Tirupur: In 1930, Rs 500 had a great financial value. Investing such an amount in insurance would have been considered as costly. Yet, one EKSH Palaniyappa Chettiar had sent an Rs 500-valued insured letter from Burma (now Myanmar) to India.Those who visited Cotton Market Post Office in the dollar city on Thursday saw the letter, addressed to Palaniyappa Chettiar's friend SMRS Sockalingam Chettiar, who was residing in Pudukottai district. Such precious letters were exhibited as part of the 'Letter Collection Competition' held at the post office on the occasion of the Philately Day, which falls on October 13.The competition was held for the first time across the State with an aim to encourage postal letter and stamp collection. The letter from Burma bagged the second prize while two letters posted in the years 1900 and 1906 were given first and third prizes.S Subramanian, exhibitor of the Burma letter, said, "The credit for preserving the letter should go to my father. We treasured it from his belongings after he died in the early 1980s. My grandfather Sockalingam Chettiar had worked in Burma for some years. After he came back to his native, the letter was sent by Palaniyappa Chettiar from Yamethin town of Burma.""As per the old norms, the insured letter, which normally would be used to send valuable goods, should also have the seal of the sender. The seal would ensure that it was not be opened till it reaches the receiver. On the Burma letter, sender Palaniyappa Chettiar's seal can be seen. The seal reads Yamethin in Tamil," said post master of Cotton Market PO D Karthikeyan.More than 15 philatelists and numismatists took part in the contest. There were about 500 letters and stamps on display. Students from various schools visited the exhibition.

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