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Hand Struck Stamps

COV-2146

1811 Calcutta HG 12 Cover

Back to census|Calcutta HG 12 · 3 covers recorded
1811 Calcutta HG 12 pre stamp cover — COV-2146
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Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS

Date

1811

Description

1810 or early 1811 Calcutta – Madras On His Majesty's free frank service wrapper, with Calcutta Giles 12 "POST.FREE" & Giles G2 "G.P.O. MAY 5/180.." despatch handstamp, addressed to Lieutenant Edmund Lyons at H.M. Ship Minden (a Royal Navy 74-gun Ganges-class third-rate ship, built by Jamsetjee Bomanjee Wadia) at Madras. No receipt mark of Madras applied. On 29 July 1811, Lieutenant Edmund Lyons led 35 men in capturing a fort near Batavia. Dutch and French forces in Java surrendered in September. HMS Minden then returned to the UK and escorted convoys worldwide. Sent by Captain Wells of HMS Fox, who was a junior officer at Calcutta.

Provenance

Santosh MS

Same office

Other recorded marks at Calcutta

182 marks

182 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.

View all Calcutta marks and postal history →

About this record

This 1811 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta HG 12 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 3 surviving covers with this mark recorded.