15 August 1947
Philately · Pakistan
Pakistan Independence Commemorative Stamps - First Issue
The inaugural philatelic issue of a new nation, in its original government-issued presentation folder
On the 15th of August 1947, as Pakistan came into being as an independent dominion, its new government issued four commemorative postage stamps, the first stamps of a sovereign nation that had not existed the day before. This is that original issue, preserved in its government printed descriptive folder bearing the Pakistan Government seal: a crescent, star, and eagle in green ink on aged cream paper, folded as it left the press seventy-nine years ago.
The four stamps are: the 1½ Anna in cobalt blue, depicting the Constituent Assembly building in Karachi, the seat of the new parliament and the place where Pakistan's constitution was being written; the 2½ Anna in natural green, showing the entrance to Karachi Airport, then considered the largest in Asia and a hub for twenty countries across three continents; the 3 Anna in sepia brown, featuring the gate of the Lahore Fort facing the Badshahi Mosque, a structure with origins in the 10th century, enlarged by Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jahan; and the 1 Rupee, bearing the Crescent and Star in Saracenic leaf pattern style, designed by Abdul Rahman Chughtai of Lahore, one of the most celebrated Muslim artists of the 20th century. The accompanying folder, printed by the Pakistan Government, carries the full official description of each stamp and the history of the Muslim postal tradition from the Mughal Caliphate through to independence. It notes that the stamps were available at post offices across the Dominion and at Pakistan Embassies in Cairo, Kabul, London, New Delhi, Rangoon, Tehran, and Washington.
- Historical Significance
- First-day issues from the founding of Pakistan are among the rarest items in South Asian philately. The survival of the original government folder, aged, foxed, and bearing the marks of nearly eight decades, alongside the stamps themselves elevates this from a philatelic item to a primary historical document. There are very few complete sets of this kind in private hands.
- Condition
- The folder shows age-appropriate foxing, tanning, and fold wear consistent with its 1947 origin. The stamps are intact and mounted as issued. A stain is present on the outer cover, visible evidence of the piece's age and authenticity.
