Scan or Photo Courtesy of Argyll Etkin Auctions
Date
18 March 1820
Description
1820-31 Entire letters (4) and an entire, comprising 1820 letter from the orientalist H.H Wilson at Benares to the traveller and writer James Baillie Fraser at Calcutta with oval "BENARES / POSTAGE PAID" (Hammond Giles 1, manuscript date, "Benares" underinked and incomplete); 1825 letter from Hugh Fraser at Delhi to his brother William at Camp Jehasimpore and redirected to Dryrah with boxed "DELHI / Pt FREE" (HG 2, rare with only one recorded example, "Delhi" underinked); and 1826-31 letters (2) and an entire from India to J.B Fraser in Scotland, two with boxed "INDIA LETTER / DEAL" and oval "MERUT / Pt Pd" (HG 3) or manuscript "From Hansi P. Office 24 May 31", the other posted in London. The Merut letter sent by George Fraser contains a good account of a tiger hunt on elephants. (5).
Auction
Auction Number 54 of G.B & Worldwide Stamps and Postal History, Lot 614
Same office
Other recorded marks at Benares
18 marks18 other pre-1854 postal markings of Benares are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Benares HG 2handstampBlack1811
- Benares HG 3handstampBlack1824–1836
- Benares HG 4handstampBlack1827-35
- Benares HG 5handstampBlack1829
- Benares HG 6handstampBlack1832–1835
- Benares HG 7handstampRed1838–1853
+12 more at this office.View all Benares marks and postal history →
About this Benares pre stamp cover
COV-988 is a Benares pre stamp cover of 18 March 1820 bearing the Benares HG 1 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Benares postal history — the office known today as Varanasi, North Western Provinces. What is a pre stamp cover?
1820-31 Entire letters (4) and an entire, comprising 1820 letter from the orientalist H.H Wilson at Benares to the traveller and writer James Baillie Fraser at Calcutta with oval "BENARES / POSTAGE PAID" (Hammond Giles 1, manuscript date, "Benares" underinked and incomplete); 1825 letter from Hugh Fraser at Delhi to his brother William at Camp Jehasimpore and redirected to Dryrah with boxed "DELHI / Pt FREE" (HG 2, rare with only one recorded example, "Delhi" underinked); and 1826-31 letters (2) and an entire from India to J.B Fraser in Scotland, two with boxed "INDIA LETTER / DEAL" and oval "MERUT / Pt Pd" (HG 3) or manuscript "From Hansi P. Office 24 May 31", the other posted in London. The Merut letter sent by George Fraser contains a good account of a tiger hunt on elephants. (5).
Its recorded auction history runs through Argyll Etkin Auction Number 54 of G.B & Worldwide Stamps and Postal History lot 614.
2 images of COV-988 are recorded; the Benares HG 1 mark itself is recorded in use 1810–1820.
Questions about COV-988
- What is COV-988?
- COV-988 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Benares, North Western Provinces of 18 March 1820, bearing the Benares HG 1 handstamp in black. 1820-31 Entire letters (4) and an entire, comprising 1820 letter from the orientalist H.H Wilson at Benares to the traveller and writer James Baillie Fraser at Calcutta with oval "BENARES / POSTAGE PAID" (Hammond Giles 1, manuscript date, "Benares" underinked and incomplete); 1825 letter from Hugh Fraser at Delhi to his brother William at Camp Jehasimpore and redirected to Dryrah with boxed "DELHI / Pt FREE" (HG 2, rare with only one recorded example, "Delhi" underinked); and 1826-31 letters (2) and an entire from India to J.B Fraser in Scotland, two with boxed "INDIA LETTER / DEAL" and oval "MERUT / Pt Pd" (HG 3) or manuscript "From Hansi P. Office 24 May 31", the other posted in London. The Merut letter sent by George Fraser contains a good account of a tiger hunt on elephants. (5).
- How scarce is the Benares HG 1 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Benares HG 1 as rare, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1810–1820.
- What is the provenance of COV-988?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Argyll Etkin Auction Number 54 of G.B & Worldwide Stamps and Postal History lot 614.
- When was COV-988 posted?
- COV-988 is dated 18 March 1820, within the recorded period of use of Benares HG 1 (1810–1820).
About this record
This 18 March 1820 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Benares HG 1 handstamp of the North Western Provinces, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 4 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Argyll Etkin, Auction Number 54 of G.B & Worldwide Stamps and Postal History, lot 614.