Scinde Dawk, Red Seal on Wax Wafer

India · 1852 · 1/2 Anna

This is the famous "Scinde Dawk," considered the first postage stamp of India and Asia. The design features the merchant's mark of the British East India Company, consisting of a heart shape with the letters 'EIC' inside, set within a circle inscribed "SCINDE DISTRICT DAWK" and the denomination "1/2 ANNA". This version was embossed in red sealing wax on a small paper wafer.

Issued for use in the Scinde (now Sindh) province, this stamp was introduced by Sir Bartle Frere to reform the local postal system. It predates the first all-India stamps by two years and represents a pivotal moment in Asian postal history.