COV-2421
16 January 1836 Calcutta Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Corinphila Auctions
Date
16 January 1836
Description
Indian Post Office 1836 (Jan 16): Entire letter from Kathmandu to Calcutta written by the British Resident in Nepal, Brian H. Hodgson to Calcutta brilliantly struck on reverse with octagonal framed "NIPAUL / POST OFFICE / POST FREE" handstamp in brown with manuscript rate (9 annas) alongside and date (Jan 17) below. "Calcutta / GPO" arrival cds (Jan 24) in red below. Despite the period of use of this handstamp (1816-1836), examples are exceedingly rare. A magnificent entire - the latest recorded date of use of the first handstamp.rnrnNote: Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894) was initially the Postmaster (1824) and assistant British Resident in Nepal (1825) and British Resident from 1833-1843. An outstanding linguist, naturalist and scholar with many species of birds named after him, he also wrote at length on Buddhism of which there is a mention in this letter and authored "Essays on Language, Literature, and Religion of Nepal and Tibet" published in 1874.rnProvenance: Cavendish, Derby, 31 Oct 1995, lot 340.
Auction
Same office
Other recorded marks at Calcutta
183 marks183 other pre-1854 postal markings of Calcutta are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Calcutta HG 1handstampBlack1775–1787
- Calcutta HG 1ahandstampBlack1775–1786
- Calcutta HG 2handstampBlack1775–1787
- Calcutta HG 3handstampBlack1776–1789
- Calcutta HG 4handstampBlack1787
- Calcutta HG 5handstampBlack1788
+177 more at this office.View all Calcutta marks and postal history →
About this Calcutta pre stamp cover
COV-2421 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 16 January 1836 bearing the Calcutta G9 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Calcutta postal history — the office known today as Kolkata, Bengal Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
Indian Post Office 1836 (Jan 16): Entire letter from Kathmandu to Calcutta written by the British Resident in Nepal, Brian H. Hodgson to Calcutta brilliantly struck on reverse with octagonal framed "NIPAUL / POST OFFICE / POST FREE" handstamp in brown with manuscript rate (9 annas) alongside and date (Jan 17) below. "Calcutta / GPO" arrival cds (Jan 24) in red below. Despite the period of use of this handstamp (1816-1836), examples are exceedingly rare. A magnificent entire - the latest recorded date of use of the first handstamp.rnrnNote: Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894) was initially the Postmaster (1824) and assistant British Resident in Nepal (1825) and British Resident from 1833-1843. An outstanding linguist, naturalist and scholar with many species of birds named after him, he also wrote at length on Buddhism of which there is a mention in this letter and authored "Essays on Language, Literature, and Religion of Nepal and Tibet" published in 1874.rnProvenance: Cavendish, Derby, 31 Oct 1995, lot 340.
Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd lot 340 (31 Oct 1995); and Corinphila Auctions Auctions 298-307 lot 1207.
2 images of COV-2421 are recorded (front, back); the Calcutta G9 mark itself is recorded in use 1827–1837.
Questions about COV-2421
- What is COV-2421?
- COV-2421 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 16 January 1836, bearing the Calcutta G9 handstamp in red. Indian Post Office 1836 (Jan 16): Entire letter from Kathmandu to Calcutta written by the British Resident in Nepal, Brian H. Hodgson to Calcutta brilliantly struck on reverse with octagonal framed "NIPAUL / POST OFFICE / POST FREE" handstamp in brown with manuscript rate (9 annas) alongside and date (Jan 17) below. "Calcutta / GPO" arrival cds (Jan 24) in red below. Despite the period of use of this handstamp (1816-1836), examples are exceedingly rare. A magnificent entire - the latest recorded date of use of the first handstamp.rnrnNote: Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894) was initially the Postmaster (1824) and assistant British Resident in Nepal (1825) and British Resident from 1833-1843. An outstanding linguist, naturalist and scholar with many species of birds named after him, he also wrote at length on Buddhism of which there is a mention in this letter and authored "Essays on Language, Literature, and Religion of Nepal and Tibet" published in 1874.rnProvenance: Cavendish, Derby, 31 Oct 1995, lot 340.
- How scarce is the Calcutta G9 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta G9 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1827–1837.
- What is the provenance of COV-2421?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd lot 340 (31 Oct 1995); and Corinphila Auctions Auctions 298-307 lot 1207.
- When was COV-2421 posted?
- COV-2421 is dated 16 January 1836, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta G9 (1827–1837).
About this record
This 16 January 1836 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta G9 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 18 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd, lot 340, (31 Oct 1995); Corinphila Auctions, Auctions 298-307, lot 1207.