Scan or Photo Courtesy of Spink
Date
1844
Description
Lucknow: 1844 (c.) printed "LUCKNOW POST OFFICE" envelope unused and showing two trial strikes of the famous "POST/OFFICE/LUCKNOW/P O" brooch handstamp (HG 6) on reverse, with pencil notation "my brooch used as a pattern for Post Office stamp" presumably in the hand of Lady Login whose husband was Postmaster-General of Lucknow at the time. Very attractive and almost certainly unique.
Auction
Provenance
Dr. Soli Contractor
Same office
Other recorded marks at Lucknow
15 marks15 other pre-1854 postal markings of Lucknow are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Lucknow HG 1handstampBlack1809–1835
- Lucknow HG 2handstampRed1838–1845
- Lucknow HG 3handstampBlack1833
- Lucknow HG 4handstampBlack1835–1836
- Lucknow HG 5handstampRed1842–1845
- Lucknow HG 5ahandstampRed1841
- Lucknow HG 5bhandstampRed1837
- Lucknow HG 7handstampGreen1846
- Lucknow HG 8handstampRed1844–1849
- Lucknow HG 9handstampBlack1845
- Lucknow HG 10handstampBlack1849–1855
- Lucknow HG 11handstampRed1849
- Lucknow HG 12handstampBlack1852-54
- Lucknow HG 12AhandstampBlack1853
- Lucknow HG 13handstampRed1838–1854
About this record
This 1844 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Lucknow HG 6 handstamp of the North Western Provinces, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — one of 2 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Spink, lot 125.