A document dated 7th June 1947 from the Musheer Tasrefaat (Minister of Household) to His Highness the Nawab requesting approval of the Provisional hand stamps, with two proof impressions of the hand stamp, read “Provisional handstamps submitted for approval, their usage to be a temporary measure prior to the arrival of the overprinted issue on order.”
‘Sanction Order’ handwritten and signed by the Nawab allowing the use of the handstamp reads: “Sanction is accorded to the use of these handstamps on all denominations available in the Treasury of both Official and Ordinary postage stamps, irrespective of the quantities available”.
It was customary to publish such Government orders for the knowledge and benefit of the general public, as well as to give it official validity in the official gazette. Figure 9 shows the contents of Extraordinary Gazette No 136. It translates to: Proofs were submitted to His Highness the Nawab of Bahawalpur for approval. Strips of
three, four or five stamps were affixed on crested stationery dated 12th or 13th August 1947. These stamps were numbered and each handstamped in either green, purple, black, red or violet, with text and signature on reverse confirming approval received in the form of checkmarks in blue ink (almost certainly by the Nawab himself ) next to each stamp.