Scan or Photo Courtesy of Siegel Auction Galleries
Date
8 July 1816
Description
Siegel: Madras, 1816, "Ship Letter Madras" Negative Handstamp (Giles SD2). Exceptionally sharp strike dated Jul. 9, 1816 clearly showing the intricate details of the marking with "POSTPAID" in oval handstamp at top (Giles SD4) on folded cover to Middlesex, England, sender's directive "per H.M.S. Horitio, Kings Postage Paid" , red London "Paid India Packet Letter, 12 NO 12, 1816" and tombstone datestamps, rated "8" due, missing side flap and minor edgewear EXTREMELY FINE. PROBABLY THE FINEST STRIKE OF THIS RARE AND DISTINCTIVE MADRAS SHIP LETTER MARKING, WHICH WAS USED FOR ONLY THREE MONTHS IN 1816. IT IS BELIEVED THERE ARE ONLY TEN EXTANT EXAMPLES. Giles records this marking as very scarce . It was used between May and July 1816 as a temporary measure before the standard datestamp was received from London. It is also rarer on prepaid mail. Ex Manning. Cavendish: THE VERY SHORT-LIVED & RARE INTAGLIO “[Crown]/MADRAS SHIP LETER/GPO” D.S. ON PREPAID COVER TO G.B.; Spectacular 8 July 1816 E (one side-flap removed) to Harrow “Pr H.M.S. Horitio. Kings Postage paid” with a wonderfully clear strike of the fully dated black Intaglio “[Crown]MADRAS SHIP LETER/GPO” d.s. (H Giles SD2; “very scarce”) nicely placed on the front beside a matching very fine oval-framed “POST PAID” with a very fine red oval-framed London “PAID/INDIA/PACKET LETTER” d.s. (12 Nov.) alongside; charged “8[d]” inland rate in England. Very few examples of this unusual (and mis-spelled) Madras mark are known; it was used as an emergency measure - for Packet Letters of only three months (May, June & July 1816) - pending the arrival from London of the regular oval datestamp. It is even rarer on prepaid mail such as this. Superb Exhibition Item and one of the gems of the Manning Collection. PHOTO - see front cover.
Auction
Provenance
"Magnolia" Michael Manning
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-55 is a Madras pre stamp cover of 8 July 1816 bearing the Madras SD2 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?
Siegel: Madras, 1816, "Ship Letter Madras" Negative Handstamp (Giles SD2). Exceptionally sharp strike dated Jul. 9, 1816 clearly showing the intricate details of the marking with "POSTPAID" in oval handstamp at top (Giles SD4) on folded cover to Middlesex, England, sender's directive "per H.M.S. Horitio, Kings Postage Paid" , red London "Paid India Packet Letter, 12 NO 12, 1816" and tombstone datestamps, rated "8" due, missing side flap and minor edgewear EXTREMELY FINE. PROBABLY THE FINEST STRIKE OF THIS RARE AND DISTINCTIVE MADRAS SHIP LETTER MARKING, WHICH WAS USED FOR ONLY THREE MONTHS IN 1816. IT IS BELIEVED THERE ARE ONLY TEN EXTANT EXAMPLES. Giles records this marking as very scarce . It was used between May and July 1816 as a temporary measure before the standard datestamp was received from London. It is also rarer on prepaid mail. Ex Manning. Cavendish: THE VERY SHORT-LIVED & RARE INTAGLIO “[Crown]/MADRAS SHIP LETER/GPO” D.S. ON PREPAID COVER TO G.B.; Spectacular 8 July 1816 E (one side-flap removed) to Harrow “Pr H.M.S. Horitio. Kings Postage paid” with a wonderfully clear strike of the fully dated black Intaglio “[Crown]MADRAS SHIP LETER/GPO” d.s. (H Giles SD2; “very scarce”) nicely placed on the front beside a matching very fine oval-framed “POST PAID” with a very fine red oval-framed London “PAID/INDIA/PACKET LETTER” d.s. (12 Nov.) alongside; charged “8[d]” inland rate in England. Very few examples of this unusual (and mis-spelled) Madras mark are known; it was used as an emergency measure - for Packet Letters of only three months (May, June & July 1816) - pending the arrival from London of the regular oval datestamp. It is even rarer on prepaid mail such as this. Superb Exhibition Item and one of the gems of the Manning Collection. PHOTO - see front cover.
Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd Manning lot 68 (Sept. 2015); and Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries 1286 lot 28 (May 2023).
1 image of COV-55 is recorded (front); the Madras SD2 mark itself is recorded in use 1816.
Questions about COV-55
- What is COV-55?
- COV-55 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Madras, Madras Presidency of 8 July 1816, bearing the Madras SD2 handstamp in black. Siegel: Madras, 1816, "Ship Letter Madras" Negative Handstamp (Giles SD2). Exceptionally sharp strike dated Jul. 9, 1816 clearly showing the intricate details of the marking with "POSTPAID" in oval handstamp at top (Giles SD4) on folded cover to Middlesex, England, sender's directive "per H.M.S. Horitio, Kings Postage Paid" , red London "Paid India Packet Letter, 12 NO 12, 1816" and tombstone datestamps, rated "8" due, missing side flap and minor edgewear EXTREMELY FINE. PROBABLY THE FINEST STRIKE OF THIS RARE AND DISTINCTIVE MADRAS SHIP LETTER MARKING, WHICH WAS USED FOR ONLY THREE MONTHS IN 1816. IT IS BELIEVED THERE ARE ONLY TEN EXTANT EXAMPLES. Giles records this marking as very scarce . It was used between May and July 1816 as a temporary measure before the standard datestamp was received from London. It is also rarer on prepaid mail. Ex Manning. Cavendish: THE VERY SHORT-LIVED & RARE INTAGLIO “[Crown]/MADRAS SHIP LETER/GPO” D.S. ON PREPAID COVER TO G.B.; Spectacular 8 July 1816 E (one side-flap removed) to Harrow “Pr H.M.S. Horitio. Kings Postage paid” with a wonderfully clear strike of the fully dated black Intaglio “[Crown]MADRAS SHIP LETER/GPO” d.s. (H Giles SD2; “very scarce”) nicely placed on the front beside a matching very fine oval-framed “POST PAID” with a very fine red oval-framed London “PAID/INDIA/PACKET LETTER” d.s. (12 Nov.) alongside; charged “8[d]” inland rate in England. Very few examples of this unusual (and mis-spelled) Madras mark are known; it was used as an emergency measure - for Packet Letters of only three months (May, June & July 1816) - pending the arrival from London of the regular oval datestamp. It is even rarer on prepaid mail such as this. Superb Exhibition Item and one of the gems of the Manning Collection. PHOTO - see front cover.
- How scarce is the Madras SD2 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Madras SD2 as scarce, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1816.
- What is the provenance of COV-55?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd Manning lot 68 (Sept. 2015); and Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries 1286 lot 28 (May 2023).
- When was COV-55 posted?
- COV-55 is dated 8 July 1816, within the recorded period of use of Madras SD2 (1816).
About this record
This 8 July 1816 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Madras SD2 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Scarce” in this census — one of 16 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd, Manning, lot 68, (Sept. 2015); Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, 1286, lot 28, (May 2023).