LONDON
Invariably, every stamp collector starts as a ‘schoolboy’ collector, and Milind Kamat, a Goan residing in Mumbai, was no exception.
To spark his interest in geography and history, his mother encouraged him to collect stamps—a hobby that quickly turned into years of accumulating stamps from all over the world.
Then came a long pause.
Decades later, while cleaning out the attic, Milind discovered a bundle of letters addressed to his grandfather in Girgaum, Mumbai, by his cousin from their native village of Anjuna.
Milind Kamat along with his stamp collection in Mumbai.
“The envelopes were franked with a diverse range of then-current Portuguese India postage stamps. This discovery rekindled my passion for collecting. Inspired by my Goan roots and the focused period of 1871 to 1960, I began collecting stamps and postal covers of erstwhile Portuguese India,” said Milind.
“It has been an exciting yet demanding journey of over 30 years, requiring immense patience to decipher historical information and track down some of the rare early stamps.”
POSTAL SCENE IN GOA
Milind explained that the evolution of personal and commercial correspondence eventually led to the establishment of formal postal systems, bringing about the invention of adhesive postage stamps.
“Great Britain introduced the world’s first adhesive stamp, the ‘Penny Black’, in 1840. Other European nations soon followed suit, with mainland Portugal issuing its first adhesive stamp in 1853,” said Milind.
Mail from Bombay to Nova Goa in 1845. Prior to the introduction of postage stamps, correspondence was conducted through ‘stampless’ letters. Courtesy: Milind Kamat
“To overhaul the postal system of its Indian colony—comprising Goa, Daman, Diu, and the enclaves of Dadra and Nagar Haveli—Governor General Januário Correia de Almeida commissioned the creation of the first adhesive stamp series in 1870. Labelled ‘SERVIÇO POSTAL’ and popularly known as the Selos Nativos (Native Stamps), this first stamp issue went on sale on October 1, 1871. Demand was so high that the entire stock available at post offices was exhausted within a month.”
Milind also informed that prior to the introduction of postage stamps, correspondence was conducted through ‘stampless’ letters—messages written on folded, sealed sheets of paper without envelopes, with postage either prepaid or collected in cash upon delivery.
Mail outgoing from Goa to Lisbon in 1859. Prior to the introduction of postage stamps, correspondence was conducted through ‘stampless letters'. Courtesy: Milind Kamat
“Goa's early postal network consisted of 5 major post offices: Panaji (then Pangim), being the General Post Office (GPO); Mapusa; Bicholim; Ponda; and Margao. These were supported by 14 local post offices from Pernem-to-Canacona, even extending to the island of Anjediva,” he said.
FIRST STAMP SET IN GOA
Milind said the first stamp set in Goa was printed October 1871.
“Interestingly, erstwhile Portuguese India was the only colony in the Portuguese empire authorised to produce its postage stamps locally in Goa. All the other colonies received their first Crown stamps from the Casa da Moeda, Lisbon (Royal Mint),” explained Milind.
Complete set of first stamps in Goa issued in October 1871. The first set of postage stamps measured 21×18 mm and was printed in 5 distinct denominations and colours. Courtesy: Milind Kamat
“The design, engraving, and production of the ‘SERVIÇO POSTAL’ stamp set were a collective effort by a team comprising José Frederico d’Assa Castel Branco (an army engineer and the designer), Janardena Govinda Zo (a Goan goldsmith and engraver) from Goa’s ‘Zo’ goldsmith/artisan community, and Silvestre de Sousa (the printing technician).”
“The stamp design was engraved on a rectangular soft-metal die ('Type-1' die) and subsequently hardened in a kiln after the engraving had been completed.”
“The first set of postage stamps measured 21×18 mm and was printed in 5 distinct denominations and colours: 10 Reis (black); 20 Reis (red/orange/carmine); 40 Reis (Prussian blue); 100 Reis (green/yellow green); and 200 Reis (yellow ochre)."
Inscribed ‘SERVIÇO POSTAL / INDIA PORT.’ in Roman font, Milind said the stamps were printed individually, one by one, using a 10×10 grid layout.
“In the first stage, the metal die was dipped in ink and struck with a mallet against a sheet of paper to create the frame impression. In the second stage, the value numerals were printed in the same manner. The metal die was meticulously cleaned before the commencement of each subsequent cycle for a different colour/denomination.”
“A fascinating aspect of this production was the use of Fino (fine) paper. It was remarkably thin, allowing the design to be partially visible from the reverse side. However, this brittleness made the stamps highly susceptible to damage during routine handling at post offices.”
Milind explained that the Serviço Postal stamps, printed in Goa using rudimentary methods, quickly gained immense recognition within the worldwide philatelic community.
“Their fame was such that even European counterfeiters attempted to replicate the exact design, though their efforts proved unsuccessful. Today, popularly known as Selos Nativos (Native Stamps), they stand as a silent testimony to their Goan origins for more than 155 years,” he said.
