Ceylon

Ceylon was the name of an island country off the southern coast of India, a colony of Great Britain.
 * Its first stamp issue was released in 1857.
 * As a British colony until 1948, it used various Empire keytype designs bearing the portraits of British rulers.
 * In February 1948 Ceylon became a dominion, notably removing the monarch's head from its stamps.
 * By 1957, the country's name as Sri Lanka was prominently displayed on stamps in Sinhala; the English name was made quite small.

In 1972, the country became a republic, formally changing its name to Sri Lanka. See: Sri Lanka.

 File:Ceylon 1d first.jpg|Early Ceylon stamp. 

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