24 October 1838 Waghorn Cover

24 October 1838

Postal cover from waghorn (), bearing Unknown handstamp in unknown. Scarce example of postal history from this office. Corinphila - 1838 (Oct 24): Entire letter from Canton, China to Morrison Cryder & Co., London carried privately to Calcutta with oval framed "FORWARDED BY / CHARLES HUFFNAGLE / CALCUTTA" cachet in black at lower left with reverse showing framed "CALCUTTA / STEAM LETTER / PAID" in red and rated in manuscript "1 rupee 14 annas" for internal rate to Bombay (between 1 and 2 tolas), struck with oval framed "Care of Mr. Waghorn / Suez" in black (Sidebottom type 3) with manuscript "442, GO / for SS & Co." of Samuel Smith & Co, Waghorn's Calcutta Agents and Waghorn's fee "1 rupee 8 annas" above. Fair only rectangular framed "INDIA" in red. From Bombay (Jan 2, 1839), the cover was carried by the EIC "Atalanta" to Suez (Jan 20), thence from Alexandria (Jan 27) on the "Hermes" to Malta and from there (Feb 2) on "HMS Blazer" to Marseilles. Paris cds of transit (Feb 11) in blue on reverse with London arrival cds (Feb 13) in black and framed "BRITISH / FOREIGN" in black showing charge due originally of 5s. 6d. British Postage + 5s. 7d. French Postage in manuscript for a letter under ¾ ounce with enclosures, with a total charge of "11/1½d." due to pay. This was then checked to fi nd but a single enclosure (to be forwarded to Philadelphia, USA) and the sum collected marked down to "9/3½d." due to pay - showing just how complicated these rates were at the time (let alone now!). A scarce and fi ne entire. Signed Todd AIEP. Note 1: Journey time 112 days. Provenance: Spink, London, 16 July 1998, lot 235.

"Camellia"