COV-2456
6 March 1827 Bangalore HG 6 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Date
6 March 1827
Description
1827 Bangalore – Bristol entire (piece only), with Bangalore Giles 6 "BANGALORE/POST PAID" despatch handstamp in magenta ink, date "6 March 1827" & rate "A9" (comprising 9A single-letter inland postage to Madras, as exceeding 1 Tolah or 1 Rupee weight) applied in manuscript. At Madras, Giles SD11 "OUT STATION/MADRAS/6 OC 6/1825/SHIP LETTER" transit mark applied, sent bearing to the UK via the Cape route, entered the UK via Southampton port & there "INDIA LETTER/SOUTHAMPTON" transit handstamp & "1/10" (1s10d postage, comprising 1s6d Southampton–London double-letter inland postage + 4d India concessional rate incoming sea postage) applied in manuscript, sent to London & there GPO "K/8 AU 8/1827" transit mark & revised bearing postage "2/2" (2s2d postage, comprising 22d Southampton–Bristol double-letter inland postage + 4d India concessional rate incoming sea postage) applied in manuscript. Bearing postage collected from the recipient.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Bangalore
18 marks18 other pre-1854 postal markings of Bangalore are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Bangalore HG 1handstampBlack1800
- Bangalore HG 2handstampBlack1803–1825
- Bangalore HG 3handstampBlack1823
- Bangalore HG 4handstampBlack1823–1825
- Bangalore HG 5handstampBlack1823–1837
- Bangalore HG 7handstampRed1830–1865
+12 more at this office.View all Bangalore marks and postal history →
About this Bangalore pre stamp cover
COV-2456 is a Bangalore pre stamp cover of 6 March 1827 — a folded letter or entire carried through the post of British India before the first adhesive stamp of 1854, so its postage is shown entirely by hand-struck marks and manuscript rates. It bears the Bangalore HG 6 handstamp, struck in red, and is recorded in the census of Bangalore postal history — the office known today as Bengaluru, in the Madras Presidency.
1827 Bangalore – Bristol entire (piece only), with Bangalore Giles 6 "BANGALORE/POST PAID" despatch handstamp in magenta ink, date "6 March 1827" & rate "A9" (comprising 9A single-letter inland postage to Madras, as exceeding 1 Tolah or 1 Rupee weight) applied in manuscript. At Madras, Giles SD11 "OUT STATION/MADRAS/6 OC 6/1825/SHIP LETTER" transit mark applied, sent bearing to the UK via the Cape route, entered the UK via Southampton port & there "INDIA LETTER/SOUTHAMPTON" transit handstamp & "1/10" (1s10d postage, comprising 1s6d Southampton–London double-letter inland postage + 4d India concessional rate incoming sea postage) applied in manuscript, sent to London & there GPO "K/8 AU 8/1827" transit mark & revised bearing postage "2/2" (2s2d postage, comprising 22d Southampton–Bristol double-letter inland postage + 4d India concessional rate incoming sea postage) applied in manuscript. Bearing postage collected from the recipient.
1 image of this cover is recorded (front), so the strike can be compared directly against other examples. Each recorded cover of Bangalore HG 6 adds to the evidence base for how the mark was used and how scarce it is — the census counts surviving examples rather than estimating them.
Questions about COV-2456
- What is COV-2456?
- COV-2456 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Bangalore, Madras Presidency, British India of 6 March 1827, bearing the Bangalore HG 6 handstamp. It is catalogued in an open census of pre-1854 Indian postal history, with 1 image of the cover itself, its date and its provenance. 1827 Bangalore – Bristol entire (piece only), with Bangalore Giles 6 "BANGALORE/POST PAID" despatch handstamp in magenta ink, date "6 March 1827" & rate "A9" (comprising 9A single-letter inland postage to Madras, as exceeding 1 Tolah or 1 Rupee weight) applied in manuscript. At Madras, Giles SD11 "OUT STATION/MADRAS/6 OC 6/1825/SHIP LETTER" transit mark applied, sent bearing to the UK via the Cape route, entered the UK via Southampton port & there "INDIA LETTER/SOUTHAMPTON" transit handstamp & "1/10" (1s10d postage, comprising 1s6d Southampton–London double-letter inland postage + 4d India concessional rate incoming sea postage) applied in manuscript, sent to London & there GPO "K/8 AU 8/1827" transit mark & revised bearing postage "2/2" (2s2d postage, comprising 22d Southampton–Bristol double-letter inland postage + 4d India concessional rate incoming sea postage) applied in manuscript. Bearing postage collected from the recipient.
- What postal marking does this Bangalore cover bear?
- It carries the Bangalore HG 6 handstamp, struck in red, a mark recorded in use 1826–1838. The census grades Bangalore HG 6 as common, a rarity derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded rather than estimated. Postage on a cover of this period was shown entirely by hand-struck marks and manuscript rates — India's first adhesive stamp did not appear until 1854.
- When was COV-2456 posted?
- COV-2456 is dated 6 March 1827. Dating a pre-1854 Indian cover rests on its datestamp, any manuscript endorsement, and the recorded period of use of the Bangalore HG 6 handstamp, which is recorded in use 1826–1838.
- How can I tell whether my Bangalore cover matches this one?
- Compare the strike on your cover against the images recorded here — the shape, size and colour of the Bangalore HG 6 handstamp, its position on the cover, and the date. Then check it against the other recorded examples of Bangalore HG 6 and the other marks used at Bangalore. If your cover is not already in the census you can submit it, and it will be reviewed before publication.
About this record
This 6 March 1827 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Bangalore HG 6 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 18 surviving covers with this mark recorded.