Allegorical Presentation of Countries on Their Postage Stamps

By Dr. Avinash B. Jagtap, Switzerland

 Allegory is a mode of conveying the idea in the most meaningful way, a figurative mode of expression, most powerful in visual manifestation of idea.  In the philatelic world, there were several countries of the west, which issued such allegorical figures to represent their idea of the nation, but also to manifest their might and their own right to defend the country. Most of the European countries had established their colonies in Asia, Africa and South America. No wonder that many of these countries like England, France, Germany, depict  their allegorical ideas in form of a female figure, although some of these countries name themselves as “Fatherland” (like Germany) and not “Motherland”!

Since India was a British colony for more than a century, no wonder we would like to know how the early stamps of British India looked like. Although “Britannia” is the ancient term for Great Britain, synonymous with the female personification of that country, the very first stamps of Great Britain did not show Britannia on the early stamps, but the effigy of Queen Victoria. After the death of Queen Victoria the British monarchs decorated the stamps of India.

Read complete article in Issue no.55 of “ITS Stamp News