
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Grosvenor Auctions
Date
1850
Description
India: Postal History and Covers: 1850 (May 12) entire “Overland mail via Bombay” to U.S.A. sent care of an agent in Liverpool and rated ‘2/3’(d) for the double via Marseilles rate, deleted and sent unpaid to U.S.A. “per America” with “19/CENTS” accountancy mark with Liverpool framed “MISSENT TO/PORTSMOUTH”, framed “INDIA” and New York transit datestamp, reverse with framed Calcutta, London and Liverpool datestamps, mainly fine. Photo.
Auction
GPA 174: British Empire & Foreign Countries, Lot 920
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-5375 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?
India: Postal History and Covers: 1850 (May 12) entire “Overland mail via Bombay” to U.S.A. sent care of an agent in Liverpool and rated ‘2/3’(d) for the double via Marseilles rate, deleted and sent unpaid to U.S.A. “per America” with “19/CENTS” accountancy mark with Liverpool framed “MISSENT TO/PORTSMOUTH”, framed “INDIA” and New York transit datestamp, reverse with framed Calcutta, London and Liverpool datestamps, mainly fine. Photo.
Its recorded auction history runs through Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions GPA 174: British Empire & Foreign Countries lot 920.
1 image of COV-5375 is recorded; the Calcutta SD17 mark itself is recorded in use 1846–1856.
Questions about COV-5375
- What is COV-5375?
- COV-5375 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 1850, bearing the Calcutta SD17 handstamp in red. India: Postal History and Covers: 1850 (May 12) entire “Overland mail via Bombay” to U.S.A. sent care of an agent in Liverpool and rated ‘2/3’(d) for the double via Marseilles rate, deleted and sent unpaid to U.S.A. “per America” with “19/CENTS” accountancy mark with Liverpool framed “MISSENT TO/PORTSMOUTH”, framed “INDIA” and New York transit datestamp, reverse with framed Calcutta, London and Liverpool datestamps, mainly fine. Photo.
- 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-5375?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions GPA 174: British Empire & Foreign Countries lot 920.
- When was COV-5375 posted?
- COV-5375 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 17 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, GPA 174: British Empire & Foreign Countries, lot 920.

