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.

When was COV-4805 posted?

COV-4805 is dated 3 May 1856, within the recorded period of use of Pondicherry HG 12 (1849–1858).

COV-4805

3 May 1856 Pondicherry HG 12 Cover

Back to census|Pondicherry HG 12 · 29 covers recorded

← COV-4719 COV-4806 →

3 May 1856 Pondicherry HG 12 pre stamp cover — COV-4805 — front

Pondicherry HG 12 pre stamp cover — back (COV-4805) — back

Scan or Photo Courtesy of Siegel Auction Galleries

Date

3 May 1856

Description

India, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, ½a Blue, Die II (2D; SG 6). Large margins to clear, tied by faint strike of "C/III" cancel on folded letter to Madras, black framed "PONDICHERRY/1856 May 3/Paid" boxed datestamp (Giles 12) on back, framed "AM" handstamp, red Madras (May 5) arrival backstamp, cover with overall toning, Fine

Auction

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries

The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 3, Lot 3241, (06/26/2024)

Same office

Other recorded marks at Pondicherry

15 marks

15 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.

+9 more at this office.View all Pondicherry marks and postal history →

About this Pondicherry pre stamp cover

COV-4805 is a Pondicherry pre stamp cover of 3 May 1856 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?

Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 3 lot 3241 (06/26/2024).

2 images of COV-4805 are recorded (front, back); the Pondicherry HG 12 mark itself is recorded in use 1849–1858.

Questions about COV-4805

What is COV-4805?: COV-4805 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Pondicherry, Madras Presidency of 3 May 1856, bearing the Pondicherry HG 12 handstamp in red. India, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, ½a Blue, Die II (2D; SG 6). Large margins to clear, tied by faint strike of "C/III" cancel on folded letter to Madras, black framed "PONDICHERRY/1856 May 3/Paid" boxed datestamp (Giles 12) on back, framed "AM" handstamp, red Madras (May 5) arrival backstamp, cover with overall toning, Fine
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-4805?: Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries The Magnolia Collection: India Stamps and Postal History, Part 3 lot 3241 (06/26/2024).
When was COV-4805 posted?: COV-4805 is dated 3 May 1856, within the recorded period of use of Pondicherry HG 12 (1849–1858).

About this record

This 3 May 1856 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 29 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 3, lot 3241, (06/26/2024).