India 1948 Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Mourning Issue Twelve Anna

India 1948 Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Mourning Issue, Twelve Anna. Issued on 15th August, 1948. Brown, Printed by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Mourning Issue, Photogravure. Sg:IN 307, Mi:IN 189, Sn:IN 205.

The government of India was planning to issue a set of stamps on Mahatma Gandhi’s 80th birthday on 2nd October, 1949, as a mark of gratitude for his contribution towards the freedom struggle of India. Preparations were underway and the Indian Security Press (ISP), Nashik was asked to prepare designs depicting memorable events in Gandhi’s life.

However, the tragic assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on 30th January, 1948, disrupted the plans. While ISP was asked to prepare designs for twi mourning stamps, negotiations were also underway with Austrian and Swiss Printers. It was the Swiss firm Helio Courviosier that finally won the contract, citing ISP’s lack of photogravure technology. Hence, the memorial stamps on a champion of Swadeshi were printed in a foreign country.

Photographs for the stamps were submitted from the archives of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, and LIFE magazine, but the final selection came from the private collection of Kanu Gandhi, Mahatma’s grandson.

A total of 4 stamps were published, in the denominations of 1½ A, 3½ A, 12A and 10 ₹, and finally released on 15th August, 1948 in India, Washington DC, London, Nepal and Pondicherry.