Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga Definitives

83d Definitives – various values and colors
10 stamps

CCMs: No
Plate #: No
Sheet: 100
Quantity printed: Unknown
Designer:
Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R.
FDC: Yes. Commemorative postmark for World Communications issue used.
Pmks: Dhaka, Mymensingh
Insert: None.

Left: A cover sent from Dhaka (Temporary P.O.) to Reutligen, West Germany on 11 November 1985. All of the stamps are Russian printed definitives. There are no receiving markings. Right: A nice example of the Tk.1 and Tk.5 stamps used on cover. The cover also has two Harrison definitives on the right. The cover was mailed at Dacca on 3 October 1988 and is addressed to an address in Pullman, Washington, USA. There are no receiving markings on the cover.

First Day Covers of the definitive set are known from the Dhaka GPO and the Mymensingh HO. The latter is very rare and may even be unique.

Since the Post Office does not provide any printed envelopes for the issue of it’s definitive stamps, I do not know if this envelope was a rejected design for the World Communications Year stamps, or if it was designed for this set of definitive stamps. There is a possibility that a collector used an envelope designed for the World Communication Year stamps that was rejected. It is a larger envelope and makes no mention of definitive stamps. One explanation given is that the stamps all show the methods of communication regarding mail. The two sets were issued on the same day, but the envelope is a different design from that used for the stamps. The wording on both envelopes is identical as is the cancellation.

5p Mailboat – light bluish-green

10p Dacca Post Office counter -magenta

15p IWTA Terminal – blue

20p Sorting (mail) in running railway van – gray

25p Mail delivery – slate

30p Postman at mailbox – purplish-brown

Varieties (20p Sorting mail in running railway van)

50p Mobile post office

50p Mobile post office – light brown

Tk.1 Kamalapur railway station

Tk.1 Kamalapur railway station – blue

Pane of sixteen stamps with the top row being horizontally imperforate at the margin. A stamp collector in Barisal purchased a sheet of the stamps with the top row imperforate, from the post office. After he sold the sheet, and it was broken up into single copies, he later appeared with a second sheet. Evidently collectors were led to believe when he sold the first sheet that it was the only one in existence. With the appearance of the second sheet, collectors were less interested as they thought he might have more, and people were afraid to pay a high price for them. The second sheet was sold and no others have appeared on the market. It is now believed that only the two sheets exist. That means that there are only 20 stamps that exist with the top perforation missing.

Tk. 2 - Zia International Airport

Tk.5 Khulna G.P.O.

A spectacular pre-printing fold.

Date of Issued: 11 January 1986

Extra perforations along the left margin of the strip of stamps. Also, the color is quite different from the same stamp pane illustrated below.

Tk.3 Sorting machine

86-1d Tk.3 Sorting machine – light olive

1 stamp

CCMs: No
Plate #: No
Sheet: 100
Quantity printed: Unknown
Designer:
Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R.
FDC: Yes (Unofficial)
Pmks: Dhaka
Insert: None.

Date of Issued: 7 April 1987

This is one of those covers that poses problems for collectors. It appears to be a perfect cover with a cachet, cancellation and stamp that fit together perfectly. The problem is that the envelope and cancellation are for a Special Cover (It is stated in the cachet Special Cover). The immunization stamp was issued the same day, but no First Day Cover envelope was prepared as it is a definitive. Some collector took the newly issued stamp and used it on the Special Cover envelope because the theme is the same, and they were issued on the same day. This Special Covers exists with other Bangladesh stamps on it as the cover and cancellation were created to celebrate World Health Day, not the issuance of the new stamp.

87-1d Tk.1 Immunization – gray-blue
1 stamp

CCMs: No
Plate #: No
Sheet: 200
Quantity printed: Unknown
Designer:
Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R.
FDC: Yes (Unofficial)
Pmks: Dhaka
Insert: None
Additional: 200 stamps per sheet, rather than 100 as for the other issues.

Date of Issued: 16 January 1988

87-1d Tk.1 Immunization – gray-blue
1 stamp

Date of Issued: 31 March 1989

Original drawing for the proposed postmarks for the First Day Covers of the Curzon Hall stamp. The drawings are for the Dhaka GPO. The one on the cover illustrated below is from Dhaka University and would be considered a “Camp P.O. cancellation”, a term used for postmarks created for, and used at, special sites other than regular post offices.

This cover serves two purposes. Firstly, it is a First Day Cover of the Curzon Hall stamp, and secondly, it is a cover celebrating Dhaka University Day ’89.

Note that this stamp was reprinted on 31 August 1999 in Bangladesh. Refer to the Security Printing Corporation, Bangladesh page for further information and images of the two printings.

89 Tk.5 – Curzon Hall – Chestnut and black
1 stamp

CCMs: No
Plate #: No
Sheet: 100
Quantity printed: Unknown
Designer:
Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R.
FDC: Yes (Unofficial)
Pmks: Dhaka
Insert: None

Additional: It is somewhat difficult to state if the First Day Cover is “official” or “unofficial” as a Special Cover celebrating Dhaka University Day was issued the same day with an image of Curzon Hall in the cachet. It was most likely done intentionally because of the release of the new definitive Curzon Hall stamp on the same date, but realistically it was made for the Special Cover subject.

Date of Issued: 30 April 1989

Note that this stamp was later reprinted by the Security Printing Press of Bangladesh and released 18 March 1999. Refer to the Security Printing Corporation, Bangladesh page for illustrations of the differences in the stamps.

89-2d Tk3 – Loading cargo plane – multicolored
1 stamp

CCMs: No
Plate #: No
Sheet: 100
Quantity printed: Unknown
Designer:
Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R.
FDC: Yes (Unofficial)
Pmks: Dhaka
Insert: None.

Date of Issued: 8 July 1989

89-3d Tk.10 Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Factory – carmine

There was a wide range of colors used for the printing of this stamp, both in terms of the ink and the paper. Above are three used copies illustrating the wide variety of shades

89-4d Tk.20 Postal Academy Rajshahi – multicolored 2 stamps CCMs: No Plate #: No Sheet: 100 Quantity printed: Unknown Designer: Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R. FDC: Yes (Unofficial) Pmks.: Dhaka Insert: None

Date of Issued: 15 July 1992

Note that this stamp was reprinted in 2003 by the Security Printing Corporation, Bangladesh with some changes in the design panel around the central image. See the Security Printing Corporation, Bangladesh page for 30 August 2003 for differences in the designs.

92 Tk.4 Chittagong Port – gray-blue 1 stamp CCMs: No Plate #: No Sheet: 100 Quantity printed: Unknown Designer: Printer: Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga, U.S.S.R. FDC: Yes (Unofficial) Pmks.: Dhaka Insert: None

At the top is an essay of the stamp in brown. Below it is a proof of the stamp in the color used.