Philatelic expo to feature rare stamps

Chennai, Jan 1 (UNI) More than one lakh rare stamps would be displayed at the five-day National Philatelic Exhibition beginning here from tomorrow.

According to Postal department officials here today more than 300 philatelists from all over the country were taking part in the exhibition.

Union Communications and Information Technology Minister A Raja would declare open the exhibition at Rani Meyyammai and Raja Muthiah halls.

'Penny Black,' the world's first postal stamp, 'Scinde Dawk,' India's maiden stamp and a set of four stamps on Mahatma Gandhi printed in Switzerland, and issued by the Indian Government on the first anniversary of Independence will be among the rare stamps to be displayed at the expo.

Four stamps, portraying colourful butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and a book, '1857 through Indian Postage Stamps,' would be released on the occasion.

Hosted by the Tamil Nadu Postal Circle for the first time, the exhibition is being organised by the department along with the Philatelic Congress of India and the South India Philatelists Association, officials added.

UNI SNR ROY PY DS1513