COV-2435
3 February 1846 Benares Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Date
3 February 1846
Description
1846 Benares – London overland entire via Bombay & Southampton route, with Benares Giles 12 "BENARES STA/1846 FEB 3/PAID" despatch handstamp, rate "6" (paid 6A as under ¼ tolah weight, single-letter rate paid to Bombay, as it travelled between 900–1100 miles; Benares–Bombay distance was 927 miles) & weight "½ Ounce" (indicating the single-letter rate for India–UK packet postage via Southampton). At Bombay, Giles SD6 "INDIA" port transit applied & sent to Aden via EIC regular steamer QUEEN, then to Suez via P&O steamer PRECURSOR, travelled overland to Alexandria & sent to Southampton via P&O steamer ORIENT, reached London via Southampton on 1st April, and there "LE/1 AP 1/1846" receipt mark applied. "1/" (1s single-letter bearing postage for India–UK packet postage) applied in manuscript, which was collected from the recipient.
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 1handstampBlack1810–1820
- Benares HG 2handstampBlack1811
- Benares HG 3handstampBlack1824–1836
- Benares HG 4handstampBlack1827-35
- Benares HG 5handstampBlack1829
- Benares HG 6handstampBlack1832–1835
+12 more at this office.View all Benares marks and postal history →
About this Benares pre stamp cover
COV-2435 is a Benares pre stamp cover of 3 February 1846 bearing the Benares HG 12 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Benares postal history — the office known today as Varanasi, North Western Provinces. What is a pre stamp cover?
1846 Benares – London overland entire via Bombay & Southampton route, with Benares Giles 12 "BENARES STA/1846 FEB 3/PAID" despatch handstamp, rate "6" (paid 6A as under ¼ tolah weight, single-letter rate paid to Bombay, as it travelled between 900–1100 miles; Benares–Bombay distance was 927 miles) & weight "½ Ounce" (indicating the single-letter rate for India–UK packet postage via Southampton). At Bombay, Giles SD6 "INDIA" port transit applied & sent to Aden via EIC regular steamer QUEEN, then to Suez via P&O steamer PRECURSOR, travelled overland to Alexandria & sent to Southampton via P&O steamer ORIENT, reached London via Southampton on 1st April, and there "LE/1 AP 1/1846" receipt mark applied. "1/" (1s single-letter bearing postage for India–UK packet postage) applied in manuscript, which was collected from the recipient.
1 image of COV-2435 is recorded (front); the Benares HG 12 mark itself is recorded in use 1845–1850.
Questions about COV-2435
- What is COV-2435?
- COV-2435 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Benares, North Western Provinces of 3 February 1846, bearing the Benares HG 12 handstamp in red. 1846 Benares – London overland entire via Bombay & Southampton route, with Benares Giles 12 "BENARES STA/1846 FEB 3/PAID" despatch handstamp, rate "6" (paid 6A as under ¼ tolah weight, single-letter rate paid to Bombay, as it travelled between 900–1100 miles; Benares–Bombay distance was 927 miles) & weight "½ Ounce" (indicating the single-letter rate for India–UK packet postage via Southampton). At Bombay, Giles SD6 "INDIA" port transit applied & sent to Aden via EIC regular steamer QUEEN, then to Suez via P&O steamer PRECURSOR, travelled overland to Alexandria & sent to Southampton via P&O steamer ORIENT, reached London via Southampton on 1st April, and there "LE/1 AP 1/1846" receipt mark applied. "1/" (1s single-letter bearing postage for India–UK packet postage) applied in manuscript, which was collected from the recipient.
- How scarce is the Benares HG 12 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Benares HG 12 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1845–1850.
- When was COV-2435 posted?
- COV-2435 is dated 3 February 1846, within the recorded period of use of Benares HG 12 (1845–1850).
About this record
This 3 February 1846 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Benares HG 12 handstamp of the North Western Provinces, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 7 surviving covers with this mark recorded.