Indian States Indentification Help

Thanks for posting the other sides of these two covers.

It's certainly disappointing that someone has ripped off the Indian ½ Anna from the Jind cover. It was probably the usual British Indian Queen Victoria ½ Anna green, worth nothing, because they're so common! I wouldn't worry too much about the condition of the cover otherwise: Jind covers are so rare that collectors can't be choosy. I'd still send it in for a Certificate.

I'm glad to see the other side of the Poonch cover. It's exactly what I expected. The cover would probably go for $US80 or better on ebay.

Thanks for all your time and effort, that was very kind.
Your covers are so beautiful, worldwide covers have always been my passion.
Would you have by chance the link for the Alwar site, I am trying to learn as much as I can.
For the certificate, I have never sent for one, don't know what kind of documents I will need to clear customs and not pay taxes in Switzerland . The simple fact of receiving an item older than 100 years, makes you already pay 40$ regardless of the price of the item (happened to me before for a 10$ item), + there are the % taxes on the value of the item (that is why I always try to avoid registered mail), and since I am not planning to sell it any time soon, I will hold it for now.

Well, if you ever decide to sell that Jind cover, or need to prove its authenticity, a BPA Certificate is a must. It's the only genuinely authoritative certificate for the Indian States.

Here is the link for a detailed study of Alwar: http://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=16831

If you decide you want to do the Indian States properly, you really should join the India Study Circle, http://www.indiastudycircle.org/index.html - it has produced a number of handbooks on India and the States, including one on Alwar, which formed the basis of the link above.

For more on Poonch, you can't go past The Stamps & Postal History of Poonch by George Harell. You'll find copies occasionally on ebay, and I'm sure Amazon will still have it, too.