COV-2466 — 16 August 1843 Pondicherry HG 7 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Census record COV-2466 is a 16 August 1843 pre-stamp cover of British India bearing the Pondicherry HG 7 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 11 surviving covers with this mark recorded.
Date
16 August 1843
Description
1843 Pondicherry – Bordeaux overland entire via Marseilles route, forwarded by A.E. De Colons & Co., Pondicherry, with Pondicherry Giles 7 "PONDICHERRY/Paid" despatch hand stamp, date "16 Aug 1843" & paid rate "1–3" (comprising 10A double-letter inland postage to Bombay weighing between ¼ & ½ tolah, plus 9A steam postage to Alexandria) applied in manuscript. At Bombay, Giles SD5 "INDIA" transit mark (indicating steam postage paid) applied. From Bombay sent to Suez by EIC regular steamer CLEOPATRA, then travelled overland to Alexandria, from there sent to Syra via French steamer Sesostris & then to Malta via French packet LYCURGUE, held & disinfected at Malta, where "PURIFIÉ AU LAZARET / MALTE" cachet applied, released & sent to Marseilles via H.M.'s packet ALECTO. Reached there on 19th October. French Sea Post Office transit mark applied and 19 decimes (French 9 decimes inland postage + 10 decimes Mediterranean steam postage) bearing postage applied in manuscript, sent to Bordeaux, where "BORDEAUX/21/OCT/1843/(12)" delivery mark applied. Bearing postage collected from the recipient.
Provenance
Ex Giles