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 Bombay
111 marks111 other pre-1854 postal markings of Bombay are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Bombay HG AhandstampBlack1790
- Bombay HG 1handstampBlack1800
- Bombay HG 1BhandstampBlack1800–1801
- Bombay HG 2handstampBlack1804–1818
- Bombay HG 3handstampBlack1804–1806
- Bombay HG 4handstampBlack1809–1815
+105 more at this office.View all Bombay marks and postal history →
About this Bombay pre stamp cover
COV-1681 is a Bombay pre stamp cover of 1 May 1837 bearing the Bombay SR2 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Bombay postal history — the office known today as Mumbai, Bombay 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 Bombay SR2 mark itself is recorded in use 1837.
Questions about COV-1681
- What is COV-1681?
- COV-1681 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Bombay, Bombay Presidency of 1 May 1837, bearing the Bombay SR2 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 Bombay SR2 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Bombay SR2 as very scarce, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1837.
- 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 Bombay SR2 (1837).
About this record
This 1 May 1837 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Bombay SR2 handstamp of the Bombay Presidency, a mark graded “Very scarce” in this census — one of 3 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Spink, lot 57.