Sri Lanka's philately marks 153 years

Sri Lanka celebrates the 153rd anniversary of Ceylon Philately this year. Its first postal stamp was issued on 1st of April, 1857, in

Ceylon, as known then, 153 years ago, which was also an imperforated stamp (without dotted holes and printed by "Messrs Perkins Bacon") of England who were the printers for the world's first postal stamp, to the value of one penny and black in colour. Sri Lanka's first stamp was for six pence value, brown in colour, for postage with a maximum weight of half an ounce, to Britain from Sri Lanka by surface (sea) mail.

The Government Act for the usage of postal stamps in Ceylon was first issued on May 1st, 1854 during the Governorship of Sir Henry Ward. A total of 60,000 stamps were ordered as the first lot from M/s Perkins Bacon on July 26 in 1855. The consignment landed in Sri Lanka on 10th December 1855, but the issue was delayed until 1st April, 1857.