India 1/2 Anna Overprint Please Help With ID & Vlue

Please help me id this India 1/2 Anna overprint. I am not ever sure which way the overprint is supposed to go! 14 perfs, Also looking for potential value on this stamp. Thank you!

ccholley,

I believe this to be from GWALIOR (Convention State of the British Empire in India) Scott O31. It should have watermark 196. The 2000 Scott Catalogue has this valued at ($.20).

Hope this helps.
Hobsun

Thank you!

This is indeed an official use stamp from Gwalior State.

Gwalior was one of six States that entered a Postal Convention with British India around 1885, under which the States agreed to use British Indian stamps overprinted for the individual States. Gwalior was the largest and most important of the States, and was the only one allowed to use only the local language in its overprints. These are the other States:



(Faridkot State had dropped out of the Convention by 1913, when your stamp was issued.)

Thank you so much for the history of these stamps! Love hearing the history!

Hi, the overprint is the right way and as Tony mentioned it reads "GWALIOR SERVICE" but in Hindi.

There are however some errors in the overprints (I don't have my catalogue) but one error of the top of my head is instead of "GWALIOR SERVICE" the stamp reads "GWALIOR SERSIV" (again in Hindi), one of the Hindi letters is placed incorrectly.

Again, I am not sure if it is a QV, KE VII or KG V issue from Gwalior state.

The Sersiv error is found on one position in a sheet for the early QV officials, 1895-96.