Scan or Photo Courtesy of David Feldman Auctions
Date
1821
Description
1821 (Sep 16) entire from Chandenagore (datelined inside) to Scotland, with good strike of the “CALCUTTA / GENERAL POST OFFICE” circular ds from the French India period, with ms date inserted, “INDIA LETTER / DEAL” hs adjacent along with Scottish “1/2” tax and Edinburgh arrival, fine and scarce.
Auction
2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet, Lot 40109, (2026)
Same office
Other recorded marks at Calcutta
184 marks184 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
+178 more at this office.View all Calcutta marks and postal history →
About this Calcutta pre stamp cover
COV-5801 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 1821 bearing the Calcutta SD8 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Calcutta postal history — the office known today as Kolkata, Bengal Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
1821 (Sep 16) entire from Chandenagore (datelined inside) to Scotland, with good strike of the “CALCUTTA / GENERAL POST OFFICE” circular ds from the French India period, with ms date inserted, “INDIA LETTER / DEAL” hs adjacent along with Scottish “1/2” tax and Edinburgh arrival, fine and scarce.
Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA 2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet lot 40109 (2026).
2 images of COV-5801 are recorded; the Calcutta SD8 mark itself is recorded in use 1820-24.
Questions about COV-5801
- What is COV-5801?
- COV-5801 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 1821, bearing the Calcutta SD8 handstamp in black. 1821 (Sep 16) entire from Chandenagore (datelined inside) to Scotland, with good strike of the “CALCUTTA / GENERAL POST OFFICE” circular ds from the French India period, with ms date inserted, “INDIA LETTER / DEAL” hs adjacent along with Scottish “1/2” tax and Edinburgh arrival, fine and scarce.
- How scarce is the Calcutta SD8 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta SD8 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1820-24.
- What is the provenance of COV-5801?
- Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA 2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet lot 40109 (2026).
- When was COV-5801 posted?
- COV-5801 is dated 1821, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta SD8 (1820-24).
About this record
This 1821 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta SD8 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 David Feldman, 2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet, lot 40109, (2026).