KERAPEX 2026 adds special-cover and My Stamp releases to Kerala exhibition programme

Kerala Postal Circle’s public reporting on KERAPEX 2026 states that special-cover releases and a My Stamp presentation formed part of the exhibition held at Kochi Town Hall from 20 to 23 January. This is a distinct philatelic development from the exhibition announcement itself: the event created postal products that collectors may seek after the displays closed. The available social report confirms the presence of these releases but does not provide a complete product list, individual titles, approval numbers, prices or quantities. Each cover and My Stamp item therefore requires separate identification before being entered as a fully specified issue.

State-level exhibitions often use special covers to document regional heritage, institutions, personalities or the exhibition itself. Several covers may be released on different days, sometimes with different cancellations or sponsoring organisations. A phrase such as “special cover release” must not be converted into a claim that only one cover existed. Collectors should obtain the official programme, daily bulletins or bureau sales list and match every design to its release date. A group photograph or social-media image may help identify an unveiling but is rarely sufficient for precise catalogue work.

My Stamp is also a specific India Post product category. It generally combines a valid postage component with a personalised adjoining label or themed sheet presentation. Exhibition My Stamp products may use official KERAPEX or Kerala imagery, but the exact composition, face value, sheet size and personalisation status must be confirmed. A generic souvenir sheet printed for the event should not be described as My Stamp unless issued within the authorised programme. Conversely, an official My Stamp sheet should not be confused with a commemorative postage stamp available nationally.

For special-cover collectors, completeness includes the printed envelope, correct postage and designated cancellation. Cover approval numbers, postal-circle inscriptions and reverse-side printing are essential identifiers. Examples signed by guests, serviced on later days or franked differently may be collectible states, but they should not be presented as separate official issues without evidence. If the exhibition released covers in a sequence, the set should be listed in order and any folder or pack should be treated as packaging unless it contains a distinct authorised product.

The KERAPEX setting adds value because these products were released within a recognised competitive and educational exhibition. Exhibits, dealers, youth activity and postal counters created an audience able to acquire the material directly. Post-event demand may be stronger for subjects tied to Kerala culture or for low-quantity covers, but scarcity cannot be inferred from online absence. The official quantity, unsold stock and later bureau distribution matter more than claims that an item was “available only at the show.” Dealers may also assemble unofficial sets that need to be distinguished from organiser-issued packs.

Researchers should preserve context as carefully as the products. The official programme, invitation, award list, daily cover-release schedule, photographs and exhibition cancellation can explain why and when each item appeared. These documents help future collectors separate genuine KERAPEX releases from covers merely sold by dealers at the venue. Where a cover commemorates an independent subject, catalogue indexing should include both that subject and KERAPEX as the release occasion rather than treating the exhibition as the only theme.

The releases matter because exhibition-created postal products often become the enduring collectable record of a temporary event.