10 Different Pre 1947 India Princely States Court Fee Stamp Lot! Fun Study Lot!

Description

Up for auction today is a lot of ten different, affordable Indian Princely States “Court Fee” Stamp lots. I purchased a giant lot of these coins several years ago in a dusty bazaar in Chennai / Madras. After the rise of the British East India Company and British hegemony in Indian, several Indian Princely States were allowed to coexist with British India and though a series of treaties local Maharajas ruled semi autonomously alongside British Colonial Official until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. Today the Indian Princely States are a distant historical memory of India’s past, and all that remains of them is a few coins (also on sale in my store) and stamps (like the one pictured here).
Indian Princely States controlled about 2/3 of the Subcontinent and had varying degrees of Independence from the British Raj. Several issued coins and stamps that circulated alongside British coins and stamps. The Court Fee Stamps in this auction were used to raise revenue for a named Indian Princely State by forcing them to pay a tax on Court Documents, Decrees, Power of Attorney, Copy Fees and Entertainment. The ones currently up for auction are from the Indian States of Jaiper, Kotah, Bharatpur and Gondal.
This unusual stamp / paper money series remains poorly documented and several issues remain unknown to academia. There are a few scholarly attempts to understand this unique issue of stamp / paper money, but there is much research to be done. With a starting price of less than .00 (less than a really bad fast food meal or ticket to a bad movie) they could make a cool gift for any non-coin collecting Indian history buff, grandchild that needs something for “Show and Tell” or just a fun way to pass the time during quarantine.
Shipping will be .50 for this lot (less then it will probably cost me). If you buy more two lots, I will combine shipping. If you buy three or more lots, shipping free!