POSTAGE STAMPS OF PAKISTAN (FIRST FIVE YEARS)

1947

KING GEORGE VI (with square border)

Even before independence, the question of introducing Pakistan postage stamps on the day of establishment of Pakistan (14th August1947) was examined. Due to complications accompanying the designing and printing of new postage stamps and the limited period then available, it was decided that the postage stamps and postal stationery to be used by the Government of Pakistan should, in the first instance, be distinguished by over-printing Indian postage stamps and stationery with the word Pakistan. They were over–printed by government presses in Pakistan .The over-printed Indian postage stamps became very popular with the philatelists all over the world .Rubber–stamping or hand printing was never allowed; postage stamps bearing rubber over prints are, therefore unauthorized .

1948

INDEPENDENCE COMMEMORATIVES

The first series of postage stamps, issued Pakistan, were devoted to the commemoration of independence. They were released on the 9th July 1948 and comprise four values. The Independence commemoratives were withdrawn from sale with effect from 1st October 1959.

1949

1ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF QUAID-E-AZAM COMMEMORATIVE

On the death anniversary (11th September 1949) of the Quaid-e-Azam, a set of three postage stamps of 1½-anna, 3-anna and 10-anna denominations were issued commemorating the sad demise of the Father of the Nation. These stamps , true to the Islamictraditions, do not bear a portrait of the Quaid-e-Azam. They are floral in design and bear the name of the Quaid-e-Azam; the dates of his birth and death and his memorable maxim: “Faith, Discipline, Unity.” These stamps were withdrawn from sale with effect from the 1st April,1950, bur still remain valid for payment of postage.

1951

4th ANNIVERSARY ISSUES-ARCHES

A new set of eight postage stamps was issued on the 14th August 1951, the fourth anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan.These stamps were designed by the famous Pakistani artist, K.B. Abdur Rehman Chugtai. Their colour scheme was chosen y the Ministry of Communications and the printing was done in one colour by Messrs. Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., London , by direct plate process.

These postage stamps are of denominations of 2½-anna, 3-anna, 3½-anna, 4-anna, 6-anna, 8-anna ,10-anna and 12 –anna. The size is 19x33.5 millimeters and the perforation gauge 12x13½ ( c ).Four designs have been used in these stamps, one design for two different denominations, which are distinguished by different colours.


Service postage stamps of 3-anna, 4-anna and 8-anna denominations were also issued, In this issue the word "Service" hi!" not been overprinted as is the case with other Pakistan service postage stamps; it is actually incorporated in the stamp design.
 
 
 

1952

SCINDE DAWK

 

 

 
On the 14th August 1952, two stamps of the 3-anna and the 12-anna denominations and an attractive First Day Cover were issued to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Scinde District Dawk stamps, the first stamps issued in Asia in July 1852. The design illustrates the original stamp with a string of camels and airplane added to symbolize progress in mail transport. The 3-anna stamp is chartreuse in colour, and the 12-anna stamp is light brown. These stamps were withdrawn from sale on 1st November 1953.
 
 
 

 

The Mausoleum of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty and Terracotta Warriors and Horses

The Mausoleum of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), who successfully defeated all rival ducal states and unified China by establishing the first centralized feudal dynasty, is located at the northern foot of Lishan Hill in Lintong, Shaanxi Province. It is the largest mausoleum ever discovered in the world.

The mausoleum covers a total of 2.18 million square meters, with the tomb itself covering 220,000 square meters. The tomb was designed to be 166 meters high, but years of weathering and damage have reduced this to 76 meters. The bottom of the tomb measures 485 meters by 515 meters.

The mausoleum originally consisted of inner and outer sections. The outer section had a circumference of 6,294 meters. In addition, an underground palace, 450 meters long from south to north and 390 meters wide from east to west and covering more than 180,000 square meters, has been discovered. According to Records of the Historian written over 2,000 years ago by Sima Qian, the construction of the grand project involved 700,000 laborers and took 36 years to be completed.

To date, the tomb of the Emperor Qin has not been excavated. But his buried terracotta army unearthed nearby has already stunned the world and has been called the “eighth wonder of the world”. They are the largest pottery figurine group ever unearthed in China. So far, three pits containing such figurines have been excavated. They cover a total area of 20,000 square meters. Some 8,000 life-sized warriors demonstrate a powerful military array under the rule of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, 2,200 years ago.







Pit One, first discovered in 1974, measures 230 meters long and 62 meters wide, covering over 14,000 square meters. It contains more than 6,000 terracotta warriors, which, with their individual features and facial expressions, line up in battle-readiness, creating an awe-inspiring effect. The pit also buried a large number of chariots, weapons and other precious relics, of which some 10,000 metal weapons were unearthed. An unearthed bronze horse-driven chariot is the largest bronze ware ever found in the world.







The mausoleum along with the underground army entered the list of world cultural heritage sites in 1987.

The Emperor Qin's Terra-cotta Museum

Ancient Greek Coins

The minting of coins spread rapidly from Lydia to the city states of ancient Greece. Around 600 BC , the island of Aegina produced what are believed to be the first Greek coins. These coins were known as silver drachmae and obols and depicted a turtle on the reverse, the symbol of Aegina.
The nearby Greek city state of Cornith soon followed Aegina and produced drachmae coins with the legendary figure of the winged horse Pegasus on the reverse.
The largest of the Greek city states was Athens which around 610 BC began producing very artistic coins often featuring an amphora or wine vessel design.
Alexander the Great (336-323 B.C.) established the practice of coinage throughout the Hellenic empires. His successors introduced portraits as a regular feature of their coinage designs thereby recording for posterity many images of ancient kings and rulers.