Saturday, October 31, 2009

Taj Mahal India War Fund or War Loan Label


Last week was another very hectic week on personal front. It was also a very emotional one . There were some problems in family which needed to be sorted out very delicately. Things are now getting normal as usual. It was one of very important and most learning week of my life. As they say, life is full of turns and twists. One shall observe, feel, be part of it, learn, and then move on for new things ahead.

Thus, moving on to new things :-) Today's post is about a war fund or war loan label issued during world war 2 in India. Every time I see this label in my collection I get excited because I had never seen this before earlier neither in Internet nor on any Dealer's possession. This is one of a rare label and very beautifully crafted one.

Don't go on the crude nature of printing but appreciate the way Taj Mahal has been captured on a label. Mind you that it was not a regular stamp where a state machinery would have been used to come out with proper design and printing. These were very low cost production. Still it has been very aesthetically presented in those times.

Compare it against commemorative Indian stamps issued depicting Taj Mahal shown below and you will appreciate the way this war fund label has been designed.




A 1935 Taj Mahal Stamp under British India








A 1949 Taj Mahal Stamp after Indian Independence







A 1967 Taj Mahal Stamp








A 2004
Taj Mahal Stamp







I have this particular war fund or rather war loan label on one of Maihar state revenue paper affixed shown below. This label has Taj Mahal depicted with V (Victory) sign on top of it. This was printed in denomination of 2 Annas. I couldn't read the text in Urdu written on top portion of label but as soon as I got it translated, I will add to the post.

The reason I have confusion if it is war loan than war fund label is because revenue paper mentions "War Loan" in Hindi below this label but the purpose was more or less same so it hardly matters.

This label is also not listed in first edition of "Patriotic and Propaganda of the British Commonwealth" catalogue by Clive Edwards. Perhaps, it was listed in later revisions. As there are many more such labels which are not covered by first edition of the catalogue.

3 comments:

sunil said...

The Urdu line at the top reads

"Hindustan ki afwaaz ke liye"

Hmmm!!! Let's see..... said...

Thanks for the translation!

ABTC said...

nice post
thanks for sharing

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