30 March 1838 Waghorn Sidebottom 3a Cover

30 March 1838

EGYPT, 1838, "Care of Mr. Waghorn, Suez" (Sidebottom 3a; Smith 3a). Exceptional strike of oval handstamp with manuscript "1 R" (one rupee) and agent initials on folded letter datelined Calcutta Mar. 30, 1838 and addressed to Bordeaux, France, red Calcutta Steam Letter Apr. 10, 1838 despatch datestamp on back, sender's directive "By Overland", red boxed "INDIA", "Indes Orien par Alexandrie", "Purifie au Lazaret, Malte", and red "Paquebots de la Mediterranee" handstamps, Alexandria May 27 transit and Bordeaux Jun. 16 arrival datestamps, cover with disinfection slits VERY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST STRIKES OF THE TYPE 3a THOMAS WAGHORN HANDSTAMP—APPROXIMATELY EIGHT EXAMPLES RECORDED. At quick glance, this marking is very similar to the Type 3 handstamp. The key difference is in the size of the text, and it is most noticeable in the spacing between "Care of" and the outer oval. Both Sidebottom and Smith record just two examples, used between June and November 1839. We have located eight after a thorough survey of sale records, including the example offered here dated over a year earlier than previously recorded.

"Magnolia"