COV-2465 — 31 July 1850 Lucknow HG 10 Cover
Scan or Photo Courtesy of Santosh MS
Census record COV-2465 is a 31 July 1850 pre-stamp cover of British India bearing the Lucknow HG 10 handstamp of the North Western Provinces, a mark graded “Common” in this census — the only surviving cover with this mark recorded so far.
Date
31 July 1850
Description
1850 Lucknow – Belfast overland entire via Marseilles route, with Lucknow Giles 10 "LUCKNOW/18../Post Paid" despatch handstamp, place "Ct" (indicating Cantonment), date "50 July 31st" & rate "8as" (paid 8A, 2nd-weight inland rate between ¼–1 Tolah, for a distance between 600 to 800 miles; distance between Calcutta & Lucknow was 619 miles) applied in manuscript. At Calcutta, Giles SD11 "CALCUTTA/G.P.O./SHIP LETTER/7 AG 7/1850" & SD17 "INDIA" transit marks applied, sent bearing from India via the Marseilles route & "1/10" (India–UK combined packet postage via France, comprising 1s5d British + 5d French postage under ¼ oz.) bearing applied in manuscript. In the UK, London GPO "UL/22 SP 22/1850" receipt and "4/SE 23/1850/E" despatch, and Belfast receipt "BELFAST/SE 24/1850" marks were applied; bearing postage was collected from the recipient.