Judging by the high face value ( bearing in mind it dates from the "Ceylon" period- late 1940s) I would hazard a guess that this is a revenue of some description.
Found while sorting. Knew if posted here someone would know the answer. Again thank everyone for the response. I do not collect Ceylon, anyone want the stamp for free?
Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy.. 03 Aug 2017 09:56:11pm
re: Ceylon ID Help
"....The Scott Standard Catalogs, and the others as well, unless specialized, only list stamps that were "valid" for postal usages....."
Precisely, and from there it gets, as with so much of Philately, complicated.
Often Revenue stamps are pressed into postal use and postally used copies belong in Postage stamp collections. Also some stamps, such as UK examples in the past were inscribed "Postage and revenue" in which case stamps cancelled with a postal cancellation device usually are generally valued as postage stamps. Usually stamps cancelled by a written signature are fiscal (Revenue) stamps.
Certain high value mint, never hinged, British Commonwealth stamps that may say Postage and Revenue," bearing an exceptional value are wanted by collectors to complete a set, because in theory they could be used to pay an unlikely postage, for instance, if you wanted to mail an elephant from Nairobi to Birmingham, by way of Adelaide. But that is somewhat unlikely. Besides the elephant might be interested in travelling in a giant mailbag like that.
But wait, there's more!
It is possible that on occasion Revue stamps intended to pay some tax or fee, could be pressed into postage use.
The proofs are all in the cancellation or indicia that are shown on the cover where the wayward stamp is affixed, and tied.
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