COV-5003
28 August 1852 Surat Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of David Feldman Auctions
Date
28 August 1852
Description
An entire letter from Surat District in the Bombay Presidency. Once the chief commercial city of India. Addressed to Lincolns Inn London. The postal instructions are “Paid to Bombay” and to go “via Marseilles”. The letter was written on the 28th August 1852. Posted in the Post Office SURAT and the handstamp Type HG 3 with the date 28-8-52 and paid 2 As. HG states in use 1841-47 in red, later amended to 1853. On the reverse is the handstamp of the Bombay G.P.O. HG Type G4 in use from 1850-55. There is an oval INDIA in Black 37 x 26mm which may be an error. The mail was loaded into the “Ajdaha” an E.I.C. regular steamer and sailed on the 1st September arriving in Suez on the 16th September. It was sent overland to Alexandria and sailed in the “Medina”, an H.M. Packet and arrived in Marseilles via Malta on the 3rd October. It arrived in London on the 4th October 1852. Transit time 37 days. The postage shown from Bombay to London via Marseilles is Sh2/3.
Auction
Autumn 2025 Auction Series - British Empire, Lot 50707, (2025)
Same office
Other recorded marks at Surat
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Surat are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
About this Surat pre stamp cover
COV-5003 is a Surat pre stamp cover of 28 August 1852 bearing the Surat HG 3 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Surat postal history, Bombay Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
An entire letter from Surat District in the Bombay Presidency. Once the chief commercial city of India. Addressed to Lincolns Inn London. The postal instructions are “Paid to Bombay” and to go “via Marseilles”. The letter was written on the 28th August 1852. Posted in the Post Office SURAT and the handstamp Type HG 3 with the date 28-8-52 and paid 2 As. HG states in use 1841-47 in red, later amended to 1853. On the reverse is the handstamp of the Bombay G.P.O. HG Type G4 in use from 1850-55. There is an oval INDIA in Black 37 x 26mm which may be an error. The mail was loaded into the “Ajdaha” an E.I.C. regular steamer and sailed on the 1st September arriving in Suez on the 16th September. It was sent overland to Alexandria and sailed in the “Medina”, an H.M. Packet and arrived in Marseilles via Malta on the 3rd October. It arrived in London on the 4th October 1852. Transit time 37 days. The postage shown from Bombay to London via Marseilles is Sh2/3.
Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA Autumn 2025 Auction Series - British Empire lot 50707 (2025).
1 image of COV-5003 is recorded (front); the Surat HG 3 mark itself is recorded in use 1838–1857.
Questions about COV-5003
- What is COV-5003?
- COV-5003 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Surat, Bombay Presidency of 28 August 1852, bearing the Surat HG 3 handstamp in red. An entire letter from Surat District in the Bombay Presidency. Once the chief commercial city of India. Addressed to Lincolns Inn London. The postal instructions are “Paid to Bombay” and to go “via Marseilles”. The letter was written on the 28th August 1852. Posted in the Post Office SURAT and the handstamp Type HG 3 with the date 28-8-52 and paid 2 As. HG states in use 1841-47 in red, later amended to 1853. On the reverse is the handstamp of the Bombay G.P.O. HG Type G4 in use from 1850-55. There is an oval INDIA in Black 37 x 26mm which may be an error. The mail was loaded into the “Ajdaha” an E.I.C. regular steamer and sailed on the 1st September arriving in Suez on the 16th September. It was sent overland to Alexandria and sailed in the “Medina”, an H.M. Packet and arrived in Marseilles via Malta on the 3rd October. It arrived in London on the 4th October 1852. Transit time 37 days. The postage shown from Bombay to London via Marseilles is Sh2/3.
- How scarce is the Surat HG 3 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Surat HG 3 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1838–1857.
- What is the provenance of COV-5003?
- Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA Autumn 2025 Auction Series - British Empire lot 50707 (2025).
- When was COV-5003 posted?
- COV-5003 is dated 28 August 1852, within the recorded period of use of Surat HG 3 (1838–1857).
About this record
This 28 August 1852 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Surat HG 3 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 David Feldman, Autumn 2025 Auction Series - British Empire, lot 50707, (2025).