COV-4717
1855 Pondicherry Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Siegel Auction Galleries
Date
1855
Description
India, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, 2a Green (5; SG 31). Large to clear margins, cancelled by diamond of dots cancel on 1855 cover to Cheltenham, England, red framed "PONDICHERRY/1855 ?/Paid" boxed despatch datestamp (Giles 12) on back, red Madras and London (Oct. 19) transit and partial Cheltenham arrival datestamps, manuscript "1/6" rate marking, cover with sealed edge tear at left, missing part of top flap, and slight soiling, otherwise Fine, the 2a Typograph paid the inland rate to Madras, ex Dr. Kornan
Auction
The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 5, Lot 209, (09/30/2025)
Provenance
ex Dr. Kornan
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-4717 is a Pondicherry pre stamp cover of 1855 bearing the Pondicherry HG 12 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, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, 2a Green (5; SG 31). Large to clear margins, cancelled by diamond of dots cancel on 1855 cover to Cheltenham, England, red framed "PONDICHERRY/1855 ?/Paid" boxed despatch datestamp (Giles 12) on back, red Madras and London (Oct. 19) transit and partial Cheltenham arrival datestamps, manuscript "1/6" rate marking, cover with sealed edge tear at left, missing part of top flap, and slight soiling, otherwise Fine, the 2a Typograph paid the inland rate to Madras, ex Dr. Kornan
Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 5 lot 209 (09/30/2025).
2 images of COV-4717 are recorded (front, back); the Pondicherry HG 12 mark itself is recorded in use 1849–1858.
Questions about COV-4717
- What is COV-4717?
- COV-4717 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Pondicherry, Madras Presidency of 1855, bearing the Pondicherry HG 12 handstamp in red. India, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, 2a Green (5; SG 31). Large to clear margins, cancelled by diamond of dots cancel on 1855 cover to Cheltenham, England, red framed "PONDICHERRY/1855 ?/Paid" boxed despatch datestamp (Giles 12) on back, red Madras and London (Oct. 19) transit and partial Cheltenham arrival datestamps, manuscript "1/6" rate marking, cover with sealed edge tear at left, missing part of top flap, and slight soiling, otherwise Fine, the 2a Typograph paid the inland rate to Madras, ex Dr. Kornan
- How scarce is the Pondicherry HG 12 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Pondicherry HG 12 as very common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1849–1858.
- What is the provenance of COV-4717?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 5 lot 209 (09/30/2025).
- When was COV-4717 posted?
- COV-4717 is dated 1855, within the recorded period of use of Pondicherry HG 12 (1849–1858).
About this record
This 1855 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Pondicherry HG 12 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Very common” in this census — one of 36 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 5, lot 209, (09/30/2025).