A 6d. stamp was issued in Ceylon as the country’s first postage stamp. It paid the postage rate to Great Britain for ordinary letters. Although the stamps were already printed and ready by 21 July 1855, these were only issued in mid-1857. It was unique for its time that Ceylon ordered stamps and postal stationery for all postage rates and weight steps! A total of 12 postage stamps and 10 postal stationery items were thus issued in the years 1857-59 in Ceylon (except the first 10d postal stationery item issued in 1868). The Ceylon collection of Kurt Kimmel, RDP, shows all the proofs as well as all the catalogued issues, unused and used, early and earliest usages, the largest blocks, all the single frankings and mail usages both inland and overseas. The collection of Kurt Kimmel is at present undoubtedly the most important of the period of 1857-71, which for Ceylon is of particular importance.
192 pages, of which 162 are full-colour plates showing pages from the collection, hardbound with dust jacket, bilingual in English and German