideways watermarks to confuse matters even more. Indian stamps ( other than the classics and native states) do not generate much interest in the West as in general they are badly designed and poorly printed ( and in many cases the subject matter is somewhat obscure), but I feel that they have a unique charm

Malcolm

Like
Login to Like
this post
        

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