COV-5334
1854 Pondicherry Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Siegel Auction Galleries
Date
1854
Description
India, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, ½a Blue, Die III (2E; SG 8a). Irregularly cut margins though mostly large to just touching at bottom, tied by light strike of "C/III" cancel on 1856 folded letter to Madras, red framed Pondicherry Paid despatch datestamp on back, red Madras (Jun. 12) arrival backstamp, cover with splitting along folds and overall toning, stamp with heavy peripheral toning, about Fine
Auction
The Magnolia Collection: India Postal History, Part 8 (Sale 9061, 21 October 2026), Lot 10145, (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-5334 is a Pondicherry pre stamp cover of 1854 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, ½a Blue, Die III (2E; SG 8a). Irregularly cut margins though mostly large to just touching at bottom, tied by light strike of "C/III" cancel on 1856 folded letter to Madras, red framed Pondicherry Paid despatch datestamp on back, red Madras (Jun. 12) arrival backstamp, cover with splitting along folds and overall toning, stamp with heavy peripheral toning, about Fine
Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries The Magnolia Collection: India Postal History, Part 8 (Sale 9061, 21 October 2026) lot 10145 (2026).
2 images of COV-5334 are recorded; the Pondicherry HG 12 mark itself is recorded in use 1849–1858.
Questions about COV-5334
- What is COV-5334?
- COV-5334 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Pondicherry, Madras Presidency of 1854, bearing the Pondicherry HG 12 handstamp in red. India, (French Settlement), Pondicherry, 1854, ½a Blue, Die III (2E; SG 8a). Irregularly cut margins though mostly large to just touching at bottom, tied by light strike of "C/III" cancel on 1856 folded letter to Madras, red framed Pondicherry Paid despatch datestamp on back, red Madras (Jun. 12) arrival backstamp, cover with splitting along folds and overall toning, stamp with heavy peripheral toning, about 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-5334?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries The Magnolia Collection: India Postal History, Part 8 (Sale 9061, 21 October 2026) lot 10145 (2026).
- When was COV-5334 posted?
- COV-5334 is dated 1854, within the recorded period of use of Pondicherry HG 12 (1849–1858).
About this record
This 1854 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 Postal History, Part 8 (Sale 9061, 21 October 2026), lot 10145, (2026).