Estado Português da India

Portuguese India - King Carlos I of Portugal

1903

Ribeira Grande: The Royal Dockyard of Goa

On January 1, 1903, the Portuguese Indian government issued a new set of King Carlos I stamps, based on the earlier 1898 design but with significant colour changes mandated by international postal regulations. These stamps were typographed at Casa da Moeda in Lisbon, with all values printed in black on smooth paper and perforated 11¾ x 12. The changes were made by Article 6 of the Regulations of the Universal Postal Convention of Washington, which specified standard colours for certain denominations across member countries—for instance, the 6 réis stamp was to be green, the 10 réis red, and the 2½ tanga blue. The colours for the remaining eleven values were determined by the Overseas Ministry. Authorised by a government order dated December 24, 1902, and following an earlier directive from April 24, 1902, this revised set officially entered circulation on January 1, 1903, representing both colonial administrative precision and compliance with evolving international postal norms.