COV-2450 — 16 August 1840 Vizianagarum HG 6 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Census record COV-2450 is a 16 August 1840 pre-stamp cover of British India bearing the Vizianagarum HG 6 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark with 2 examples recorded in this census — one of 2 surviving covers with this mark recorded.
Date
16 August 1840
Description
1840 Vizianagram – London overland entire via Bombay & Marseilles route, with "VIZIANAGRAM/Paid" (similar to Giles 5 but without compartmenting lines) handstamp, date "16th Augt 1840" & rate "10 as" (paid 10A for a letter between ¼–1 tolah, sent between 700–900 miles; Vizianagram–Bombay distance was around 800 miles) & "Double" (indicating a double letter) applied in manuscript. Bombay SD7 "INDIA" port transit mark applied, sent to Suez via EIC steamer BERENICE from Bombay on 1st October, then travelled overland to Alexandria & from there sent to Malta via P&O steamer Gt. LIVERPOOL, then sent to Marseilles via H.M.'s packet ACHERON, and finally reached London. There "A/12 NO 12/1840" Chief Office & "3 Eg 4/NO 12/1840" Regent Park P.O. receipt marks applied. "3/6" (indicating 3s 6d India–UK combined British packet rate, comprising 1s 10d British postage & 1s 8d French postage via the Marseilles route, for a letter between ¼–½ oz.) bearing postage collected from the recipient.