Scan or Photo Courtesy of David Feldman Auctions
Date
1850
Description
1850 Folded entire letter Calcutta endorsed “Overland via Southampton” to London, bearing on front red boxed “INDIA” and on reverse Calcutta steam letter hs; London arrival 4 Jan; a very fine complete letter with UK rate marking on front.
Auction
Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire, Lot 51132, (2024)
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-4961 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 1850 bearing the Calcutta SD17 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?
1850 Folded entire letter Calcutta endorsed “Overland via Southampton” to London, bearing on front red boxed “INDIA” and on reverse Calcutta steam letter hs; London arrival 4 Jan; a very fine complete letter with UK rate marking on front.
Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire lot 51132 (2024).
2 images of COV-4961 are recorded; the Calcutta SD17 mark itself is recorded in use 1846–1856.
Questions about COV-4961
- What is COV-4961?
- COV-4961 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 1850, bearing the Calcutta SD17 handstamp in red. 1850 Folded entire letter Calcutta endorsed “Overland via Southampton” to London, bearing on front red boxed “INDIA” and on reverse Calcutta steam letter hs; London arrival 4 Jan; a very fine complete letter with UK rate marking on front.
- How scarce is the Calcutta SD17 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta SD17 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1846–1856.
- What is the provenance of COV-4961?
- Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire lot 51132 (2024).
- When was COV-4961 posted?
- COV-4961 is dated 1850, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta SD17 (1846–1856).
About this record
This 1850 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta SD17 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 15 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with David Feldman, Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire, lot 51132, (2024).