

Scan or Photo Courtesy of Spink
Date
1826
Description
(x) India Postal History 1818-37 group of early letters and envelopes (12) including 1822 small mourning envelope to Madras with on the reverse boxed 'bolaran/ paid' marking in red with manuscript '17 May 1822' in centre, 1834 entire to England with boxed 'india letter/ portsmouth' on face and on reverse, oval 'madras/ 1834' and large oval 'out station/ madras/ 7 au 7/ 1834 ship letter' both in black and boxed 'pallamcottah/ post paid' in red, 1837 redirected entire with large oval 'out station/ madras/ 1 No 1/ 1837/ ship letter' in black and faint boxed 'cum../post paid' in red overlapped by a few other markings, also a range of other entires with markings including 'madras/ ship letter' , oval 'india' , boxed 'kamptee/ paid' in red, 'poonamalee/ paid' in red, 'hingolee' in black and a Charkhari native letter bearing ½a. red and 2a. grey ( S.G. 37 and 43) etc. a good group. Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.
Auction
Same office
Other recorded marks at Madras
81 marks81 other pre-1854 postal markings of Madras are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Madras HG 1handstampBlack1786–1806
- Madras HG 2handstampBlack1788
- Madras HG 3handstampBlack1791–1816
- Madras HG 4handstampBlack1795–1826
- Madras HG 5handstampBlack1799–1800
- Madras HG 6handstampBlack1802–1822
+75 more at this office.View all Madras marks and postal history →
About this Madras pre stamp cover
COV-5786 is a Madras pre stamp cover of 1826 bearing the Madras SD12 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Madras postal history — the office known today as Chennai, Madras Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
(x) India Postal History 1818-37 group of early letters and envelopes (12) including 1822 small mourning envelope to Madras with on the reverse boxed 'bolaran/ paid' marking in red with manuscript '17 May 1822' in centre, 1834 entire to England with boxed 'india letter/ portsmouth' on face and on reverse, oval 'madras/ 1834' and large oval 'out station/ madras/ 7 au 7/ 1834 ship letter' both in black and boxed 'pallamcottah/ post paid' in red, 1837 redirected entire with large oval 'out station/ madras/ 1 No 1/ 1837/ ship letter' in black and faint boxed 'cum../post paid' in red overlapped by a few other markings, also a range of other entires with markings including 'madras/ ship letter' , oval 'india' , boxed 'kamptee/ paid' in red, 'poonamalee/ paid' in red, 'hingolee' in black and a Charkhari native letter bearing ½a. red and 2a. grey ( S.G. 37 and 43) etc. a good group. Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.
Its recorded auction history runs through Spink The Philatelic Collectors' Series - e-Auction - e-Auction (Sale 26116) lot 2331.
2 images of COV-5786 are recorded; the Madras SD12 mark itself is recorded in use 1825–1831.
Questions about COV-5786
- What is COV-5786?
- COV-5786 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Madras, Madras Presidency of 1826, bearing the Madras SD12 handstamp in black. (x) India Postal History 1818-37 group of early letters and envelopes (12) including 1822 small mourning envelope to Madras with on the reverse boxed 'bolaran/ paid' marking in red with manuscript '17 May 1822' in centre, 1834 entire to England with boxed 'india letter/ portsmouth' on face and on reverse, oval 'madras/ 1834' and large oval 'out station/ madras/ 7 au 7/ 1834 ship letter' both in black and boxed 'pallamcottah/ post paid' in red, 1837 redirected entire with large oval 'out station/ madras/ 1 No 1/ 1837/ ship letter' in black and faint boxed 'cum../post paid' in red overlapped by a few other markings, also a range of other entires with markings including 'madras/ ship letter' , oval 'india' , boxed 'kamptee/ paid' in red, 'poonamalee/ paid' in red, 'hingolee' in black and a Charkhari native letter bearing ½a. red and 2a. grey ( S.G. 37 and 43) etc. a good group. Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.
- How scarce is the Madras SD12 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Madras SD12 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1825–1831.
- What is the provenance of COV-5786?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Spink The Philatelic Collectors' Series - e-Auction - e-Auction (Sale 26116) lot 2331.
- When was COV-5786 posted?
- COV-5786 is dated 1826, within the recorded period of use of Madras SD12 (1825–1831).
About this record
This 1826 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Madras SD12 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 10 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Spink, The Philatelic Collectors' Series - e-Auction - e-Auction (Sale 26116), lot 2331.

