COV-3684
21 December 1828 Benares Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Private
Date
21 December 1828
Description
1828 "BENARES POST PAID" (HG3) circular in black on folded letter to London, with "CALCUTTA / G.P.O./SHIP LETTER / 21 DEC 1828" (Giles SD 8b) in black & "INDIA LETTER/**" rectangular cachet with handwritten "Only envelope to a formal transmitted from Mr. Robertson". Benares is a scarce handstamp along with "India Letter Portsmouth" martime cancellation with 10 annas postage paid
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 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-3684 is a Benares pre stamp cover of 21 December 1828 bearing the Benares HG 3 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?
1828 "BENARES POST PAID" (HG3) circular in black on folded letter to London, with "CALCUTTA / G.P.O./SHIP LETTER / 21 DEC 1828" (Giles SD 8b) in black & "INDIA LETTER/**" rectangular cachet with handwritten "Only envelope to a formal transmitted from Mr. Robertson". Benares is a scarce handstamp along with "India Letter Portsmouth" martime cancellation with 10 annas postage paid
2 images of COV-3684 are recorded (front, back); the Benares HG 3 mark itself is recorded in use 1824–1836.
Questions about COV-3684
- What is COV-3684?
- COV-3684 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Benares, North Western Provinces of 21 December 1828, bearing the Benares HG 3 handstamp in black. 1828 "BENARES POST PAID" (HG3) circular in black on folded letter to London, with "CALCUTTA / G.P.O./SHIP LETTER / 21 DEC 1828" (Giles SD 8b) in black & "INDIA LETTER/**" rectangular cachet with handwritten "Only envelope to a formal transmitted from Mr. Robertson". Benares is a scarce handstamp along with "India Letter Portsmouth" martime cancellation with 10 annas postage paid
- How scarce is the Benares HG 3 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Benares HG 3 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1824–1836.
- When was COV-3684 posted?
- COV-3684 is dated 21 December 1828, within the recorded period of use of Benares HG 3 (1824–1836).
About this record
This 21 December 1828 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Benares HG 3 handstamp of the North Western Provinces, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 19 surviving covers with this mark recorded.