Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Date
1786
Description
1786 Ingeram – Calcutta – Ducca via Ganjam wrapper, "Post Paid 4 fans at Ingeram the 8th Decr. 1786" manuscript applied, sender paid 4 fanams inland postage for Ingeram to Ganjam. At Calcutta, Giles 3 "BEARING POSTAGE" handstamp & amounts "5 as" & "3" applied in manuscript, later redirected to Dacca. 5A inland due for Ganjam to Calcutta & 3A inland due for Calcutta to Dacca redirection collected from the recipient, as the letter was under 2.5 sicca weight (29.5 gm).
Provenance
Santosh MS
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 4handstampBlack1787
- Calcutta HG 5handstampBlack1788
- Calcutta HG 6handstampBlack1788
+177 more at this office.View all Calcutta marks and postal history →
About this Calcutta pre stamp cover
COV-2143 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 1786 bearing the Calcutta HG 3 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Calcutta postal history — the office known today as Kolkata, Bengal Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
1786 Ingeram – Calcutta – Ducca via Ganjam wrapper, "Post Paid 4 fans at Ingeram the 8th Decr. 1786" manuscript applied, sender paid 4 fanams inland postage for Ingeram to Ganjam. At Calcutta, Giles 3 "BEARING POSTAGE" handstamp & amounts "5 as" & "3" applied in manuscript, later redirected to Dacca. 5A inland due for Ganjam to Calcutta & 3A inland due for Calcutta to Dacca redirection collected from the recipient, as the letter was under 2.5 sicca weight (29.5 gm).
Santosh MS
1 image of COV-2143 is recorded (front); the Calcutta HG 3 mark itself is recorded in use 1776–1789.
Questions about COV-2143
- What is COV-2143?
- COV-2143 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 1786, bearing the Calcutta HG 3 handstamp in black. 1786 Ingeram – Calcutta – Ducca via Ganjam wrapper, "Post Paid 4 fans at Ingeram the 8th Decr. 1786" manuscript applied, sender paid 4 fanams inland postage for Ingeram to Ganjam. At Calcutta, Giles 3 "BEARING POSTAGE" handstamp & amounts "5 as" & "3" applied in manuscript, later redirected to Dacca. 5A inland due for Ganjam to Calcutta & 3A inland due for Calcutta to Dacca redirection collected from the recipient, as the letter was under 2.5 sicca weight (29.5 gm).
- How scarce is the Calcutta HG 3 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta HG 3 as rare, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1776–1789.
- What is the provenance of COV-2143?
- Santosh MS
- When was COV-2143 posted?
- COV-2143 is dated 1786, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta HG 3 (1776–1789).
About this record
This 1786 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta HG 3 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 9 surviving covers with this mark recorded.