1931 CHITHRANAGAR & 1936 SRICHITRANAGAR special cancellations

Exhibition post markings of Travancore.

2 types of commemorative special postmarks..

CHITHRANAGAR & SRICHITRANAGAR.

 

CHITHRANAGAR 

This linear rectangular box (48x12mm) 'CHITHRANAGAR' was found used for the cancellation of mails posted at the temporary Anchal offices put up at the Exhibition grounds at Kanakakunnu Palace grounds,Trivandrum during the All India Exhibitions in 1931 & 1936.

In connection with the Coronation (Bala Rama Varma), a 7 day exhibition was conducted at the Kanakakunnu Palace grounds in Trivandrum, with the opening of a temporary Anchal office. Nov 6 - 11, 1931.

Registered envelope to Attungal from Trivandrum. 

Rectangular box (CHITHRANAGAR) black ink marking.

Postage 12 cash..Registeration..3 Chuckram.. Acknowledgement 4 cash.

 

SRICHITRANAGAR

This was employed for the cancellation of mails posted at the temporary Anchal office put up in the SRICHITRANAGAR exhibition ground at Kanakakunnu Palace garden, during the 20 days period of All-India Exhibition (11 Nov to 30 Nov) . This was opened by The Governor of Madras, Lord Eskine..11 Nov, 1936. 

 This special linear rectangular box (65x10mm) postmark 'SRICHITRANAGAR' is always found applied with a 2 ring circular date stamp, bearing  the Experimental office No 16.

Ordinary envelope to Cochin from Trivandrum.

Postage 12 cash (4 cash stamps affixed on the reverse).

Registered envelope to Quilon from the exhibition venue Experimental Anchal office, Trivandrum. 

Signed & dated  (flapside), with the reason, for the delayed delivery by the Anchal man, with a vernacular manuscript of  'കച്ചേരി ഒഴിവു' (Court holiday)'.

1899 CASH FIVE double postcard mint

1899 'CASH FIVE' double postcard (Perf: 10) mint...was in use for a limited period, for it was followed soon by different varieties of Cash Five without legends.  

This mint double card (same as Cash Eight), known to exist less than 10 copies, are supposedly to be branded as 'Rare'.

 

India Study Circle 75th anniversary Diamond Jubilee Book

 Favourite possession (related to Travancore & Cochin shown here), of each philatelists, around the world, came out in print in India Study Circle's 75th Diamond Jubilee Book (168 pages), sponsored by David Feldman, (Switzerland), compiled by Sandeep Jaiswal (USA). 

1936 Travancore to U.K.with official stamps affixed and stamped with Postage Due

 

Envelope affixed with 8 official stamps (110 Cash) posted from Trivandrum Anchal office (15 Medam 1111) & then transmitted to the British India post office @ Trivandrum on the same date (27 April 1936), with Postage Due (horse shoe cancel) to Liverpool, England.

50 centimes taxed hexagon postmark stamped enroute with 4 Penny (2d x 2 stamps) Postage Due from Liverpool.

Normally this envelope would not be allowed to transit by affixing only Travancore stamps, except to Cochin.

 Probably this must have passed thru' the postal authorities, for it's an envelope with Travancore service stamps...an enigmatic item.

Smallest Postage Due (Kooli) folded letter

Small folded kooli (24 cash or 1&1/2 Chuckram) unstamped letter (6.8x4.7 cm) from Thiruvattar to Kottakkakam (Trivandrum) dated 9 /12 /116 (1941). 

Postage rate in 1941 is 3/4 Chuckram(12 Cash)..hence the Postage Due is double the actual postage...ie 24 Cash.

For comparison of its midget size along with a 1890 Thin 8 Cash card. 

 

Travancore 1925 circular cancellation unrecorded

1925 Postage Due on a folded unstamped letter from Nagercoil to Parassala...

 Interesting to note that a few cancellations around 1099/1100 (1924/'25) didn't last long...the great flood of '99 (1924)?

Unrecorded cancellation...hyphen in the date (1-MEE-99).

36 mm cds.

India Study Circle's 75th Diamond Jubilee magazine 'India Post' article on EXPERIMENTAL MARKINGS OF TRAVANCORE :

 India Study Circle's 75th Diamond Jubilee magazine 'India Post' article, on the subject of  'EXPERIMENTAL MARKINGS OF TRAVANCORE'...in the lastest issue of July/ Sept 2025.

ISC...(a UK based organization dedicated to the study of Indian philately) was established in 1950 to focus on the stamps and postal history of India and Indian States.