Scan or Photo Courtesy of Kishore Chandak
Date
7 December 1818
Description
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.
Auction
Provenance
Derek Hammond Giles
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-763 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 7 December 1818 bearing the Calcutta SD7 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?
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.
Its recorded auction history runs through Spink lot 67 (Oct. 2000).
1 image of COV-763 is recorded; the Calcutta SD7 mark itself is recorded in use 1816–1819.
Questions about COV-763
- What is COV-763?
- COV-763 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 7 December 1818, bearing the Calcutta SD7 handstamp in red. 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.
- How scarce is the Calcutta SD7 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta SD7 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1816–1819.
- What is the provenance of COV-763?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Spink lot 67 (Oct. 2000).
- When was COV-763 posted?
- COV-763 is dated 7 December 1818, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta SD7 (1816–1819).
About this record
This 7 December 1818 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta SD7 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 9 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Spink, lot 67, (Oct. 2000).