Scan or Photo Courtesy of David Feldman Auctions
Date
1854
Description
1854 Calcutta to Mauritius, complete entire letter sent per “Bengal Merchant”, struck by the scarce circular Calcutta Ship Letter Free (Giles type CS19) in error and crossed out, subsequently struck with boxed Calcutta GPO Ship Letter, Mauritius arrival 19 Nov 1854; with some ink corrosion to address on front, fine strike of the Free pm that was supposed to be used as arrival pm, very scarce.
Auction
Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire, Lot 51135, (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-4962 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 1854 bearing the Calcutta SD21 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?
1854 Calcutta to Mauritius, complete entire letter sent per “Bengal Merchant”, struck by the scarce circular Calcutta Ship Letter Free (Giles type CS19) in error and crossed out, subsequently struck with boxed Calcutta GPO Ship Letter, Mauritius arrival 19 Nov 1854; with some ink corrosion to address on front, fine strike of the Free pm that was supposed to be used as arrival pm, very scarce.
Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire lot 51135 (2024).
2 images of COV-4962 are recorded; the Calcutta SD21 mark itself is recorded in use 1847–1854.
Questions about COV-4962
- What is COV-4962?
- COV-4962 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 1854, bearing the Calcutta SD21 handstamp in red. 1854 Calcutta to Mauritius, complete entire letter sent per “Bengal Merchant”, struck by the scarce circular Calcutta Ship Letter Free (Giles type CS19) in error and crossed out, subsequently struck with boxed Calcutta GPO Ship Letter, Mauritius arrival 19 Nov 1854; with some ink corrosion to address on front, fine strike of the Free pm that was supposed to be used as arrival pm, very scarce.
- How scarce is the Calcutta SD21 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta SD21 as very common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1847–1854.
- What is the provenance of COV-4962?
- Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire lot 51135 (2024).
- When was COV-4962 posted?
- COV-4962 is dated 1854, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta SD21 (1847–1854).
About this record
This 1854 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta SD21 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Very common” in this census — one of 13 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with David Feldman, Spring Auction Series – 2024 — British Empire, lot 51135, (2024).