COV-2450
16 August 1840 Vizianagarum Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
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.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Vizianagarum
5 marks5 other pre-1854 postal markings of Vizianagarum are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
About this Vizianagarum pre stamp cover
COV-2450 is a Vizianagarum pre stamp cover of 16 August 1840 bearing the Vizianagarum HG 6 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Vizianagarum postal history — the office known today as Vizianagaram, Madras Presidency. What is a pre stamp cover?
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.
1 image of COV-2450 is recorded (front); the Vizianagarum HG 6 mark itself is recorded in use 1837–1842.
Questions about COV-2450
- What is COV-2450?
- COV-2450 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Vizianagarum, Madras Presidency of 16 August 1840, bearing the Vizianagarum HG 6 handstamp in red. 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.
- How scarce is the Vizianagarum HG 6 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Vizianagarum HG 6 as rare, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1837–1842.
- When was COV-2450 posted?
- COV-2450 is dated 16 August 1840, within the recorded period of use of Vizianagarum HG 6 (1837–1842).
About this record
This 16 August 1840 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Vizianagarum HG 6 handstamp of the Madras Presidency, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 3 surviving covers with this mark recorded.