COV-4254
22 August 1839 Pondicherry HG 10 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Private
Date
22 August 1839
Description
INDIA. (OVERLAND MAIL). 1839. Pre stamp envelope written from Pondichery (French Possession) dated '22n Aout 1839' addressed to Bordeaux, endorsed per steamer via Bombay/ via Marseille? , cancelled by framed Pondichery/ Paid' in red dated 3I Augt 1839 in m/s, endorsed Ir 6a Steamer & Inland Postage Paid in India' with double oval Out Station/ Ship Letter/ Madras/ 2 Se 2/1839 with framed 'G.P.O/ 1839 Spt 2' in red and oval INDIA', bexed ¡Paquebots/ De La Mediterranee' and Bordeaux arrival i8th Nov on reverse. Charged 19' in m/s rated Porto 10 Decimes Alexandria - Marseille + 9 Decimes Marseille - Bordeanx. The route was in use during the Monsoon season as the steamers to Basra could cruise against the wind. See Heddergot "Edition D'Or" page 66, 67. The Overland mail route via Basra, Bagdad and Alexandria was 25 days shorter than the route via Suez, Alexandria. This cover took 70 days against 98/99 days.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Pondicherry
15 marks15 other pre-1854 postal markings of Pondicherry are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Pondicherry HG 1handstampBlack1786–1823
- Pondicherry HG 1ahandstampBlack1818
- Pondicherry HG 2handstampBlack1795
- Pondicherry HG 3handstampBlack1804–1817
- Pondicherry HG 3AhandstampBlack1801
- Pondicherry HG 4handstampBlack1804–1815
- Pondicherry HG 5handstampRed1826–1836
- Pondicherry HG 6handstampBlack1826–1836
- Pondicherry HG 7handstampRed1838–1851
- Pondicherry HG 8handstampBlack1839–1841
- Pondicherry HG 9handstampRed1839
- Pondicherry HG 11handstampBlack1851–1854
- Pondicherry HG 12handstampRed1849–1858
- Pondicherry HG 12ahandstampBlack1850–1852
- Pondicherry HG 13handstampBlack1855–1862
About this record
This 22 August 1839 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Pondicherry HG 10 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Very common” in this census — one of 21 surviving covers with this mark recorded.