Scan or Photo Courtesy of Kishore Chandak
Date
1819
Description
1819: H.G. A : Letter from TIRHOOT to CALCUTTA & the postage paid is shown as 9 as. for a Single letter. The rate from TIRHOOT to CALCUTTA was 9 as. from 1808 to 1830. It was reduced to 8 as. in 1830 for a single letter. Before 1808 it was only 7as. TIRHOOT was formerly a district place which was later divided into two districts viz. MUZAFFERPUR and DHARBANGA. The Post Office of TIRHOOT town was from 1791 or may be prior to it also. It was near BUXAR. This handstamp: The only known copy of this extremely rare intaglio handstamp which shows "TIRHOOT / Pt.Pd." in a square with roundish corners. The cover is Ex Soli Contractor and he opined that the handstamp should have the words POST Pd and accordingly he asked the advice of Giles, and Giles in his personal letter to Soli opined that it has to be Pt Pd as there is no space for the word POST and secondly he has never seen any early stamp having the words POST Pd. Giles letter enclosed.
Provenance
Ex Soli Contractor
Same office
Other recorded marks at Tirhoot
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Tirhoot are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
About this record
This 1819 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Tirhoot HG A handstamp of the Bengal Presidency, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 2 surviving covers with this mark recorded.