COV-5130
27 August 1842 Afghanistan Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Corinphila Auctions
Date
27 August 1842
Description
1st Afghan War - Army of Retribution 1842 (Aug 27): Entire letter from Lieut. Willis Atty of the 31st Regiment written from Camp Futtiabad three daya after the initial advance towards Kabul, endorsed "Via Falmouth" and "Prepaid" at top, addressed to Stratford on Avon. Struck on reverse with the earliest recorded example of negative "AFIGHANISTAN / Post Paid" handstamp struck in red with manuscript date "29 August 41" and "12 a." rate prepaid to Bombay. Oval "INDIA" in red and London cds in red (Nov 14) and Stratford on Avon cds (Nov 15) in black. Fascinating content (transcript enclosed): "I finished my last letter...on my return to Jelalabad from the bloody scene in the valley of Mazeena...on the 23rd (August) we made our first march on Cabul...(already) 50 men have gone to hospital...from fever. The general feeling is we will lose ⅓ of our men going and ⅔ coming back. Be that as it may we cannot move without a very considerable loss...The last accounts we heard of the prisoners was not so good...I am sadly afraid that our advance will cause Akbar to murder them all...". Despite faults to the entire, extraordinarily rare - not only the earliest strike of the rare "AFIGHANISTAN / Paid" handstamp but also one of just two known examples actually applied within Afghanistan, as all other known strikes were applied at HQ to the East of Peshawar. Provenance: Collection Horst Dietrich, DF, Geneva, 17 Nov 2003, lot 10025. Automatisch generierte Übersetzung: Erste Afghanistankrieg - Armeen von Retribution 1842 (Aug 27) : vollständiger Brief von Lieut. Willis Atty des 3erste Regimentes geschrieben von Lager Futtiabad drei daya nach dem erstmalig voraus in Richtung Kabul, Vermerk "über Falmouth" und "vorausbezahlt" oben, nach Stratford auf Avon. Abschlag auf der Rückseite mit der früheste bekannte Stück dieser negativ "AFIGHANISTAN / Post Paid" Handstempel Abschlag in rot mit handschriftlichem Datum "29 August 41" und "12 A . "Taxierung vorausbezahlt nach Bombay. Oval "Indien" in rot und London Kreisdatumsstempel in rot (Nov 14) und Stratford auf Avon Kreisdatumsstempel (Nov 15) in schwarz. Faszinierender Inhalt (Protokoll anbei) : "I fertig mein letzter Brief ...on mein Rückweg zu Jelalabad von der blutig Schauplatzes im Talebene von Mazeena ...on die 23rd (August) wir machte unser erster März auf Cabul ... (bereits) 50 Männer haben besucht Krankenhaus ...from fever. Der General nachempfindend ist wir wird lose
Auction
Provenance
Horst Dietrich
Same office
Other recorded marks at Afghanistan
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Afghanistan are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
About this Afghanistan pre stamp cover
COV-5130 is an Afghanistan pre stamp cover of 27 August 1842 bearing the Afghanistan FP 4 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Afghanistan postal history, Afghanistan. What is a pre stamp cover?
1st Afghan War - Army of Retribution 1842 (Aug 27): Entire letter from Lieut. Willis Atty of the 31st Regiment written from Camp Futtiabad three daya after the initial advance towards Kabul, endorsed "Via Falmouth" and "Prepaid" at top, addressed to Stratford on Avon. Struck on reverse with the earliest recorded example of negative "AFIGHANISTAN / Post Paid" handstamp struck in red with manuscript date "29 August 41" and "12 a." rate prepaid to Bombay. Oval "INDIA" in red and London cds in red (Nov 14) and Stratford on Avon cds (Nov 15) in black. Fascinating content (transcript enclosed): "I finished my last letter...on my return to Jelalabad from the bloody scene in the valley of Mazeena...on the 23rd (August) we made our first march on Cabul...(already) 50 men have gone to hospital...from fever. The general feeling is we will lose ⅓ of our men going and ⅔ coming back. Be that as it may we cannot move without a very considerable loss...The last accounts we heard of the prisoners was not so good...I am sadly afraid that our advance will cause Akbar to murder them all...". Despite faults to the entire, extraordinarily rare - not only the earliest strike of the rare "AFIGHANISTAN / Paid" handstamp but also one of just two known examples actually applied within Afghanistan, as all other known strikes were applied at HQ to the East of Peshawar. Provenance: Collection Horst Dietrich, DF, Geneva, 17 Nov 2003, lot 10025. Automatisch generierte Übersetzung: Erste Afghanistankrieg - Armeen von Retribution 1842 (Aug 27) : vollständiger Brief von Lieut. Willis Atty des 3erste Regimentes geschrieben von Lager Futtiabad drei daya nach dem erstmalig voraus in Richtung Kabul, Vermerk "über Falmouth" und "vorausbezahlt" oben, nach Stratford auf Avon. Abschlag auf der Rückseite mit der früheste bekannte Stück dieser negativ "AFIGHANISTAN / Post Paid" Handstempel Abschlag in rot mit handschriftlichem Datum "29 August 41" und "12 A . "Taxierung vorausbezahlt nach Bombay. Oval "Indien" in rot und London Kreisdatumsstempel in rot (Nov 14) und Stratford auf Avon Kreisdatumsstempel (Nov 15) in schwarz. Faszinierender Inhalt (Protokoll anbei) : "I fertig mein letzter Brief ...on mein Rückweg zu Jelalabad von der blutig Schauplatzes im Talebene von Mazeena ...on die 23rd (August) wir machte unser erster März auf Cabul ... (bereits) 50 Männer haben besucht Krankenhaus ...from fever. Der General nachempfindend ist wir wird lose
Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman Horst Dietrich lot 10025 (11/2003); and Corinphila 367. - 371. Corinphila Auktion lot 6035.
3 images of COV-5130 are recorded; the Afghanistan FP 4 mark itself is recorded in use 1842.
Questions about COV-5130
- What is COV-5130?
- COV-5130 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Afghanistan, Afghanistan of 27 August 1842, bearing the Afghanistan FP 4 handstamp in red. 1st Afghan War - Army of Retribution 1842 (Aug 27): Entire letter from Lieut. Willis Atty of the 31st Regiment written from Camp Futtiabad three daya after the initial advance towards Kabul, endorsed "Via Falmouth" and "Prepaid" at top, addressed to Stratford on Avon. Struck on reverse with the earliest recorded example of negative "AFIGHANISTAN / Post Paid" handstamp struck in red with manuscript date "29 August 41" and "12 a." rate prepaid to Bombay. Oval "INDIA" in red and London cds in red (Nov 14) and Stratford on Avon cds (Nov 15) in black. Fascinating content (transcript enclosed): "I finished my last letter...on my return to Jelalabad from the bloody scene in the valley of Mazeena...on the 23rd (August) we made our first march on Cabul...(already) 50 men have gone to hospital...from fever. The general feeling is we will lose ⅓ of our men going and ⅔ coming back. Be that as it may we cannot move without a very considerable loss...The last accounts we heard of the prisoners was not so good...I am sadly afraid that our advance will cause Akbar to murder them all...". Despite faults to the entire, extraordinarily rare - not only the earliest strike of the rare "AFIGHANISTAN / Paid" handstamp but also one of just two known examples actually applied within Afghanistan, as all other known strikes were applied at HQ to the East of Peshawar. Provenance: Collection Horst Dietrich, DF, Geneva, 17 Nov 2003, lot 10025. Automatisch generierte Übersetzung: Erste Afghanistankrieg - Armeen von Retribution 1842 (Aug 27) : vollständiger Brief von Lieut. Willis Atty des 3erste Regimentes geschrieben von Lager Futtiabad drei daya nach dem erstmalig voraus in Richtung Kabul, Vermerk "über Falmouth" und "vorausbezahlt" oben, nach Stratford auf Avon. Abschlag auf der Rückseite mit der früheste bekannte Stück dieser negativ "AFIGHANISTAN / Post Paid" Handstempel Abschlag in rot mit handschriftlichem Datum "29 August 41" und "12 A . "Taxierung vorausbezahlt nach Bombay. Oval "Indien" in rot und London Kreisdatumsstempel in rot (Nov 14) und Stratford auf Avon Kreisdatumsstempel (Nov 15) in schwarz. Faszinierender Inhalt (Protokoll anbei) : "I fertig mein letzter Brief ...on mein Rückweg zu Jelalabad von der blutig Schauplatzes im Talebene von Mazeena ...on die 23rd (August) wir machte unser erster März auf Cabul ... (bereits) 50 Männer haben besucht Krankenhaus ...from fever. Der General nachempfindend ist wir wird lose
- How scarce is the Afghanistan FP 4 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Afghanistan FP 4 as 5 examples recorded, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1842.
- What is the provenance of COV-5130?
- Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman Horst Dietrich lot 10025 (11/2003); and Corinphila 367. - 371. Corinphila Auktion lot 6035.
- When was COV-5130 posted?
- COV-5130 is dated 27 August 1842, within the recorded period of use of Afghanistan FP 4 (1842).
About this record
This 27 August 1842 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Afghanistan FP 4 handstamp of the Afghanistan, a mark with 5 examples recorded in this census — one of 5 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with David Feldman, Horst Dietrich, lot 10025, (11/2003); Corinphila Auctions, 367. - 371. Corinphila Auktion, lot 6035.