Saurashtra

Saurashtra, or Soruth, was a feudatory state located on the Kathiawar Peninsula in the far west of today's India. Soruth or Sorath is reported to be a truly bad corruption of the REAL name, so we're sticking to "Saurashtra".

All Saurashtra stamps before the 1929 pictorial issue are without gum as issued.  File:Soruth typeset.jpg|1870 1a black on azure laid paper File:Soruth 1a oval frame.jpg|1878 1a value imperf File:Saurashtra 4a square.jpg|1878 4a value perfed, toned wove paper File:Saurashtra 3pies surch.jpg|1913 3 pice surcharge on 1a value 
 * In 1864, a 1 anna negative handstamp with Devanagari characters inked in watercolor was issued on various papers.
 * In 1868-75, typeset stamps in Devanagari script were issued. Versions exist with the 4th character in the bottom line showing the value, either in Devanagari or Gujarati numerals. These were also on various paper types and colors. There are also official imitations/reprints.
 * In 1878-86, imperf stamps with bilingual lettering in two ovals or circles were issued. The English part read SORUTH POSTAGE with the denomination written out. These are on laid paper with lines wide apart.
 * This was followed in 1886 by perfed values on laid paper with lines close together, then also on wove paper.
 * In 1913, bilingual 3 pice and 1 anna surcharges were applied to the previous designs on laid, wove and toned wove papers.
 * In 1914, new values similar in design were issued, the 3p in square format and the 1a in rectangular format.

 File:Saurashtra 3p violet rough.jpg|1923 3p rough print, pin perf File:Saurashtra clean 1a.jpg|1925 1a clear print (if you can call it that?), machine perf File:Saurashtra 3p violet clear.jpg|1925 3p clear print, machine perf File:Soruth 4a lion.jpg|1929 4a lion pictorial File:Saurashtra POSTAGE AND REVENUE 1a.jpg|1935 1a "POSTAGE AND REVENUE" inscription 
 * In 1923, 1 anna stamps with the portrait of Mahabat Khan III were issued, inscribed SOURASHTRA POSTAGE. The impression is poor. It is on laid paper and can be distinguished from the 1925 reissue by its pin perf.
 * Also in 1923, the previous issue was overprinted in Gujarati, in two different varieties.
 * Also in 1923, a 3p value with a smaller portrait was issued, similarly poorly done and also pin perf.
 * In 1925, (supposedly) clear impressions of the previous two stamps were released. These can be distinguished from the 1923 issues by being machine perf 12, although blind perfs are common on these stamps.
 * In 1929, pictorial definitives in two colors were issued.
 * In 1935, the previous design was issued with the inscription POSTAGE & REVENUE.

Officials
 File:Soruth offic.jpg|1929 ½a value File:Saurashtra serifed offic.png|1932 4a serifed "SARKARI" 
 * In 1929, the pictorials were overprinted SARKARI in sans-serif type.
 * In 1932-35, four pictorial values were overprinted SARKARI in serifed type.
 * In 1935, the modified 1 anna value was similarly overprinted.

United State of Saurashtra
Beginning in 1948, Jasdan, Morvi, Nаwапuggur, Wadhwan, and other regional states merged with Saurashtra. The following stamps are reported to have only been used in Junaghad, who joined the United State in 1949.  File:Saurashtra POSTAGE AND REVENUE 1a A.jpg|1949 "POSTAGE & REVENUE" surcharge File:Saurashtra Unitede offic.png| 
 * In 1949, two Saurashtra pictorials were surcharged POSTAGE & REVENUE / ONE ANNA (on ½a) or Postage & Revenue / ONE ANNA (on 2a)
 * In 1949, 1a Bhavnagar court fee stamps were overprinted U.S.S. / REVENUE & / POSTAGE /SAURASHTRA for postal use.
 * In 1950, a 3p pictorial was overprinted similarly to the 1949 stamps.

United State officials

 * In 1948, Saurashtra officials overprinted in sans-serif "SARKARI" were surcharged ONE ANNA (2¼mm high).
 * Later that year, 1r officials in both overprint styles were similarly surcharged ONE ANNA (4mm high).
 * In 1949, 3p, ½a and 1a on 1r pictorials were overprinted SARKARI in a serifed typeface.



Saurashtra joined the Indian postal system in March 1950.

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