Thailand Dusit Thani Blue Used As Revenue Stamp

Revenue stamps were introduced the first time in Thailand in 1883.
The first series were Agriculture stamps for rice paddy tax and a set of 5 stamps, showing King Rama 5, to be used as as Court Fee Stamps.

Also starting around that time, Thailand desperately tried not to be colonized. In was threatened in the east by the French in Indochina and in the West and South by the British in Burma and Malaya.

It was successful in staving off colonialization, but lost in the process, lots of land in the South and East part of the country.

On of the means to success was trying to modernize Thailand and its governing systems.
King Rama 6 (1910-1925) established a miniature city, with small scale buildings, located in the Amphorn Palace gardens. Below page is a write up. Shown is a receipt with a small blue stamp (smallest stamp ever issued and fitting with a miniature city).
Note, this stamp was not issued by the postal authorities but was specially made for the king.
This receipt purchased some 8 years ago would easily sell now for more than $3,500

Stamp shown only

Wonderful presentation Jos.
Thoroughly enjoyed that.
Well done you.

What are the black marks around the stamp / label?

"Dusit" is the name of the fourth of the six levels of Buddhist heaven

Thani = Town
Dusit Thani = Town in Heaven.

I supported for 6 years (In my 30's) the education of a young lass
North of Pathum Thani.
My wife and I visited her, and her village, and took a brand new chrome and paint pushbike, as a gift.

Noting the possible envy in other children, I questioned the wisdom
of that gift.

If I may ask, did you acquire that from Swanson or from Stewart?

I ask because I do not think Swanson had that when I was writing my book back ca. 1979 so am guessing he bought it later and sold to Stewart? Is that the way the ownership chain went?

Hello Richard

AS a Thailand stamp collector, your name and writings are very familiar to me. Thanks so much (A little late I guess).

Actually, I bought the document in a Grosvenor auction in England. It came from the Jim Zsyl (not sure how you write the last name, he was the late famous cinderella collector)). In that auction, it was mentioned that it originated from Swanson and Steward.

Jos,
James Czyl
I believe author of "Popalania" cinderellas featuring "Popeye"

https://goscf.com/t/42958 br /

Rod,

Trying to answer your question on the black ink markers around the stamp.
My best guess is that the marks indicated the middle of the margin to help with manually tearing the stamp from the sheet. Maybe there was no budget to buy a scissors and the person making the receipt was not a postal clerk with experience in stamps but some low level palace official.
Note that the cancellation cross is placed carefully below the face. It would be "lese majeste" to deface the face of the King on the stamp.



Below a picture from a recent auction. I am not the owner of that pair of stamps



LOT NO: 310 meaning Starting: THB 15000 Approx: € 428
"1918 "Dusit Thani" Local Stamp, 3st.x2 sky blue on thin white ungummed paper, mounted unused imperf. horizontal pair. For using within democracy model town created by King Rama 6, the smallest stamp ever issued (1.5cm.x2cm.). F.(2)"
Auction Result for LOT NO:310: Sold at THB 15000 or Euro 428

Another fascinating post. Thanks Jos.



That's what I thought, the only problem I had, it looked so much like a felt pen mark, which in 1919...
I have no idea what writing implements they would have had then.
Does not appear to be a Pen nib mark.

Rod, yes, ball-pens and felt tip pens were not invented yet in 1919.

A lot of writing was done, Chinese style with small brushes. looking at the black marks it could easily be done by a brush.

Ah! brush , of course

I can read the text Right Hand side (Dusit Thani)
The left has me puzzled, maybe an acronym
I need to pull out my Thai Language books.

Surprised value 5 Baht in 1919, that sounds expensive to me for the time.

Rod,

On the left is a Thai 3 and the abbreviation of Satang.

5 baht is a lot of money for some newspaper. I know 5 satang at that time in 1919 would buy a bowl of noodles or a tram ticket.
The king was surrounded by high level officials and the rich elite.
I read that some would offer elaborate scale models of building costing thousands of baht, just to curry favors with the king. So 5 baht is expensive but hey, if you get noticed by the king, why not.

Thank you - that makes sense. The spelling is Jim Czyl if memory serves. He was an immense individual physically with an immense appetite for cinderella material who lived in the Chicago area.

Your item was unknown to me. Sometime after 1980, I believe Stewart made a find of several interesting Dusitani items that were only partially documented at the time. Congratulations! A fine item.