Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Census record COV-2480 is a 7 May 1850 pre-stamp cover of British India bearing the Sittara HG 1 handstamp of the Bombay Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 2 surviving covers with this mark recorded.
Date
7 May 1850
Description
1850 Sittara – Salisbury overland entire, with Sittara Giles 1 "SATTARA/Paid" hand stamp, date "7/5/50" & rate "2as" (paid 2A inland postage to Bombay for a letter between ¼ and 1 tolah, travelling 200–300 miles; the distance from Sittara to Bombay was 250 miles) applied in manuscript. At Bombay, Giles G3 "BOMBAY/GPO" & SD6 "INDIA" port transit marks applied, then sent to Aden via EIC steamer SESOSTRIS on 10 May, onward to Suez via P&O steamer HINDOSTAN, travelled overland to Alexandria, and from there sent to Southampton via P&O steamer INDUS on 20th June. Finally delivered at Salisbury via London on the same day. Bearing "1/" postage via Southampton applied in black and collected from the recipient