Calcutta SD7

1816

India, Calcutta, 1817, "KING'S SEA/POSTE. PAID/CALCUTTA" Handstamp in Red (Giles SD5). Clear strike with "Calcutta Packet Letter 4 SE 4, 1817" oval datestamp (Giles SD7) on folded letter datelined Panda Aug. 26, 1817, addressed to Bath, England, "MORE/TO/PAY" double-circle handstamp, red India Packet Letter (Mar. 3, 1818) and red London (Mar. 3) transit datestamps, manuscript internal rate notations on back and variously rated on front, Very Fine, a scarce use of the King's Sea Postage Paid marking, only in use from Apr. 1816 to Dec. 1818

November 1816

RARE LONDON OVAL “PAID/INDIA/PACKET LETTER” D.S. & “KINGS’ SEA/POSTE. PAID/CALCUTTA”, ETC.; 26/29 Nov. 1816 E (closed tear through address) from “Calcutta” to London “[Per Ship] Prince Regent” with a very fine red octagon-boxed “KING’S SEA/POSTA PAID/CALCUTTA [3/6]” at top left and a very fine black “CALCUTTA/PACKET LETTER” d.s. at top right, but also having two fair to very fine strikes (one with closed tear) of the rare red oval-framed London “PAID/INDIA/PACKET LETTER” d.s. alongside, with no postage charged on arrival. Rare combination of marks and an early usage of the Calcutta d.s. Exhibition Item. PHOTO - page 23

25 December 1816

Calcutta: 1816 (25 Dec.) entire letter (horizontal filing crease) "per Warren Hastings" rated "3/6" and showing good to fine strikes of the rare framed "KING'S SEA/POST' PAID/calcurra" in red (HG SD5) and the very scarce oval "CALCUTTA/PACKET LETTER" d.s. (HG SD7) also a faint arrival d.s. One of the rarities of Indian prephilately and a splendid exhibition item

October 1818

Patna: lB18 (Oct.) p:rt entire to London showing, on front, lour rare handstamps comprising the intaglio tombstone "P.O./Patna/Sea/Postage/Paid" (HG 5, one recorded), framed "KING'S SEA/posi PAID,/carcirra" in ied (HG SD5), "CALCUTTA/pacrsr LETTER" oval d.s. (HG SD7) and the double-framed "INDIA/PACKET rrrrrR/PAID rolroNnop" in red. Quite remarkable

7 December 1818

1818: H.G.5: The letter was written by someone who lived in BHAUGALPUR, but was not posted to LONDON until the writer had traveled to PATNA, where the really astonishing " King's Postmark" was applied along with "P.O. Patna Sea Postage Paid" despatch stamp, for it is the first internal King's Postmark to have been discovered. The English Post Office had control of the sea postage between INDIA and ENGLAND and, the Company's post office being only allowed to collect the postage for the inland journey, if any. This wonderful postmark does not cover the Company's inland journey from PATNA to CALCUTTA, but indicates that the writer had exercised his option to pre-pay the sea postage [or King's postage] at the time of despatch. Previously, this facilities were available for the collection of King's Postage at the port G.P.O.'s of CALCUTTA, BOMBAY and MADRAS only and there was no indication that such facilities existed in up-country post offices. The single letter rate of 3/6d for a packet has been charged & marked in manuscript.

16 January 1819

9 November 1819

18 November 1819

ALMORA - RARE CALCUTTA RED ENCIRCLED “INDIA/Packet Letter/PAID” WITH PACKET LETTER D.S. & “INDIA LETTER/DEAL”; Very fine 18 Nov. 1819 EL (part interesting letter from “the jungul” near the Himalayas) from “Almora (P.O. “King’s Pd 3rs/Company Pd 2r 6as [=] 5-6” dated endorsement across join of flaps) to London (redirected to Cheltenham) endorsed “Pr H.M. Ship” on the front with a very fine early usage of the very rare red encircled Calcutta “INDIA/Packet Letter/PAID” mark and a very fine rare oval “CALCUTTA/PACKET LETTER” d.s. slightly overstruck by a large part framed “INDIA LETTER/DEAL”, which was applied because the 1815 Act establishing the Packet system had been repealed on 14 July 1819 but news had not reached India when this letter was posted (with London transit c.d.s.’s of 26 Jan. 1820). Exhibition Quality. PHOTO - see below