Scan or Photo Courtesy of Spink
Date
1 May 1837
Description
Bombay: 1837 (1 May) entire letter from London showing, on reverse, manuscript forwarding agent cachet of Ritchie Steuart and Co. at Bombay together with partially legible strikes of the oval-framed "BOMBAY/POST Nt PAID" (HG 15) and rare framed "INLAND/STEAMER/POSTAGE/BOMBAY" (HG SR2), together with fine framed "STEAM POSTAGE/INLAND DO/TOTAL" (HG SR44, the earliest recorded date of use). Photo.
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-1681 is a Calcutta pre stamp cover of 1 May 1837 bearing the Calcutta SR44 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?
Bombay: 1837 (1 May) entire letter from London showing, on reverse, manuscript forwarding agent cachet of Ritchie Steuart and Co. at Bombay together with partially legible strikes of the oval-framed "BOMBAY/POST Nt PAID" (HG 15) and rare framed "INLAND/STEAMER/POSTAGE/BOMBAY" (HG SR2), together with fine framed "STEAM POSTAGE/INLAND DO/TOTAL" (HG SR44, the earliest recorded date of use). Photo.
Its recorded auction history runs through Spink lot 57.
1 image of COV-1681 is recorded; the Calcutta SR44 mark itself is recorded in use 1837–1845.
Questions about COV-1681
- What is COV-1681?
- COV-1681 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Calcutta, Bengal Presidency of 1 May 1837, bearing the Calcutta SR44 handstamp in black. Bombay: 1837 (1 May) entire letter from London showing, on reverse, manuscript forwarding agent cachet of Ritchie Steuart and Co. at Bombay together with partially legible strikes of the oval-framed "BOMBAY/POST Nt PAID" (HG 15) and rare framed "INLAND/STEAMER/POSTAGE/BOMBAY" (HG SR2), together with fine framed "STEAM POSTAGE/INLAND DO/TOTAL" (HG SR44, the earliest recorded date of use). Photo.
- How scarce is the Calcutta SR44 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Calcutta SR44 as very common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1837–1845.
- What is the provenance of COV-1681?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Spink lot 57.
- When was COV-1681 posted?
- COV-1681 is dated 1 May 1837, within the recorded period of use of Calcutta SR44 (1837–1845).
About this record
This 1 May 1837 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Calcutta SR44 handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Very common” in this census — one of 4 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Spink, lot 57.