Stamp Investment Tip: India 2002 UN Climate Change Souvenir Sheet (Scott # 1978a)

In 2002, India issued a souvenir sheet honoring the UN Climate Change Convention, and picturing Indian native trees (Scott #1978a). 50,000 were issued, and Scott ' prices the unused souvenir sheet at $5.00.

All Indian souvenir sheets with printings of 100,000 or fewer should be accumulated, with priority given to those issues which have strong thematic appeal. The UN Climate Change Convention  souvenir sheet is both a United Nations and Flora topical (as well an an "Eco-topical"), and should do very well indeed. India is a rapidly developing nation of over a billion people, and millions of Indian collectors will likely be converted to the insidious cult of Philately over the next decades.

 Those interested in viewing a list of scarce stamps with printing quantities of 100,000 or fewer may wish to view the StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List, which currently contains over 9,700 entries. Researching quantities issued data is vital to determining in which stamps to invest.

Those interested in learning more about investing in stamps are encouraged to read the Philatelic Investment Guide ($5), available on Kindle, and accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 2000 Indepex Asiana Souvenir Sheet (Scott #1834b)

  In 2000, India issued a souvenir sheet celebrating the Indepex Asiana Stamp Exhibition, and picturing native birds (Scott #1834b). 50,000 were issued, and Scott '13 prices the unused souvenir sheet at $6.00.


All Indian souvenir sheets with printings of 100,000 or fewer should be accumulated, with priority given to those issues which have strong thematic appeal. The Indepex Asiana souvenir sheet has obvious appeal as a Animals/Birds topical and should do very well indeed. India is a rapidly developing nation of over a billion people, and millions of Indian collectors will likely be converted to the insidious cult of Philately over the next decades.

 Those interested in viewing a list of scarce stamps with printing quantities of 100,000 or fewer may wish to view the StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List, which currently contains over 9,700 entries. Researching quantities issued data is vital to determining in which stamps to invest.

Those interested in learning more about investing in stamps are encouraged to read the Philatelic Investment Guide ($5), available on Kindle, and accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 2000 Indepex Asiana Souvenir Sheet (Scott #1863b)

In 2000, India issued a souvenir sheet celebrating the Indepex Asiana Stamp Exhibition, and picturing Indian jewelry (Scott #1863b). 50,000 were issued, and Scott '13 prices the unused souvenir sheet at $8.00 .


All Indian souvenir sheets with printings of 100,000 or fewer should be accumulated, with priority given to those issues which have strong thematic appeal. The Indepex Asiana souvenir sheet has obvious appeal as an Art and Gems/Minerals topical and should do very well indeed. India is a rapidly developing nation of over a billion people, and millions of Indian collectors will likely be converted to the insidious cult of Philately over the next decades.

 Those interested in viewing a list of scarce stamps with printing quantities of 100,000 or fewer may wish to view the StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List, which currently contains over 9,700 entries. Researching quantities issued data is vital to determining in which stamps to invest.

Those interested in learning more about investing in stamps are encouraged to read the Philatelic Investment Guide ($5), available on Kindle, and accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 1997 Mother Teresa Souvenir Sheet (Scott #1658)

  In 1997, India issued a souvenir sheet honoring Mother Teresa (Scott #1658. Only 50,000 were issued, and Scott '13 prices the unused souvenir sheet at $6.00.

   All Indian souvenir sheets with printings of 100,000 or fewer should be accumulated, with priority given to those issues which have strong thematic appeal. The Mother Teresa souvenir sheet has obvious appeal as a Religion/Christianity topical, and should do very well indeed. Had a souvenir sheet with a printing of 50,000 and similar appeal been issued by the People's Republic of China, it's value would be hundreds of times greater, but fortunately for the philatelic investors who read this blog, the Indian stamp market is decades behind that of the PRC's. That will almost certainly change, as India is a rapidly developing nation of over a billion people. Millions of Indian collectors will likely be converted to the insidious cult of Philately over the next decades.


 Those interested in viewing a list of scarce stamps with printing quantities of 100,000 or fewer may wish to view the StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List, which currently contains over 9,700 entries. Researching quantities issued data is vital to determining in which stamps to invest.

Those interested in learning more about investing in stamps are encouraged to read the Philatelic Investment Guide ($5), available on Kindle, and accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 2007 Satyagraha Centennial Souvenir Sheet (Scott #2208e)

In 2007, India issued a souvenir sheet commemorating the Centennial of Mahatma Gandhi's Non-violent Resistance, or Satyagraha, Movement (Scott #2208e). 200,000 were issued, and Scott '12 prices the unused souvenir sheet at $3.00 .

While the quantity issued may seem high compared to those of most stamps recommended by StampSelector, it should be kept in mind that India is a rapidly developing nation of over a billion people, and millions of Indian collectors will probably be converted to the insidious cult of Philately over the next decade.

As for the sheet's topical appeal, it couldn't be any stronger, as many Indians view the Mahatma as something like a semi-divine combination of Jesus, Washington, and Lincoln. Gandhi Topicals with low or moderately low printings, whether from India or elsewhere, are worthy of consideration as investments.

Those interested in viewing a list of scarce stamps with printing quantities of 100,000 or fewer may wish to view the StampSelector Scarce Stamp Quantities Issued List, which currently contains over 9,700 entries. Researching quantities issued data is vital to determining in which stamps to invest.

Those interested in learning more about investing in stamps are encouraged to read the Philatelic Investment Guide ($5), available on Kindle, and accessible from any computer.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 1900 China Expeditionary Force Overprint (Scott #M1-10)

As with the other colonial powers smuggling opium into China, bribing corrupt officials, and generally making a mockery of Chinese sovereignty during the 19th and early 20th centuries, Great Britain maintained "spheres of influence" within China, and maintained post offices there and in Hong Kong. This understandably led to some resentment among the Chinese who attempted to forcibly eject the foreign parasites. The abortive Boxer Rebellion (1898-1901) was crushed by the multinational China Expeditionary Force, to which the various colonial powers had contributed personnel. In a truly British combination of efficiency with a sense of humor, Great Britain added Indian units to the C.E.F., thereby setting one colonized and exploited people against another.

In 1900, a set of ten Victoria definitives from India's regular issues of 1882-99 were overprinted for use by the C.E.F. (Scott #M1-10). 13,717 sets were sold, and Scott '12 prices the unused set at $100.70.

The set has potential appeal in three growing markets: collectors of British Commonwealth, India, and China. Many of the best investments in Indian stamps are to be found among the obscure colonial back-of-book items and the Convention States. The Indian stamp market is really just beginning to take off, and is at a stage similar to the Chinese stamp market of 30 years ago.

The set should also do well based upon demand from China, but that may require a change in attitude on the part of Chinese collectors. Many, if not all, of the better foreign offices in China stamps are grossly undervalued, because most Chinese collectors disdain them as relics of foreign imperialism, which they are. Nevertheless, I feel that they are excellent investments solely on the basis of growing demand in their home countries, and because I believe that eventually, the Chinese will bid them up as well. Many of these issues are undervalued to such an extent that they are currently selling for less than P.R.C. souvenir sheets and Cultural Revolution sets which are at least 30 to 100 times more common. When reticence begins to replace rage, they will zoom upward at a rate that will shock and amaze the the vast majority of collectors who unwisely neglected to read this blog.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 1904 China Expeditionary Force Overprint (Scott #M12-20)

As with the other colonial powers smuggling opium into China, bribing corrupt officials, and generally making a mockery of Chinese sovereignty during the 19th and early 20th centuries, Great Britain maintained "spheres of influence" within China, and maintained post offices there and in Hong Kong. This understandably led to some resentment among the Chinese who attempted to forcibly eject the foreign parasites. The Boxer Rebellion (1898-1901) was crushed by the multinational China Expeditionary Force, to which the various colonial powers had contributed personnel. In a truly British combination of efficiency and irony, Great Britain added Indian units to the C.E.F., thereby setting one colonized and exploited people against another.

In 1904, a set of nine Indian stamps from its Edward VII Issue were overprinted for use by the C.E.F. (Scott #M12-20). 5,568 sets were sold, and Scott '12 prices the unused set at $118.00.

The set has potential appeal in three growing markets: collectors of British Commonwealth, India, and China. Many of the best investments in Indian stamps are to be found among the obscure colonial back-of-book items and the Convention States. The Indian stamp market is really just beginning to take off, and is at a stage similar to the Chinese stamp market of 30 years ago.

The set should also do well based upon demand from China, but that may require a change in attitude on the part of Chinese collectors. Many, if not all, of the better foreign offices in China stamps are grossly undervalued, because most Chinese collectors disdain them as relics of foreign imperialism, which they are. Nevertheless, I feel that they are excellent investments solely on the basis of growing demand in their home countries, and because I believe that eventually, the Chinese will bid them up as well. Many of these issues are undervalued to such an extent that they are currently selling for less than P.R.C. souvenir sheets and Cultural Revolution sets which are at least 30 to 100 times more common. When reticence begins to replace rage, they will zoom upward at a rate that will shock and amaze the the vast majority of collectors who unwisely neglected to read this blog.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 2004 U.N. Peacekeeping Souvenir Sheet (Scott #2081a)

In 2004, India issued a souvenir sheet honoring its army's participation in UN Peacekeeping operations (Scott #2081a). 100,000 were issued, and Scott '11 prices the unused sheet at $12.00.

Over the last decade or so, India has issued a number of souvenir sheets in quantities of 50,000 to 100,000. I intend to recommend some of them in future articles. While India's stamp market is heating up, the process has been more gradual than that of its neighbor, China.

The Peacekeeping souvenir sheet has additional appeal as a U.N. topical. I continue to like the U.N. as a topic, long-term. The market for U.N.-related topicals should grow over the very long haul as institutions of world government develop in order to take on serious (and possibly existential) problems which can only be coped with globally. Despite the present inadequacy, corruption, and ineffectiveness of the U.N., I view its reform and gradual strengthening as a gradual but irresistible trend.


This souvenir sheet should be targeted for aggressive accumulation as a grossly undervalued popular topical issue from a nation of 1.2 billion people which is becoming an economic superpower. I think that in certain respects, the Indian stamp market resembles the Chinese stamp market of 20-25 years ago. In the coming years, the "serious" stamp collecting population of Indians will number in the millions, if not tens of millions.

Check out StampSelector's Scarce Stamp Quanities Issued List, which now comprises over 9,700 worldwide listings of stamps with printings of 100,000 or fewer.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 2005 Flora/Fauna Miniature Sheet (Scott #2101a)

In 2005, India issued a miniature sheet picturing animals and flowers (Scott #2101a). 100,000 were issued, and Scott '11 prices the unused sheet at $11.00 .


Over the last decade or so, India has issued a number of souvenir sheets in quantities of 50,000 to 100,000. I intend to recommend some of them in future articles. While India's stamp market is heating up, the process has been more gradual than that of its neighbor, China. Had a comparable popular topical souvenir sheet been issued there it would probably retail for at least 50 to 100 times the current cost of this Flora/Fauna sheet.

This souvenir sheet should be targeted for aggressive accumulation as a grossly undervalued popular topical issue from a nation of 1.2 billion people which is becoming an economic superpower. I think that in certain respects, the Indian stamp market resembles the Chinese stamp market of 20-25 years ago. In the coming years, the "serious" stamp collecting population of Indians will number in the millions, if not tens of millions.


Those interested in becoming part of an international community of stamp collectors, dealers, and investors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group and organization pages at Facebook. These host lively discussions concerning stamp investment and practical aspects of collecting, and are excellent venues for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade stamps.

Phila-Trivia: India's Withdrawn Guru Granth Sahib Stamp (Scott #2109)

In 2005, India released a commemorative stamp and souvenir sheet to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the holy text of the Sikh religion, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, or Adi Granth (Scott #2109, 2109a ). Unfortunately, the stamp contained a design error which violated the maryada (Sikh code of conduct), and offended many members of the Sikh community. According to Sikh tradition, the holy book should be covered by a "rumala", or piece of cloth, when it is not being read. The stamp pictured a lone holy book without a reader, yet unveiled. Accordingly, it was withdrawn from all Indian post offices across the country by the Department of Posts.

However, an unknown quantity of the stamps were sold prior to their formal release at some post offices in India's southern states. Whether or not the stamp is a good investment largely depends upon how many remain, including those sold before they were withdrawn and those hoarded by Indian postal employees attempting to supplement their incomes by dumping the ostensibly scarce stamps on collectors. Scott '11 prices the unused miniature sheet of one at $45.- and the miniature sheet of 12 at $90.- .

Those interested in learning about investing in stamps should read the Guide to Philatelic Investing ($5), available on Kindle and easily accessible from any computer.    

Stamp Investment Tip: India 2005 Gandhi's Salt March Anniversary Souvenir Sheet (Scott #2103a)

In 2005, India issued a souvenir sheet celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's Salt March (Scott #2103a).This act of civil disobedience against the British helped to mobilize support for India's Independence movement. 100,000 souvenir sheets were issued, and Scott '11 prices the unused sheet at $10.00.

Over the last decade or so, India has issued a number of souvenir sheets in quantities of 50,000 to 100,000. I intend to recommend some of them in future articles. While India's stamp market is heating up, the process has been more gradual than that of its neighbor, China. Had a comparable souvenir sheet been issued there, commemorating Mao's Long March and with the same printing quantity, it would probably retail for at least 50 to 100 times the current cost of the Gandhi sheet.

This souvenir sheet should be targeted for aggressive accumulation as a grossly undervalued popular topical issue from a nation of 1.2 billion people which is becoming an economic superpower. I think that in certain respects, the Indian stamp market resembles the Chinese stamp market of 20-25 years ago. In the coming years, the "serious" stamp collecting population of Indians will number in the millions, if not tens of millions.


Those interested in becoming part of an international community of stamp collectors, dealers, and investors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" page at Facebook. The page hosts lively discussions concerning stamp investment and practical aspects of collecting, and is also an excellent venue for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade stamps.

Stamp Investment Tip: Indian Convention States - Nabha 1885-97 Officials (Scott #O6-15)

During the Raj period, the Convention States of Chamba, Faridkot, Jhind, Nabha, and Patiala had postal agreements with Great Britain, allowing their stamps franking power throughout all of British India. Stamps of the Convention States were all overprinted stamps of British India, in contrast to the stamps of the Indian Feudatory States, which were issued independently, and which were only valid within the issuing states.The stamps of the Convention States are rich in varieties and errors. Typical errors include inverted overprints, spelling mistakes in English or Devanagri, errors of omission and capital letters than the normal types.

I initiated coverage of the Indian Convention States a while back by tipping Chamba Sc. #1-15. As I believe that this is one of the most undervalued areas in Indian Philately, I now continue my focus on it by recommending the 1885-97 Official set (Scott #O6-15). The two 1r values of the set (Scott # O13 and O14) had printings of only 2,000 each. Scott '10 values the set unused at $183.25.

Until the last decade or so, most of the demand for stamps of India's Convention and Feudatory States has come from British Commonwealth collectors and specialists outside of India. With India's economic rise, its stamp market has been heating up considerably. I am confident that in the coming years, the center of demand for these collecting areas will shift to India, as the number of stamp collectors there will number in the millions, if not tens of millions.

Those interested in joining a community of stamp investors, dealers, and collectors are welcome to join the "Stampselectors" group at Facebook. The group provides a useful venue for those who wish to buy, sell, and trade stamps, and discuss philatelic investing and practical aspects of stamp collecting.

Stamp Investment Tip: India- Convention States- Nabha 1885-87 Overprint Issue (Scott #11-25)

During the Raj period, the Convention States of Chamba, Faridkot, Jhind, Nabha, and Patiala had postal agreements with Great Britain, allowing their stamps franking power throughout all of British India. Stamps of the Convention States were all overprinted stamps of British India, in contrast to the stamps of the Indian Feudatory States, which were issued independently, and which were only valid within the issuing states.The stamps of the Convention States are rich in varieties and errors. Typical errors include inverted overprints, spelling mistakes in English or Devanagri, errors of omission and capital letters than the normal types.


I initiated coverage of the Indian Convention States a while back by tipping Chamba Sc. #1-15. As I believe that this is one of the most undervalued areas in Indian Philately, I now continue to focus on it, by recommending the 1885-97 Overprinted Issue of Nabha (Scott #11-25). The top three values of the set (2r to 5r, Sc. # 22-24) had printings of only 572 each, and Scott '10 values the set unused at $ 352.35. While fake overprints may possibly exist on the high values, this does not represent much of a risk, because the difference in value between the stamps overprinted for Nabha and the basic stamps of British India are not enough to justify faking them.

Until the last decade or so, most of the demand for stamps of India's Convention and Feudatory States has come from British Commonwealth collectors and specialists outside of India. With India's economic rise, its stamp market has been heating up considerably. I am confident that in the coming years, the center of demand for these collecting areas will shift to India, as the number of stamp collectors there will number in the millions, if not tens of millions.

Stamp Investment Tip: Indian Legion 1R + 2R Azad Hind Issue (Michel # VII)

In 1943, the Germans produced a set of stamps for Subhas Chandra Bose's Azad Hind, or Indian National Army (Michel #I-X). These were intended to serve initially as propaganda labels, later to be used as postage after the "liberation" of India from the British by the I.N.A.. The stamps were never transported to India, and stayed in storage in Germany until the end of the war. All of the Azad Hind stamps except the 1R+2R Indians Bearing Azad Hind Flag (Michel #VII) are common, as 1 million of each of the lower values were printed. Three types of the 1R+2R stamp and four proofs are known:

-1R+2R Black, imperforate (1st Printing; Mi. #VIIa- 4,500 produced; Mi. CV= Euros 600.-)

- 1R+2R Black and Orange, imperforate (2nd Printing; Mi. VIIb- 2,000 produced; Mi. Cv = 250 .- Euros .-); a large number of these exist on ungummed paper (Mi. CV= 35.- Euros)

- 1R+2R Black, Orange, and Green, imperforate (3rd Printing; Mi. VII- 7,000 produced; Mi. CV= Euros 250.-)

Proofs noted in Michel:

- 1R+2R Violet (400 produced; Mi. CV= Euros 500.-)

- 1R+2R Carton paper (100 produced; Mi. CV = Euros 500.-)

- 1R+2R On the back of a piece of carton paper, with ad. printed on the front, imperforate (Unknown quantity; Mi. CV= Euros 600.-)

- 1R+2R Proof of Michel VIIb (Black and Orange) on orange colored paper, imperforate (Unknown quantity; Mi. CV= Euros 2,000.-)

Forgeries exist of this issue, so it should be purchased conditional on obtaining expertization.

At this point, many readers might wonder: Why recommend an unissued stamp, not listed by Scott, which is basically just a cinderella?

I feel that the 1R+2R stamp is exceptional, because of its historical significance, its scarcity, and its compelling potential dual market for collectors of both India and Germany. Bose and the I.N.A. are not well known in the West, but his role in the struggle for independence has been recognized by India, which has issued five postage stamps commemorating him and his army. He was a prominent figure in the independence movement, and was elected president of the Indian National Congress twice, but had to resign from the post following ideological conflicts with Gandhi. He felt that non-violent resistance would prove ineffectual, and he was willing to assist the Axis war effort, but he never liked the Nazis and once commented that we was willing to "shake hands with the Devil to achieve India's independence." Gandhi is honored as the saint and savior of India's independence movement, but it should be noted that when non-violent political movements succeed, they often do so partly because of the fear that the enraged masses will resort to less humane alternatives.

I view this stamp as an interesting and probably low-risk speculation. In the coming years, the "serious" stamp collecting population of Indians will number in the millions, and I expect that enough of these new collectors will want the Azad Hind Flag stamps to push their values dramatically upward.

Stamp Investment Tip: India-Convention States-Chamba 1886-95 Overprint (Scott #1-15)

During the Raj period, the Convention States of Chamba, Faridkot, Jhind, Nabha, and Patiala had postal agreements with Great Britain, allowing their stamps franking power throughout all of British India. Stamps of the Convention States were all overprinted stamps of British India, in contrast to the stamps of the Indian Feudatory States, which were issued independently, and which were only valid within the issuing states.The stamps of the Convention States are rich in varieties and errors. Typical errors include inverted overprinting, spelling mistakes in English or Devanagri, errors of omission and smaller capital letters.


A number of issues from both the Convention and Feudatory States are quite scarce and desirable. While quantities issued information is generally unobatainable for stamps of the Feudatory States, there is some available for certain Convention States issues, quite a few of which have been overlooked.


One such issue is Chamba's 1886-96 Overprints (Scott #1-15). The 2r-5r high values of the set (Scott #12-14) had printings of only 672 each, and Scott '10 values the set unused at $ 710.75. It is worth focusing on just the top three values, if the complete set is difficult to find in decent condition. While fake overprints may possibly exist on the high values, this does not represent much of a risk, because the difference in value between the stamps overprinted for Chamba and the basic stamps of British India has not been enough to justify faking them.


Until the last decade or so, most of the demand for stamps of India's Convention and Feudatory States has come from British Commonwealth collectors and specialists outside of India. With India's economic rise, its stamp market has been heating up considerably. I am confident that in the coming years, the center of demand for these collecting areas will shift to India, as the number of stamp collectors there will number in the millions, if not tens of millions.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 1962-63 Animals Issue (Scott #361A-66)

In 1962-63, India issued an attractive Animals set (Scott #361A-66). 400,500 sets were issued, and Scott '10 prices the set at $19.00 unused. The majority of sets were used as postage.

This set should be targeted for aggressive accumulation, as an undervalued popular topical issue from a nation of 1.2 billion people which is becoming an economic superpower. I expect that in the coming years, the "serious" stamp collecting population of Indians will number in the millions.

Stamp Investment Tip: India 1948 Mahatma Gandhi Issue (Scott #203-06)

On January 30, 1948, Mohandas K. Gandhi, one of the greatest men who ever lived, was assassinated. On August 15, the first anniversary of India's independence, India issued a set of stamps depicting the Mahatma (Scott #203-06). About 230,000 sets were issued, and the set has a Scott '09 Catalog Value of $ 126.00.

In my opinion, this set is certain to rise in value. It has appeared on many buy lists lately, and may not be available for less than full Scott value. Several decades ago, before India's economic growth accelerated, an NH set could be purchased for as little as 25% of Scott.

A small number of Gandhi sets were overprinted "SERVICE" for Offical use (Scott #O112A-112D) in the following quantities, with Scott Catalog Values also given: O112A - 15,950

($ 45.00), O112B - 1,350 ($ 800.00), O112C - 250 ($ 2,100.00), O112D - 20 ($ 12,000.00). The catalog values given are italicized in Scott, indicating that reliable market information is unavailable, making it difficult to assign accurate values. A set of the Gandhi Officials sold for 38,000 Euros (about triple Scott) at a David Feldman Auction in 2007. Buying the less expensive lower values individually makes sense, but since forged overprints exist, require expertization as a condition for purchase.