Scan or Photo Courtesy of Gowtham BJ
Date
1804
Description
British Post Office 1804 (Dec 3): Entire letter from Pondichery addressed to Captain de Havilland in Madras struck on flap with superb framed "SINGLE" in black (Hammond & Giles HG4) and watery strike of deformed framed "Post / Paid / Pondichery" in black; rated '1½' fanams in manuscript for a distance under 100 miles. Slight arricator fault but a scarce entire.
Auction
Auction 291-297, Lot 2074
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 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 10handstampRed1840–1854
- Pondicherry HG 11handstampBlack1851–1854
- Pondicherry HG 12handstampRed1849–1858
- Pondicherry HG 12ahandstampBlack1850–1852
- Pondicherry HG 13handstampBlack1855–1862
About this record
This 1804 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Pondicherry HG 3 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 5 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Corinphila Auctions, Auction 291-297, lot 2074.