British Ceylon was a British Crown colony from 1817 – 1948. It is an island country to the south east of the Indian peninsula. Its capital is Colombo. The country became a dominion in 1948, independent from Great Britain. This was succeeded in 1972 by Sri Lanka the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The first stamps for Ceylon were issued in 1857. In 1859 five stamps were issued, of which the 4 pence stamp with a dark pink colour is considered to be the most valuable stamp in Sri Lanka today.

Ceylon Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque Colombo — Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Colombo

1872

Queen Victoria Series

d34-1

SG # 256

Unused (Hinged)

d34-5

SG # 147

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-148-AH28

SG # 148

Used (Hinged)

1885

Queen Victoria Series (Surcharge REVENUE AND POSTAGE 5 CENTS)

d34-10

SG # 187

Used (Hinged)

1886

Queen Victoria Series

d34-12

SG # 245

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-247-AH29

SG # 247

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1886 Postage Stamp Queen Victoria 5 cents five purple SG # 195 revenue www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 195

Used (Hinged)

d34-13

SG # 259

Used (Hinged)

d34-15

SG # 197

Used (Hinged)

d34-16

SG # 198

Used (Hinged)

1903

King Edward VII Series

Ceylon 1903 Postage Stamp King Edward VII 2 cents two brown SG # 277 crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 277

Used (Hinged)

d34-19

SG # 278

Used (Hinged)

d34-20

SG # 293

Used (Hinged)

d34-24

SG # 268

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1903 Postage Stamp King Edward VII 5 cents five purple SG # 268 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 289

Used (Hinged)

d34-27

SG # 281

Used (Hinged)

d34-25

SG # 291

Unused (Hinged)

d34-28

SG # 282

Used (Hinged)

d34-31

SG # 283

Used (Hinged)

d34-32

SG # 285

Used (Hinged)

d34-34

SG # 296

Used (Hinged)

1912

King George V Series

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 1 c cent one brown SG # 301 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 301

Used (Hinged)

SG # 301

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 2 c cents two orange SG # 308 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 330

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-339.1-J19

SG # 339

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 3 c cents three grey SG # 355 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 340

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 5 c cents five purple SG # 340 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 341

Used (Hinged)

d35-16

SG # 342

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 6 c cents six purple SG # 356 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 343

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 9 c cents nine yellow red SG # 357 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 345

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 10 c cents ten olive SG # 343 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 346

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 12 c cents twelve red SG # 360D revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 347

Used (Hinged)

d35-21

SG # 348

Used (Hinged)

d35-20

SG # 349

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 20 c cents twenty blue SG # 360F revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 350

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1912 Postage Stamp King George V 25 c cents twenty five yellow blue SG # 346 revenue crown www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 351

Used (Hinged)

d37-3

SG # 352

Used (Hinged)

d37-4

SG # 353

Used (Hinged)

d37-5

SG # 354

Used (Hinged)

1918

King George V Series (Overprinted WAR STAMP and/or Surcharge ONE CENT and Value Cancellation Bar)

d36-15

SG # 335

Used (Hinged)

d36-12

SG # 330

Used (Hinged)

d36-13

SG # 332

Used (Hinged)

d36-14

SG # 333

Used (Hinged)

King George V Series (Surcharge ONE CENT and Value Cancellation Bar)

d36-17

SG # 337

Used (Hinged)

1926

King George V Series (Surcharge New Value and Value Cancellation Bar)

d36-16

SG # 362

Used (Hinged)

1927

King George V Series

d37-6

SG # 363

Used (Hinged)

1935

Various Scenes Series featuring King George V

d36-1

SG # 368

Used (Hinged)

d36-2

SG # 369

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon 1935 Postage Stamp King George V 6 c cents six black blue SG # 370 & revenue Colombo Harbour www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 370

Used (Hinged)

d36-4

SG # 371

Used (Hinged)

d36-5

SG # 372

Used (Hinged)

d36-6

SG # 373

Used (Hinged)

d36-7

SG # 374

Used (Hinged)

d36-8

Ceylon Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara — Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, Buddhist Temple near Colombo

SG # 375

Used (Hinged)

d36-9

SG # 376

Used (Hinged)

d36-10

SG # 377

Used (Hinged)

Silver Jubilee Series

d36-11

SG # 375

Used (Hinged)

1937

Coronation Series

SG # 383

Unused (Hinged)

d37-8

SG # 384

Used (Hinged)

d37-9

SG # 385

Used (Hinged)

1938

Various Scenes Series featuring King George VI

d37-10

SG # 386b

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-387-J19

SG # 387

Used (Hinged)

G # 387E

d37-12

SG # 387f

Unused (Hinged)

Ceylon 1938 Postage Stamp King George VI 6 c cents six black & blue SG # 388 Colombo Harbour www.richterstamps.co.za

SG # 388

Used (Hinged)

d38-2

SG # 389

Used (Hinged)

d38-3

SG # 390

Unused (Hinged)

d38-4

SG # 391

Unused (Hinged)

d40-8

SG # 392a

Used (Hinged)

d38-6

SG # 393

Used (Hinged)

d38-7

SG # 394c

Unused (Hinged)

d39-1

SG # 395

Used (Hinged)

d39-3

SG # 396

Used (Hinged)

d39-2

SG # 396a

Used (Hinged)

King George VI Series (Facing Right)

d39-4

SG # 397a

Used (Hinged)

1940

Various Scenes Series featuring King George VI (Surcharge with New Value And Value Cancellation Bars)

d39-5

SG # 398

Unused (Hinged)

d39-6

SG # 399

Unused (Hinged)

1946

Victory Series

d39-7

SG # 400

Unused (Hinged)

d39-8

SG # 401

Unused (Hinged)

1947

New Constitution Series featuring King George VI

d39-9

SG # 402

Unused (Hinged)

d39-10

SG # 403

Unused (Hinged)

d39-11

SG # 404

Unused (Hinged)

d39-12

SG # 405

Unused (Hinged)

1949

1st Anniversary of Independence Series

d41-1

SG # 406

Unused (Hinged)

d41-3

SG # 407

Unused (Hinged)

75th Anniversary of UPU Series

d41-4

SG # 410

Used (Hinged)

d41-6

SG # 411

Used (Hinged)

d41-5

SG # 412

Used (Hinged)

1950

Various Scenes Series

SG # 413

Used (Hinged)

d41-8

SG # 414

Used (Hinged)

SG # 415

Used (Hinged)

d41-9

SG # 416

Used (Hinged)

d41-13

SG # 418

Used (Hinged)

1951

Various Scenes Series

Ceylon-419-AH39

SG # 419

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-420-AH34

SG # 420

Used (Hinged)

d41-15

SG # 422

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-423-AH35.1

SG # 423

Used (Hinged)

d41-17

SG # 424

Used (Hinged)

d41-18

SG # 425

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-426-AH40

SG # 426

Used (Hinged)

d41-20

SG # 427

Used (Hinged)

1952

Colombo Plan Exhibition Series

d42-1

SG # 431

Unused (Hinged)

d42-2

SG # 432

Unused (Hinged)

1953

Coronation Series

d42-3

SG # 433

Used (Hinged)

1954

The Royal Visit Series

d42-4

SG # 434

Unused (Hinged)

King Coconuts Series

SG # 435

Used (Hinged)

1955

Royal Agricultural & Food Exhibition Series

d42-5

SG # 436

Used (Hinged)

1956

Prime Minister’s 25 Years of Public Service Series

d42-6

SG # 437

Unused (Hinged)

Buddha Jayanti Series (Inscribed 2500)

SG # 439

Unused (Hinged)

d42-7

SG # 440

Unused (Hinged)

Ceylon Misty Mountains of Haputale — Misty Mountains of Haputale

1957

Stamp Centenary Series

d42-9

SG # 442

Used (Hinged)

d42-10

SG # 443

Used (Hinged)

1958

Buddha Jayanti Series (Premium obliterated with Bars)

d42-11

SG # 446

Unused (Hinged)

d42-12

SG # 447

Used (Hinged)

Various Scenes Series of 1951 (Inscription Changed)

SG # 448

Unused (Hinged)

d41-7

SG # 450

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-451-AD1

SG # 451

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-452-AH35

SG # 452

Unused (Hinged)

d42-8

SG # 453

Unused (Hinged)

d41-10

SG # 454

Used (Hinged)

d41-16

SG # 455

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-457-AD3

SG # 457

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-459-AD3

SG # 459

Used (Hinged)

d41-19

SG # 459

Used (Hinged)

d41-11

SG # 460a

Used (Hinged)

SG # 462

Used (Hinged)

d41-21

SG # 463

Used (Hinged)

d43-12

SG # 465

Used (Hinged)

10th Anniversary of Declaration of Human Rights Series

d42-13

SG # 466

Used (Hinged)

1959

Institution of Pirivena University Series

d42-14

SG # 468

Used (Hinged)

1961

Prime Minister Bandaranaike Commemoration Series (Larger Stamp)

d42-15

SG # 471

Used (Hinged)

1962

Golden Jubilee of Ceylon Boy Scouts’ Association Series

Ceylon-472-AD2

SG # 472

Used (Hinged)

1963

Prime Minister Bandaranaike Commemoration Series (Smaller Stamp)

Ceylon-479-AH39

SG # 479

Unused (Hinged)

d42-16

SG # 481

Used (Hinged)

1964

Birth Centenary of A Dharmapala (Founder of the Maha Bodhi Society) Series

d42-17

SG # 482

Used (Hinged)

Various Scenes Series

d43-1

SG # 485

Used (Hinged)

d43-5

SG # 486

Used (Hinged)

d43-2

SG # 488

Used (Hinged)

d43-3

SG # 494

Used (Hinged)

d43-4

SG # 495

Used (Hinged)

Ceylon-499-AH38

SG # 499

Unused (Hinged)

1965

Centenary of ITU Series

d40-21

SG # 506

Used (Hinged)

International Co-operation Year Series

d43-18

SG # 508

Used (Hinged)

1966

International Rice Year Series

d40-18

SG # 516

Used (Hinged)

20 Years UNESCO Series

d43-7

SG # 517

Used (Hinged)

International Hydrological Decade Series

d40-15

SG # 519

Unused (Hinged)

1967

Poya Holiday System Series

d43-6

SG # 524

Used (Hinged)

Centenary of Ceylon Tea Industry Series

d43-20

SG # 526

Unused (Hinged)

d43-22

SG # 527

Unused (Hinged)

d43-23

SG # 528

Unused (Hinged)

d43-25

SG # 529

Unused (Hinged)

Golden Jubilee of Ceylon Girl Guide’s Association Series

d43-13

SG # 532

Used (Hinged)

d43-14

SG # 533

Used (Hinged)

1968

Birth Centenary of Sir Baron Jayatilleke (Scholar & Statesman) Series

d43-11

SG # 537

Used (Hinged)

Opening of Colombo Airport Series

d43-8

SG # 539

Used (Hinged)

1969

Vesak Day Series (Inscribed WESAK)

d43-10

SG # 551

Used (Hinged)

1970

Wildlife Conservation Series

Ceylon-561-AD2

SG # 561

Used (Hinged)

Establishment of the United Front Government Series

d43-15

SG # 570

Used (Hinged)

d43-16

SG # 584

Used (Hinged)

1972

25th Anniversary of ECAFE Series

d43-17

SG # 590

Used (Hinged)

Telegraph Stamps

1905

d34-29

SG # T165

Used (Hinged)

d34-30

SG # T169

Used (Hinged)

The following may not be postage stamps as there is no reference to them in Stanley Gibbons. Perhaps they were cut off envelopes or postcards.

Ceylon-no-No-1-AH28

Stamped

Ceylon-no-No-2-AH28

Stamped

Ceylon-no-No-3-AH28

Stamped

Ceylon-no-No-4-AH28

Stamped

Ceylon-no-No-5-AH28

Stamped

Ceylon-no-No-6-AH29

Stamped

Ceylon-no-No-7-AH29

Stamped