COV-2531
21 August 1855 Bellary HG 9 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd
Date
21 August 1855
Description
RARE STRIP OF FOUR ½a ON INTERNAL COVER - ORIGINALLY FORWARDING A LETTER TO AUSTRALIA; 21 Aug. 1855 EL from "Bellary" to Madras (at the 2as ½ to 1 tola rate) with rare ½a Blue Strip of Four (4m all round, tight in places, tiny cut touches frame at bottom left) on the reverse tied by dotted diamonds with a fine red boxed "BELLARY/1855 August 21/Paid" alongside, having Madras boxed "AM" and red boxed "G.P.O." ds nearby. The contents show why this letter was above weight; "Donnellan has given me the enclosed letter to...New Farm, N. Brisban, Sydney, New South Wales, and has asked me to send it to you... by the first ship... [and tell me] the amount you pay for Ship postage that I may recover the same from him...". Rare strip of ½a on non-registered internal cover. Exhibition Quality. Cross Reference: NEW SOUTH WALES, QUEENSLAND
Auction
The Michael Caswell Collection of 19th Century India Postal History & Stamps Auction, Lot 1017, (2026)
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 1handstampBlack1806–1817
- 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-2531 is a Bellary pre stamp cover of 21 August 1855 bearing the Bellary HG 9 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?
RARE STRIP OF FOUR ½a ON INTERNAL COVER - ORIGINALLY FORWARDING A LETTER TO AUSTRALIA; 21 Aug. 1855 EL from "Bellary" to Madras (at the 2as ½ to 1 tola rate) with rare ½a Blue Strip of Four (4m all round, tight in places, tiny cut touches frame at bottom left) on the reverse tied by dotted diamonds with a fine red boxed "BELLARY/1855 August 21/Paid" alongside, having Madras boxed "AM" and red boxed "G.P.O." ds nearby. The contents show why this letter was above weight; "Donnellan has given me the enclosed letter to...New Farm, N. Brisban, Sydney, New South Wales, and has asked me to send it to you... by the first ship... [and tell me] the amount you pay for Ship postage that I may recover the same from him...". Rare strip of ½a on non-registered internal cover. Exhibition Quality. Cross Reference: NEW SOUTH WALES, QUEENSLAND
Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd The Michael Caswell Collection of 19th Century India Postal History & Stamps Auction lot 1017 (2026).
2 images of COV-2531 are recorded (front, back); the Bellary HG 9 mark itself is recorded in use 1841–1856.
Questions about COV-2531
- What is COV-2531?
- COV-2531 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Bellary, Madras Presidency of 21 August 1855, bearing the Bellary HG 9 handstamp in red. RARE STRIP OF FOUR ½a ON INTERNAL COVER - ORIGINALLY FORWARDING A LETTER TO AUSTRALIA; 21 Aug. 1855 EL from "Bellary" to Madras (at the 2as ½ to 1 tola rate) with rare ½a Blue Strip of Four (4m all round, tight in places, tiny cut touches frame at bottom left) on the reverse tied by dotted diamonds with a fine red boxed "BELLARY/1855 August 21/Paid" alongside, having Madras boxed "AM" and red boxed "G.P.O." ds nearby. The contents show why this letter was above weight; "Donnellan has given me the enclosed letter to...New Farm, N. Brisban, Sydney, New South Wales, and has asked me to send it to you... by the first ship... [and tell me] the amount you pay for Ship postage that I may recover the same from him...". Rare strip of ½a on non-registered internal cover. Exhibition Quality. Cross Reference: NEW SOUTH WALES, QUEENSLAND
- How scarce is the Bellary HG 9 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Bellary HG 9 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1841–1856.
- What is the provenance of COV-2531?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd The Michael Caswell Collection of 19th Century India Postal History & Stamps Auction lot 1017 (2026).
- When was COV-2531 posted?
- COV-2531 is dated 21 August 1855, within the recorded period of use of Bellary HG 9 (1841–1856).
About this record
This 21 August 1855 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Bellary HG 9 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 8 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd, The Michael Caswell Collection of 19th Century India Postal History & Stamps Auction, lot 1017, (2026).