COV-2483 — 7 September 1848 Gwalior HG 8 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Census record COV-2483 is a 7 September 1848 pre-stamp cover of British India bearing the Gwalior HG 8 handstamp of the North Western Provinces, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 2 surviving covers with this mark recorded.
Date
7 September 1848
Description
1848 Gwalior – Forres overland cover via Bombay & Marseilles route, with Gwalior "GWALIOR/RECEIVING HOUSE/Paid" despatch hand stamp, date "7th Septr. 48" & rate "8as" (paid 8A double-letter inland postage to Bombay for a letter weighing between ¼ and 1 tolah, travelling 500–700 miles; the distance from Gwalior to Bombay was 680 miles) applied in manuscript. At Bombay, Giles SD6 "INDIA" port transit mark applied, then sent to Aden via EIC steamer SEMIRAMIS II from Bombay on 15th September, onward to Suez via P&O steamer BENTINCK, travelled overland to Alexandria, and from there sent to Malta via P&O steamer INDUS, then to Marseilles via H.M.'s packet TRITON, finally reaching London, where "ON/26 OC 26/1848" receipt mark was applied. "2/3" (indicating 2s3d double-letter India–UK combined British packet rate, comprising 1s5d British postage & 10d French postage via the Marseilles route, for a letter weighing ¼–½ oz.) bearing postage applied and collected from the recipient. "FORRES/27 OC/1848" delivery mark applied.