Scan or Photo Courtesy of Siegel Auction Galleries
Date
11 June 1785
Description
INDIA, Calcutta, 1785, "BEARING POSTAGE" Handstamp (Giles 3). Exceptionally clear and complete straightline (slight doubling of strike) on top flap of folded letter struck on arrival, datelined "London 24 Dec. 1785" and written by James Smith and addressed to John Fergusson in Calcutta, internal docketing indicating Jun. 11, 1786 arrival, cover with slight overall toning, still Very Fine strike of this rare 18th century Calcutta postal marking, the recipient John Fergusson (1755-1814) was a well respected and wealthy merchant based in Calcutta
Auction
Sale 1301, Lot 6008
Provenance
"Magnolia"
Same office
Other recorded marks at Calcutta
182 marks182 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
- Calcutta HG 7handstampBlack1788
- Calcutta HG 8handstampBlack1788–1789
- Calcutta HG 9handstampBlack1789
- Calcutta HG 10handstampBlack1788–1820
- Calcutta HG 10ahandstampBlack1795–1817
- Calcutta HG 11handstampBlack1791–1818
- Calcutta HG 11ahandstampBlack1791–1822
- Calcutta HG 12handstampBlack1807–1818
- Calcutta HG 13handstampBlack1822–1830
- Calcutta HG 13ahandstampRed1825
- Calcutta HG 14handstampBlack1823
- Calcutta HG 15handstampBlack1815–1837
- Calcutta HG 15ahandstampBlack1817–1837
- Calcutta HG 16handstampBlack1818–1837
- Calcutta HG 16ahandstampBlack1821–1837
- Calcutta HG 17handstampBlack1833–1837
- Calcutta HG 18handstampBlack1836
- Calcutta HG 19handstampBlack1834
- Calcutta HG 20handstampBlack1830–1835
- Calcutta HG 21handstampRed1837–1845
- Calcutta HG 22handstampBlack1837–1854
- Calcutta HG 23handstampRed1838–1852
- Calcutta HG 23AhandstampRed1842
- Calcutta HG 24handstampRed1839–1851
- Calcutta HG 24AhandstampRed1838–1851
- Calcutta HG 25handstampRed1841–1851
- Calcutta HG 26handstampBlack1844–1852
- Calcutta HG 27handstampRed1847–1854
- Calcutta HG 28handstampBlack1847–1854
- Calcutta HG 29handstampRed1847-53
- Calcutta HG 29AhandstampBlack1852
- Calcutta HG 30handstampBlack1861-64
- Calcutta HG 31handstampBlue1864
- Calcutta HG 32handstampBlack1866-74
- Calcutta HG 33handstampRed1862-75
- Calcutta HG 34handstampRed1867-68
- Calcutta HG 35handstampBlack1868
- Calcutta HG 36handstamp1849–1859
- Calcutta G1handstampBlack1791
- Calcutta G2handstampRed1808-16
- Calcutta G3handstampRed1816–1820
- Calcutta G4handstampRed1821–1822
- Calcutta G5handstampRed1818-24
- Calcutta G6handstampRed1824-25
- Calcutta G7handstampRed1826
- Calcutta G8handstampBlack1825–1832
- Calcutta G9handstampRed1827–1837
- Calcutta G10handstampBlack1830–1833
- Calcutta G11handstampBlack1832
- Calcutta G12handstampRed1834–1839
- Calcutta G13handstampRed1834-37
- Calcutta G14handstampRed1837-53
- Calcutta G15handstampRed1847–1848
- Calcutta G16handstampRed1850
- Calcutta G17handstampRed1851
- Calcutta G17ahandstampRed1851
- Calcutta G18handstampRed1851-58
- Calcutta G19handstampRed1847–1858
- Calcutta G20handstampBlack1854-57
- Calcutta G21handstampRed1855-58
- Calcutta G23handstampBlue1857–1866
- Calcutta G24handstampRed1859–1863
- Calcutta G25handstampRed1859-63
- Calcutta G26handstampBlue1859-63
- Calcutta G27handstampBlue1872
- Calcutta SD1handstampBlack1794–1795
- Calcutta SD2handstampBlack1799–1816
- Calcutta SD3handstampBlack1816
- Calcutta SD4handstampBlack1816
- Calcutta SD5handstampRed1816–1818
- Calcutta SD6handstampBlack1816–1819
- Calcutta SD7handstampRed1816–1819
- Calcutta SD8handstampBlack1820-24
- Calcutta SD8ahandstampBlack1824-25
- Calcutta SD8bhandstampBlack1825–1828
- Calcutta SD9handstampBlack1828–1834
- Calcutta SD10handstampBlack1834–1840
- Calcutta SD11handstampBlack1837–1855
- Calcutta SD12handstampRed1837–1851
- Calcutta SD13handstampRed1837–1853
- Calcutta SD14handstampRed1838–1855
- Calcutta SD15handstampRed1843–1845
- Calcutta SD16handstampRed1838-46
- Calcutta SD16ahandstampRed1846–1851
- Calcutta SD17handstampRed1846–1856
- Calcutta SD18handstampRed1851-56
- Calcutta SD19handstampRed1856
- Calcutta SD20handstampRed1845-62
- Calcutta SD20ahandstampRed1848-53
- Calcutta SD21handstampRed1847–1854
- Calcutta SD22handstampRed1851–1852
- Calcutta SD23handstampRed1853
- Calcutta SD24handstampRed1842–1854
- Calcutta SD25handstampBlack1848-54
- Calcutta SD26handstampRed1847-53
- Calcutta SD27handstampRed1857-65
- Calcutta SD28handstampRed1857–1865
- Calcutta SD29handstampBlack1857-62
- Calcutta SD30handstampBlack1857-62
- Calcutta SD31handstampRed1858-67
- Calcutta SR1handstampBlack1795
- Calcutta SR2handstampRedPre-1807
- Calcutta SR3handstampRed1807-27
- Calcutta SR4handstampRed1809
- Calcutta SR5handstampRed1826-37
- Calcutta SR6handstampBlack1807-16
- Calcutta SR7handstampBlack1816–1819
- Calcutta SR8handstampBlack1820–1821
- Calcutta SR9ahandstampBlack1821–1837
- Calcutta SR9bhandstampBlack1821–1837
- Calcutta SR10handstampBlack1835-37
- Calcutta SR11handstampBlack1827-29
- Calcutta SR12handstampBlack1827-29
- Calcutta SR13handstampBlack1827–1829
- Calcutta SR14handstampBlack1827–1829
- Calcutta SR15handstampBlack1827-29
- Calcutta SR16handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR17handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR18handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR19handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR20handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR21handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR22handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR23handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR24handstampBlack1830–1832
- Calcutta SR25handstampBlack1830–1832
- Calcutta SR26handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR27handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR28handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR29handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR30handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR31handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR32handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR33handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR34handstampBlack1830–1832
- Calcutta SR35handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR36handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR37handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR38handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR39handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR40handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR41handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR42handstampBlack1833-36
- Calcutta SR42ahandstampBlack1837–1839
- Calcutta SR43handstampBlack1837–1838
- Calcutta SR44handstampBlack1837–1845
- Calcutta SR45handstampBlack1837–1859
- Calcutta SR46handstampRed1838–1855
- Calcutta SR48handstampBlack1839–1858
- Calcutta SR49handstampBlack1841–1857
- Calcutta SR50handstampBlack1851–1861
- Calcutta SR51handstampBlack1860–1865
- Calcutta HG SRahandstampRed1821–1837
- Calcutta X1handstampBlack1775
- Calcutta X2handstampBlack1775–1776
- Calcutta X3handstampBlack1776–1784
- Calcutta X4handstampBlack1784
- Calcutta X5handstampBlack1784
- Calcutta X6handstampBlack1784
- Calcutta X7handstampBlack1777
- Calcutta X8handstampBlack1777
- Calcutta X12handstampBlack1776
- Calcutta X13handstampBlack1838–1858
- Calcutta X14handstampBlack—
- Calcutta X15handstampBlack1846–1865
- Calcutta X16handstampBlack1848-51
- Calcutta X17handstampBlack—
- Calcutta X18handstampBlack1843–1856
- Calcutta X19handstampBlack1840
- Calcutta X20handstampBlack1849
- Calcutta X21handstampBlack1849
- Calcutta X22handstampBlack1849
- Calcutta X23handstampBlack1856
- Calcutta X24handstampRed1854
- Calcutta X25handstampBlack1863–1870
- Calcutta X26handstampBlack1865
About this record
This 11 June 1785 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. It has appeared at auction with Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Sale 1301, lot 6008.