Rs. 4.14 crore for 1948 Gandhi stamps
A strip of four stamps featuring MK Gandhi has been sold for £500,000 in the UK. The set is considered to be the most valuable part of post-independence Indian philately. The stamps are purple-brown in color and were used by the then governor-general's secretariat for official purposes. Prior to this only single versions of the stamp were found with collectors.
What is philately?
Philately is the study, collection or research about stamps. The word "philately" comes from the French word "philatélie", coined by Georges Herpin in 1864. It consists of the Greek words phil(o)-, meaning "an attraction for something", and ateleia, meaning "exempt from duties and taxes."
Are Indian stamps worth a lot?
The recent purchase of the 4 stamps by an Australian collector hints at the value of the market for rare Indian stamps. A single Gandhi ten-rupee stamp was sold for as much as £160,000 to an Uruguayan collector. Another Indian stamp with the head of Queen Victoria inverted as a printing error was sold for £110,000.
