Inland Letter Cards

Both ILCs appears in Hindi and English language with the inscription “INDIA SECURITY PRESS, NASIK ROAD”.

My explanation is as follows which is based on my collection.

I have three used examples of missing inscription in my collection which are dated 2nd October 1950 from Calcutta, 4th October 1950 from Banaras and 29th December 1950 from Bharatpur. It means that such letter cards with missing inscription were issued together with ILCs with inscription, on the date of issue, that is 2.10.1950. I checked them thoroughly and found that the examples without inscriptions are on thicker paper than the issued and / or recorded example with inscription. And there was no other difference between the two types.

And the question puzzled me for a few years why the letter sheets without inscription on the inner flap, are on thicker paper. Now I think I have the solution, when I acquired another English Text letter sheet without inscription, with “SPECIMEN” printed in red colour on its stamp. I checked all four examples and found out, that they all are on thicker paper then the issued and / or recorded example with inscription on the inner flap.

Before coming to a conclusion, I must draw the attention towards the difference in printing of English Text and Hindi Text letter sheets. There is coloured background for English Text while there is white line background for Hindi Text. It appears that the Hindi Text letter sheets were printed after the final printing of English text. Because I have an example of Hindi Text letter sheet, with super inscription “PROOF” on the front side, which has no white line background as it has in the issued design. Since then till Lion family, letter sheets have white line background for its text. There is also an extra additional word “aur” in the second line of the text which reads “Ees patra ke ander kutch aur na rakhiye”. But this example is on issued thin paper. The inscription on the inner flap is omitted as it was done in English trial printing

	A mint Inland Letter Sheet with 1½ annas printed stamp, on which the word “SPECIMEN” appears in English but without the inscription “INDIA SECURITY PRESS, NASIK ROAD” on inner flap. The paper of ILC is much thicker to other 1½ annas ILCs.

Now, my opinion is an initial trial and / or the first printing of English text was done on thick paper and it was without inscription on the inner flap. This printing was not meant for issuing to public but for circulation as a “SPECIMEN” to all Head district Post offices and others because inland letter cards were going to be introduced in India for the first time. The issued letter sheets were on thinner paper because letter sheets were meant for air lifting to the nearest air terminal wherever possible. These English Text letter sheets without inscription on the inner flap were distributed with super inscription
“SPECIMEN” in red on its stamp. It seems that a few copies were left without the overprint “SPECIMEN” and by mistake or delibrately, those copies were issued to public on the date of issue which was 2.10.1950.

Thus I come to a conclusion that the ILC without inscription are either Specimen or Essays.

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