Oriental Stamp Service - Covers with First Day Cachets used for Price Lists
(Published: February, 2025, Volume 23, Number 1, Issue #54) (Table Of Contents)(Author: Larry Fillion)
In 1962, Ceylon issued an Anit-Malaria stamp for the World United Against Malaria Campaign. It was issued on April 7, 1962.
First Day Covers (FDC) were produced like the one below and the producer of the one below is "Oriental Stamp Service".
At the bottom of these First Day Cachets, there is text "ISSUED BY: Oriental Stamp Service, Colombo".
The cancellation on the FDC is "7 AP. 62" which is short for April 7, 1962 and this coincides with the First Day of Issue.
Oriental Stamp Service choose a few different colors to use on these cachets besides the blue, a few more colors are below the FDC.
I was searching the Internet for "Oriental Stamp Service" and I found the following on the "Explore Sri Lanka" website.
The Oriental Stamp Service, the oldest stamp store in the country, which is owned and run by Mr L Amararatn who has been in the stamp selling business for over 45 years. Mr Amararatna's store offers an extensive selection of stamps - not only in Sri Lanka, but from countries all over the world - first day covers, albums, and books on stamps. Although the shop is quite small, just big enough to accommodate you, the proprietor and his large offering of stamps and related items, it is a treasure trove to delight the philatelist. Here you can obtain many of the stamps from the Pre-Independence era which are not available at the Philatelic Bureau, and Mr Amaratna's prices are remarkably reasonable. The Oriental Stamp Service is usually open only from 10.30 am to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Below are "Commercial" covers (covers actually used for business purposes) and in this case the un-serviced covers with cachets on them which could have been used for FDCs were used as envelopes. And below the covers are some of the inserts that were inside the covers.
Sent July 3, 1962 to California, BookPost Rate (no marking)
Sent July 3, 1962 to Michigan, BookPost Rate (no marking)
Sent August 4, 1962 to Illinois, BookPost Rate
Sent August 4, 1962 to Wisconsin, BookPost Rate
Sent August 23, 1962 to California, BookPost Rate
Example Insert - Front
Example Insert - Side 1
Example Insert - Side 2
 Orange Cachet |
 Brown Cachet |
 Purple Cachet |
I was searching the Internet for "Oriental Stamp Service" and I found the following on the "Explore Sri Lanka" website.
The Oriental Stamp Service, the oldest stamp store in the country, which is owned and run by Mr L Amararatn who has been in the stamp selling business for over 45 years. Mr Amararatna's store offers an extensive selection of stamps - not only in Sri Lanka, but from countries all over the world - first day covers, albums, and books on stamps. Although the shop is quite small, just big enough to accommodate you, the proprietor and his large offering of stamps and related items, it is a treasure trove to delight the philatelist. Here you can obtain many of the stamps from the Pre-Independence era which are not available at the Philatelic Bureau, and Mr Amaratna's prices are remarkably reasonable. The Oriental Stamp Service is usually open only from 10.30 am to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Below are "Commercial" covers (covers actually used for business purposes) and in this case the un-serviced covers with cachets on them which could have been used for FDCs were used as envelopes. And below the covers are some of the inserts that were inside the covers.
Sent July 3, 1962 to California, BookPost Rate (no marking)
Sent July 3, 1962 to Michigan, BookPost Rate (no marking)
Sent August 4, 1962 to Illinois, BookPost Rate
Sent August 4, 1962 to Wisconsin, BookPost Rate
Sent August 23, 1962 to California, BookPost Rate
Example Insert - Front
Example Insert - Side 1
Example Insert - Side 2