Scan or Photo Courtesy of Spink
Date
4 January 1842
Description
Poona: 1842 (4 Jan.) entire letter headed "Vorna Camp" written by Charles Collier to Gloucestershire, showing manuscript "Post paid to Bombay", "3A" and "2/8" charge notations and boxed "POONAH/date/Paid" in red with manuscript "3" (HG 9); the letter was subsequently re-used internally and bears an 1841 1d. red-brown. A significant letter written two days before the British capitulation at Kabul. Extract from letter: "A terrible battle at Kabul. We are victorious but with great loss. The Horse artillery here ordered to hold itself in readiness."
Auction
Provenance
Dr. Soli Contractor Medina
Same office
Other recorded marks at Poona
17 marks17 other pre-1854 postal markings of Poona are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Poona HG 1handstampBlack1805–1812
- Poona HG 2handstampBlack1814–1836
- Poona HG 3handstampBlack1817
- Poona HG 4handstampRed1823–1835
- Poona HG 5handstampBlack1823-27
- Poona HG 6handstampRed1822-29
+11 more at this office.View all Poona marks and postal history →
About this Poona pre stamp cover
COV-1265 is a Poona pre stamp cover of 4 January 1842 bearing the Poona HG 9 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Poona postal history — the office known today as Pune, Bombay Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
Poona: 1842 (4 Jan.) entire letter headed "Vorna Camp" written by Charles Collier to Gloucestershire, showing manuscript "Post paid to Bombay", "3A" and "2/8" charge notations and boxed "POONAH/date/Paid" in red with manuscript "3" (HG 9); the letter was subsequently re-used internally and bears an 1841 1d. red-brown. A significant letter written two days before the British capitulation at Kabul. Extract from letter: "A terrible battle at Kabul. We are victorious but with great loss. The Horse artillery here ordered to hold itself in readiness."
Its recorded auction history runs through Spink Soli Contractor lot 315 (Dec. 1999); and Spink Auction: 13025 - The award winning "Medina" collection of India Part II. lot 129 (2012).
1 image of COV-1265 is recorded (front); the Poona HG 9 mark itself is recorded in use 1838-54.
Questions about COV-1265
- What is COV-1265?
- COV-1265 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Poona, Bombay Presidency of 4 January 1842, bearing the Poona HG 9 handstamp in red. Poona: 1842 (4 Jan.) entire letter headed "Vorna Camp" written by Charles Collier to Gloucestershire, showing manuscript "Post paid to Bombay", "3A" and "2/8" charge notations and boxed "POONAH/date/Paid" in red with manuscript "3" (HG 9); the letter was subsequently re-used internally and bears an 1841 1d. red-brown. A significant letter written two days before the British capitulation at Kabul. Extract from letter: "A terrible battle at Kabul. We are victorious but with great loss. The Horse artillery here ordered to hold itself in readiness."
- How scarce is the Poona HG 9 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Poona HG 9 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1838-54.
- What is the provenance of COV-1265?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Spink Soli Contractor lot 315 (Dec. 1999); and Spink Auction: 13025 - The award winning "Medina" collection of India Part II. lot 129 (2012).
- When was COV-1265 posted?
- COV-1265 is dated 4 January 1842, within the recorded period of use of Poona HG 9 (1838-54).
About this record
This 4 January 1842 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Poona HG 9 handstamp of the Bombay Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 12 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Spink, Soli Contractor, lot 315, (Dec. 1999); Spink, Auction: 13025 - The award winning "Medina" collection of India Part II., lot 129, (2012).