Scan or Photo Courtesy of Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd
Date
February 1842
Description
OVAL FREE DATESTAMPS ON MILITARY CONCESSION MAIL; Pair with Feb. 1842 EL (stained from heavy tape repairs; partially transcribed) to England with oval "LOODIANA/[DATE]/FREE" d.s., oval "INDIA", London Paid transit d.s. and Bolton d.s. on front or rear. No rate markings but endorsed from Sgt J.Pulas of the 31st Regiment (involved in the 1st Afghan War) and countersigned by the Commanding Officer at lower left; contents mainly family matters "....at this moment struggling....with the opposition.....in a camp...we are on our March to......Ferozepore..." and Nov. 1847 unpaid EL (some internal repairs; datelined at Bellary) to London endorsed 'From Pte Dennis Woolfe......' and 'Commanding Officer 1st Madras Fusiliers' with oval "BELLARY/[DATE]/FREE", oval "INDIA" and "2" (d) h.s. charge mark for an unpaid concession rate. Contents mainly concerning the discovery of another soldier with the same surname but unrelated and "....a Band Corporal's Daughter of the Hussars was pleased to make me a present of a consort or 8 (?) silver keyed flute which I am learning....." Rear with two London d.s. (2 covers) Cross Reference: INCOMING OVERSEAS MAIL, MILITARY - PENNY CONCESSION RATES, FREES
Auction
Worldwide & Great Britain Stamps & Postal History, Lot 755, (2nd Mar 2022)
Same office
Other recorded marks at Bellary
12 marks12 other pre-1854 postal markings of Bellary are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Bellary HG 1handstampBlack1806–1821
- Bellary HG 2handstampBlack1813
- Bellary HG 3handstampBlack1826–1832
- Bellary HG 4handstampRed1828–1837
- Bellary HG 5handstampBlack1836
- Bellary HG 6handstampRed1837–1839
+6 more at this office.View all Bellary marks and postal history →
About this Bellary pre stamp cover
COV-1640 is a Bellary pre stamp cover of February 1842 bearing the Bellary HG 11 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Bellary postal history — the office known today as Ballari, Madras Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
OVAL FREE DATESTAMPS ON MILITARY CONCESSION MAIL; Pair with Feb. 1842 EL (stained from heavy tape repairs; partially transcribed) to England with oval "LOODIANA/[DATE]/FREE" d.s., oval "INDIA", London Paid transit d.s. and Bolton d.s. on front or rear. No rate markings but endorsed from Sgt J.Pulas of the 31st Regiment (involved in the 1st Afghan War) and countersigned by the Commanding Officer at lower left; contents mainly family matters "....at this moment struggling....with the opposition.....in a camp...we are on our March to......Ferozepore..." and Nov. 1847 unpaid EL (some internal repairs; datelined at Bellary) to London endorsed 'From Pte Dennis Woolfe......' and 'Commanding Officer 1st Madras Fusiliers' with oval "BELLARY/[DATE]/FREE", oval "INDIA" and "2" (d) h.s. charge mark for an unpaid concession rate. Contents mainly concerning the discovery of another soldier with the same surname but unrelated and "....a Band Corporal's Daughter of the Hussars was pleased to make me a present of a consort or 8 (?) silver keyed flute which I am learning....." Rear with two London d.s. (2 covers) Cross Reference: INCOMING OVERSEAS MAIL, MILITARY - PENNY CONCESSION RATES, FREES
Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd Worldwide & Great Britain Stamps & Postal History lot 755 (2nd Mar 2022).
2 images of COV-1640 are recorded (front, back); the Bellary HG 11 mark itself is recorded in use 1838–1849.
Questions about COV-1640
- What is COV-1640?
- COV-1640 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Bellary, Madras Presidency of February 1842, bearing the Bellary HG 11 handstamp in red. OVAL FREE DATESTAMPS ON MILITARY CONCESSION MAIL; Pair with Feb. 1842 EL (stained from heavy tape repairs; partially transcribed) to England with oval "LOODIANA/[DATE]/FREE" d.s., oval "INDIA", London Paid transit d.s. and Bolton d.s. on front or rear. No rate markings but endorsed from Sgt J.Pulas of the 31st Regiment (involved in the 1st Afghan War) and countersigned by the Commanding Officer at lower left; contents mainly family matters "....at this moment struggling....with the opposition.....in a camp...we are on our March to......Ferozepore..." and Nov. 1847 unpaid EL (some internal repairs; datelined at Bellary) to London endorsed 'From Pte Dennis Woolfe......' and 'Commanding Officer 1st Madras Fusiliers' with oval "BELLARY/[DATE]/FREE", oval "INDIA" and "2" (d) h.s. charge mark for an unpaid concession rate. Contents mainly concerning the discovery of another soldier with the same surname but unrelated and "....a Band Corporal's Daughter of the Hussars was pleased to make me a present of a consort or 8 (?) silver keyed flute which I am learning....." Rear with two London d.s. (2 covers) Cross Reference: INCOMING OVERSEAS MAIL, MILITARY - PENNY CONCESSION RATES, FREES
- How scarce is the Bellary HG 11 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Bellary HG 11 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1838–1849.
- What is the provenance of COV-1640?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd Worldwide & Great Britain Stamps & Postal History lot 755 (2nd Mar 2022).
- When was COV-1640 posted?
- COV-1640 is dated February 1842, within the recorded period of use of Bellary HG 11 (1838–1849).
About this record
This February 1842 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Bellary HG 11 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 5 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd, Worldwide & Great Britain Stamps & Postal History, lot 755, (2nd Mar 2022).