Jaipur 1936-1947 Surcharges

The surcharged stamps of Jaipur were originally issued with specific face values, but due to various postal rate changes, they were later surcharged with new values. The surcharging process involved overprinting the original stamps with a new denomination, often in a different colour or font, to meet the updated postal requirements. These surcharges were applied to stamps of different designs, including those featuring Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, and have become valuable collectables due to their historical significance and rarity.

These surcharged stamps are particularly notable for the insights they offer into the economic and administrative shifts occurring in Jaipur during that time. As Jaipur, like other princely states, transitioned into modern administrative frameworks, the need to adjust postal rates to match economic realities was common. The surcharges also reflect the resourcefulness of the state’s postal administration, which reused existing stamp stocks rather than printing entirely new issues, thus conserving resources.