Scan or Photo Courtesy of David Feldman Auctions
Date
1857
Description
INDIA USED ABROAD — PONDICHERRY TO KARAIKAL, 21 April 1857. Attractive early cover from Pondicherry to Karaikal bearing a very fine strike of the “C-111” PONDICHERRY cancellation in diamond of dots, accompanied by the PONDICHERRY HG12 All-India type handstamp. The front additionally bears a “TOO LATE” marking, with Karaikal delivery mark on reverse. A desirable and appealing example of India Used Abroad postal history from French India. Fine.
Auction
2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet, Lot 40176, (2026)
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
+9 more at this office.View all Pondicherry marks and postal history →
About this Pondicherry pre stamp cover
COV-5800 is a Pondicherry pre stamp cover of 1857 bearing the Pondicherry HG 10 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Pondicherry postal history — the office known today as Puducherry, Madras Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
INDIA USED ABROAD — PONDICHERRY TO KARAIKAL, 21 April 1857. Attractive early cover from Pondicherry to Karaikal bearing a very fine strike of the “C-111” PONDICHERRY cancellation in diamond of dots, accompanied by the PONDICHERRY HG12 All-India type handstamp. The front additionally bears a “TOO LATE” marking, with Karaikal delivery mark on reverse. A desirable and appealing example of India Used Abroad postal history from French India. Fine.
Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA 2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet lot 40176 (2026).
2 images of COV-5800 are recorded; the Pondicherry HG 10 mark itself is recorded in use 1839–1854.
Questions about COV-5800
- What is COV-5800?
- COV-5800 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Pondicherry, Madras Presidency of 1857, bearing the Pondicherry HG 10 handstamp in red. INDIA USED ABROAD — PONDICHERRY TO KARAIKAL, 21 April 1857. Attractive early cover from Pondicherry to Karaikal bearing a very fine strike of the “C-111” PONDICHERRY cancellation in diamond of dots, accompanied by the PONDICHERRY HG12 All-India type handstamp. The front additionally bears a “TOO LATE” marking, with Karaikal delivery mark on reverse. A desirable and appealing example of India Used Abroad postal history from French India. Fine.
- How scarce is the Pondicherry HG 10 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Pondicherry HG 10 as very common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1839–1854.
- What is the provenance of COV-5800?
- Its recorded auction history runs through David Feldman SA 2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet lot 40176 (2026).
- When was COV-5800 posted?
- COV-5800 is dated 1857, within the recorded period of use of Pondicherry HG 10 (1839–1854).
About this record
This 1857 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 24 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with David Feldman, 2026 Winter Auction Series — India, Indian States, Nepal, Tibet, lot 40176, (2026).