Used India Queen Victoria Postage Stamp, 3 Annas

This item is a used postage stamp from India, featuring the portrait of Queen Victoria. The stamp is predominantly red or reddish-brown in color, with a rectangular shape and serrated edges, indicating it was separated from a sheet of stamps. The denomination '3 ANNAS' is visible towards the bottom edge of the stamp. The top edge clearly displays the text 'INDIA POSTAGE'. The central design is a portrait of Queen Victoria, likely in profile, though the details are obscured by cancellation marks. The background around the portrait features intricate, possibly floral or decorative, patterns. A prominent feature of this stamp is the heavy cancellation mark, which appears to be a partial circular or semicircular postmark, along with additional diagonal lines in black ink. This cancellation covers a significant portion of the Queen's portrait and the surrounding design, indicating the stamp has been used for postal services. The ink from the cancellation is dark and somewhat smudged, but provides evidence of its postal history. Given the 'INDIA POSTAGE' inscription and the depiction of Queen Victoria, the stamp dates to the British Raj period in India, likely late 19th or early 20th century. The condition appears to be fair to good for a used stamp of its age, aside from the heavy cancellation. The perforations around the edges seem mostly intact, but the overall crispness and color might be affected by age and handling.