Nepaul HG 1

7 December 1816

Nepal, 1816 "Nipaul Post Office, Post Paid" Handstamp to Calcutta. Clear strike of boxed handstamp and manuscript "2Rs." on folded cover dated "7th Dec. 16", addressed to Sir W. Humboldt in Calcutta and forwarded to Cawnpore, additional origin docketing "J. Wellesley, Dec. 6th, 1816", Calcutta "G.P.O., DEC 23, Pt. Pd." oval (Giles 15 despite earliest date as 1817) and red "Calcutta Gen. Post Office, 23 DEC, 1816" (Giles G3) arrival datestamps on back, cover silked due to faults along folds and wear along edges FINE. THIS IS THE EARLIEST RECORDED COVER FROM THE BRITISH RESIDENCY IN NEPAL, SENT JUST MONTHS AFTER THE REOPENING OF THE BRITISH OFFICE IN KATHMANDU FOLLOWING THE ANGLO-NEPALESE WAR OF 1814-1816. LESS THAN TEN COVERS ARE THOUGHT TO EXIST. A KEY ITEM FOR ANY INDIA USED ABROAD OR NEPAL COLLECTION. The Anglo-Nepalese War (Gurkha War) between the East India Company and Kingdom of Nepal lasted from November 1, 1814 to March 4, 1816. By this time, the British influence in India had rapidly expanded past the port cities of Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay into the northern trade routes in the Himalayas. Heavy resistance from the Nepalese to the British East India company eventually led to the outbreak of war. In April 1816, shortly after the war ended in March, a British Residency was set up in Kathmandu. This cover was sent about eight months after the opening of that office. We presume this cover is the item briefly mentioned in Haverbeck's book on p. 120. Ex Singer.

30 June 1834

1834 Nepal – Edinburgh mourning entire via Cape route, with Hellrigl type B1 "NIPAUL/POST OFFICE/Post Paid" despatch handstamp, date "30th June 1834" & rate "12 as" (comprising 9A single-letter inland postage to Calcutta & 3A sea outward postage) applied in manuscript. At Calcutta, SR9 "CALCUTTA/GPO/SHIP LETTER/9 JU 9/1834" transit mark applied, sent bearing from India via Cape route, entered through Greenock port in the UK, "GREENOCK/INDIA SHIP LETTER", "GREENOCK/DEC 27/1834" transit mark + **"½"**d Scottish wheel tax handstamp & "1/" (comprising Greenock–Edinburgh 8d single-letter inland postage, as travelled between 50–80 miles, + 4d concessional rate single-letter incoming India–UK sea postage) applied, which was collected from the recipient.

16 January 1836

Indian Post Office 1836 (Jan 16): Entire letter from Kathmandu to Calcutta written by the British Resident in Nepal, Brian H. Hodgson to Calcutta brilliantly struck on reverse with octagonal framed "NIPAUL / POST OFFICE / POST FREE" handstamp in brown with manuscript rate (9 annas) alongside and date (Jan 17) below. "Calcutta / GPO" arrival cds (Jan 24) in red below. Despite the period of use of this handstamp (1816-1836), examples are exceedingly rare. A magnificent entire - the latest recorded date of use of the first handstamp.rnrnNote: Brian Houghton Hodgson (1801-1894) was initially the Postmaster (1824) and assistant British Resident in Nepal (1825) and British Resident from 1833-1843. An outstanding linguist, naturalist and scholar with many species of birds named after him, he also wrote at length on Buddhism of which there is a mention in this letter and authored "Essays on Language, Literature, and Religion of Nepal and Tibet" published in 1874.rnProvenance: Cavendish, Derby, 31 Oct 1995, lot 340.

16 March 1836

Nepal, 1836 "Nipaul Post Office, Post Paid" Handstamp to Calcutta. Clear strike of boxed handstamp with manuscript "4as" and dated "16th March 1836" on back of folded letter written and signed by Brian H. Hodgson and addressed to James Prinsep in Calcutta, light strike of Calcutta arrival backstamp, Very Fine strike of this rare marking--the first British postal marking in Nepal--of which fewer than ten examples are thought to exist; the sender, Brian H. Hodgson (1800-94), was an early naturalist who lived in Nepal for ten years, serving as postmaster in Kathmandu (1824-25); the recipient, James Prinsep (1799-1840), was an English scholar and orientalist who is credited with deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India

8 June 1836

1836 (June 8): Entire letter from Kathmandu at double rate from Brian H. Hodgson, Postmaster in Nepal from 1824, British Resident in Nepal from 1833-1848, addressed to James Prinsep in Calcutta, struck on reverse with octagonal framed NIPAUL / POST OFFICE / POST PAID handstamp in brown with manuscript date of despatch below and rated '1 r. 2 a.' alongside. Calcutta G.P.O. arrival datestamp in red (June 14) alongside. Opens well for Exhibit display, an extremely rare postmark and cover in fine quality. Note: Hodgson (1766-1858), was a recognised Naturalist and language scholar and was also an early exponent of vegetarianism. James Prinsep was also an English scholar and orientalist. He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India.

3 July 1836

Nepal, 1836 "Nipaul Post Office, Post Paid" Handstamp to Calcutta. Clear strike of boxed handstamp with manuscript "Rs. 1 2as" and dated "3rd July 1836" on back of folded letter written and signed by Brian H. Hodgson and addressed to James Prinsep in Calcutta, part strike of Calcutta arrival backstamp, cover missing small piece of bottom flap, Very Fine strike of this rare marking--the first British postal marking in Nepal--of which fewer than ten examples are thought to exist; the sender, Brian H. Hodgson (1800-94), was an early naturalist who lived in Nepal for ten years, serving as postmaster in Kathmandu (1824-25); the recipient, James Prinsep (1799-1840), was an English scholar and orientalist who is credited with deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India

26 July 1836

1836 (July 26): Entire letter from Kathmandu at seven times rate mailed from Brian H. Hodgson, Postmaster in Nepal from 1824, British Resident in Nepal from 1833-1848, addressed to James Princep in Calcutta, struck on reverse with octagonal framed NIPAUL / POST OFFICE / POST PAID handstamp in brown with manuscript date of despatch inserted (26 July 1836) and rated '3 r. 15 a.' alongside. Hellrigl states that just two covers recorded have the date inserted within the postmark. Calcutta G.P.O. arrival datestamp in red alongside. An extremely rare postmark and cover in fine quality, the highest known postage / heaviest cover from Nepal recorded from the 19th Century. An Exhibition item.

5 November 1836

1836, November 5th, Entire letter sent by Brian Hodgson, the British Resident at this time (he was Postmaster in 1824-1825). Postage fee of 9 annas was paid by evidence of the manuscript 9as and the Handstruck Postage Stamp - Nepal's first postmark. The letter is addressed to Calcutta.

29 December 1836

India, Nepal, 1836 "Nipaul Post Office, Post Paid" Handstamp to Calcutta. Clear strike of boxed handstamp with manuscript "29th December 1836" date and "9as" on back of folded letter written and signed by Brian H. Hodgson and addressed to James Princep in Calcutta, red "AM" handstamp and Calcutta Jan. 6 arrival backstamps, Fine and rare marking — the first British postal marking in Nepal --of which fewer than ten examples are thought to exist, this is the thought to be the latest recorded strike of this marking; the sender, Brian H. Hodgson (1800-94), was an early naturalist who lived in Nepal for ten years, serving as postmaster in Kathmandu (1824-25); the recipient, James Prinsep (1799-1840), was an English scholar and orientalist who is credited with deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India, with 2016 B.P.A. certificate Certificate 2016 B.P.A. View Cert