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Hand Struck Stamps

COV-698

18 March 1800 Tranquebar Cover

Back to census|Tranquebar HG 1 · 6 covers recorded
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Pre-stamp cover of India — 18 March 1800, Tranquebar HG 1 handstruck folded letter (COV-698)
front
Pre-stamp cover of India — Tranquebar HG 1, back (COV-698)
back

Scan or Photo Courtesy of Siegel Auction Galleries

Date

18 March 1800

Description

India, (Danish Settlement), Tranquebar, 1800, "Post.Paid/TRANa.r" Handstamp (Giles 1). Exceptionally bold oval strike (affected by erosion hole and tear) on folded letter datelined Mar. 18, 1800 and addressed to Cochin, manuscript "2f" rate marking, cover is brittle with heavy toning, affected by ink erosion, and with some tape repairs repairing splits, still a Very Fine strike, particularly rare used during the first Danish settlement period which ended with the East India Company taking over in 1801, it was eventually returned to Denmark in 1814 only to be purchased by the British again in 1845, noted by Giles as rare

Auction

Robert A. Siegel Auction GalleriesRobert A. Siegel Auction Galleries

Sale No. 1325, Lot 3073, (2025)

Provenance

"Magnolia"

  • •2025, Robert A. Siegel Sale No. 1325, Lot 3073

Same office

Other recorded marks at Tranquebar

8 marks

8 other pre-1854 postal markings of Tranquebar are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

+2 more at this office.View all Tranquebar marks and postal history →

About this Tranquebar pre stamp cover

COV-698 is a Tranquebar pre stamp cover of 18 March 1800 bearing the Tranquebar HG 1 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Tranquebar postal history — the office known today as Tharangambadi, Madras Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?

India, (Danish Settlement), Tranquebar, 1800, "Post.Paid/TRANa.r" Handstamp (Giles 1). Exceptionally bold oval strike (affected by erosion hole and tear) on folded letter datelined Mar. 18, 1800 and addressed to Cochin, manuscript "2f" rate marking, cover is brittle with heavy toning, affected by ink erosion, and with some tape repairs repairing splits, still a Very Fine strike, particularly rare used during the first Danish settlement period which ended with the East India Company taking over in 1801, it was eventually returned to Denmark in 1814 only to be purchased by the British again in 1845, noted by Giles as rare

Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries Sale No. 1325 lot 3073 (2025).

2 images of COV-698 are recorded (front, back); the Tranquebar HG 1 mark itself is recorded in use 1800–1829.

Questions about COV-698

What is COV-698?
COV-698 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Tranquebar, Madras Presidency of 18 March 1800, bearing the Tranquebar HG 1 handstamp in black. India, (Danish Settlement), Tranquebar, 1800, "Post.Paid/TRANa.r" Handstamp (Giles 1). Exceptionally bold oval strike (affected by erosion hole and tear) on folded letter datelined Mar. 18, 1800 and addressed to Cochin, manuscript "2f" rate marking, cover is brittle with heavy toning, affected by ink erosion, and with some tape repairs repairing splits, still a Very Fine strike, particularly rare used during the first Danish settlement period which ended with the East India Company taking over in 1801, it was eventually returned to Denmark in 1814 only to be purchased by the British again in 1845, noted by Giles as rare
How scarce is the Tranquebar HG 1 mark on this cover?
The census grades Tranquebar HG 1 as rare, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1800–1829.
What is the provenance of COV-698?
Its recorded auction history runs through Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries Sale No. 1325 lot 3073 (2025).
When was COV-698 posted?
COV-698 is dated 18 March 1800, within the recorded period of use of Tranquebar HG 1 (1800–1829).

About this record

This 18 March 1800 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Tranquebar HG 1 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 6 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Sale No. 1325, lot 3073, (2025).