Usually, the term 'postal card' refers to cards created and sold by the government postal authority. They have a stamp, indicating postage paid already, imprinted upon the card. However, 'postcard' refers to cards that do not have a postage stamp imprinted on them and require a stamp to be affixed before it is mailed. Today, however, the cards issued by the government are also called postcards.
Postcard-collecting is a part of a hobby known as deltiology. Postal card-collecting is part of philately. However, many philatelists also collect postcards that have stamps and postal markings upon them as they belong to what is 'postal history'.
In India, the first postcards were issued in 1879. Their designing and printing was done by De La Rue of London. There were two denominations, the Quarter Anna (for domestic use) and the one and a half annas (for countries of the Universal Postal Union). The first postcards were printed upon medium light buff or straw card and had the inscription 'East India Post Card' with the coat-of-arms of Great Britain in between and the stamp with the diademed head of Queen Victoria in the right upper corner printed in red brown. Both the cards carried the legend 'the address only to be written on this side'.
East India Post Card, 1879, Quarter Anna stamped June 1895.
In 1899, the word 'EAST' was removed, and the inscription became 'INDIA POST CARD'.
India Post Card, 1899, Quarter Anna stamped 15 January 1902.
These were later replaced by those of King Edward VII.
India Post Card, Quarter Anna, stamped July 1908.
In 1911, special postcards for official use were issued by the Central and provincial government to commemorate the coronation of King George V Durbar held in Delhi. These carried the inscription of 'POST CARD' but did not bear the stamp imprint. They bore the crown and 'GRI' monograms embossed in different colours.
Post Card, coronation of King George V, 1911.
Indian Service Post Card, on His Majesty's Service, King Edward VII.
India Post Card 'For Use on Field Services Only' used in the First World War.
India Service Post Card, On Service, Quarter Anna King George V.
India Post Card, Quarter Anna, stamped 6 May 1935.
India Post Card, Nine Pies, stamped 21 January 1936.
India Post Card, Half Anna, King George V, with a reply card.
Post Cards titled 'served by the northwestern railway' were released in 1936.
Post Card Nine Pies, King George V, 'Third Bridge Srinagar, Kashmir'.
Post Card Nine Pies, King George V, 'The Golden Temple, Amritsar'.
Post Card Nine Pies, King George V, 'Popular Avenue Leading to Srinagar Kashmir'.
Post Card Nine Pies, King George V, 'Darbar Sahib Dehra Baba Nanak'.
After Independence, the first postcard with the new stamp design of 'Trimurti' in bright green was issued on 7 December 1949. In 1950, local delivery postcards with reduced postage rate of six pies were issued carrying a stamp design in chocolate colour based on the Konark horse sculpture.
Post Card Nine Pies, Trimurti, issued on 7 December 1949.
On 2 October 1951, a series of post cards of Mahatma Gandhi were released.
Post card unused, Nine Pies, Trimurti, Mahatma Gandhi with Spinning Wheel, 1951.
Post card unused, Nine Pies, Trimurti, bust of Mahatma Gandhi, 1951.
Post card, Nine Pies, Trimurti, Mahatma Gandhi with Kasturba, stamped on 3 October 1951.
On 2 October 1969, another series of post cards of Mahatma Gandhi were issued to mark the Gandhi Centenary.
Post card, 10 p, Gandhi Centenary, stamped 2 October 1969.
Post card, 10 p, Gandhi Centenary, stamped 2 October 1969.
Post card, 10 p, Gandhi Centenary, stamped 2 October 1969.
Post card, 15 p, First All India Rose Convention, 1970.
Post card, Sher Shah Tomb, Sasram, World Philatelic Exhibition 1989.
The first challenge emerged in the mid 1990s when the public call office (PCO) with subscriber trunk dialing (STD) became popular across India. To garner additional revenue, in 1993, India Post introduced competition postcards, which had a weekly quiz for viewers, received 14 lakh letters in a week. Unlike the ordinary postcard that cost 15 paisa those days, these costed 10 paisa.
Post card, 50 p, Luphilla Cultural Dance, 2002.
With the Internet gaining popularity and private couriers mushrooming everywhere, the postcards started to lose out and the cost of producing and delivering a normal postcard increased with respect to the cost of the postcard.
In order to add additional revenues, in 2002, India Post launched Meghdoot Postcard with a provision for advertisements on the address side. The rate of advertising was Rs 2 per postcard with a minimum printing order of 1 lakh pieces. These Meghdoot postcards have now been discontinued.
Post card, 25 p, Meghdoot, 2003.
Post card, 50 p, Mahatma Gandhi, 2007.
Post card, 50 p, Mahatma Gandhi, Indipex 2010.
Post card, Allahabad High Court, 2016.
In today's world, with mobiles, WhatsApp and improved connectivity, postcards are hardly popular, but there are still a lot of youth today who are interested in collecting and preserving these.
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