Scan or Photo Courtesy of Spink
Date
8 March 1839
Description
Pondicherry: 1839 (8 Mar.) "Service" entire letter to Injeram showing a fine strike of the very rare oval framed "PONDICHERRY/FREE" in red with date in manuscript (HG 9), also a similar strike for Injeram applied over boxed "Paid" handstamp. One of the most important postal history items of the French Settlements.
Auction
Provenance
Dr. Soli Contractor
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
- Pondicherry HG 5handstampRed1826–1836
- Pondicherry HG 6handstampBlack1826–1836
- Pondicherry HG 7handstampRed1838–1851
- Pondicherry HG 8handstampBlack1839–1841
- Pondicherry HG 10handstampRed1840–1854
- Pondicherry HG 11handstampBlack1851–1854
- Pondicherry HG 12handstampRed1849–1858
- Pondicherry HG 12ahandstampBlack1850–1852
- Pondicherry HG 13handstampBlack1855–1862
About this record
This 8 March 1839 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Pondicherry HG 9 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Common” in this census — the only surviving cover with this mark recorded so far. It has appeared at auction with Spink, lot 461.