Scan or Photo Courtesy of Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd
Date
23 October 1842
Description
LOODIANA/Bearing & BOXED “L.P.O.” - 1st AFGHAN WAR CAMPAIGN COVER EX “FUTTEABAD” (AFGHANISTAN); Very fine 23 Oct. 1842 EL (folds to show internal heading beside address-panel) to Calcutta (red 11 Nov. d.s.) from “Futteabad, two marches Cabool side of Jullalabad” from an Officer with the returning forces en route from Cabool to the Khyber Pass with a very fine brown boxed “LOODIANA/Bearing [14as]” (HG4) nicely placed on the top flap beside a matching mainly very fine boxed “L.P.O.” (HG9; closed seal tear; used on Military mail handed over to the Civil P.O.) alongside. Fascinating Campaign contents inc.; “We are at last getting out of Affghanistan...such as road as this from Cabool to where we now are I never travelled...our cattle starved...out of 6 camels which cost me 900Rs...when we left Cabool, I have two dead. 3 able to crawl...& 1 carrying his load...Our rear guard has...had 5 or 6 Officers wounded & some 150 men killed & wounded in the 8 marches to Gundamuck...3 days in Khyber [Pass] will I hope end our toil...our 25 days’ stay at Cabool was a disgrace to British Arms...the Lady Prisoners truly said in a quiet way that they thought Genl. P[ollock]. was going on much in the same was as Genl. E[lphinstone]. had gone the former year...Nott brought away the famed Hindoo Gates from Guznee & they are thus far all safe...”, and much more. Important Afghan War Campaign letter. PHOTO - see inside front cover.
Auction
Provenance
Michael Manning
Same office
Other recorded marks at Lodianah
12 marks12 other pre-1854 postal markings of Lodianah are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Lodianah HG 1handstampBlack1824-37
- Lodianah HG 2handstampBlack1835
- Lodianah HG 3handstampRed1838–1844
- Lodianah HG 5handstampRed1844
- Lodianah HG 6handstampRed1837-51
- Lodianah HG 7handstampRed1840–1844
+6 more at this office.View all Lodianah marks and postal history →
About this Lodianah pre stamp cover
COV-997 is a Lodianah pre stamp cover of 23 October 1842 bearing the Lodianah HG 4 handstamp, struck in black, recorded in the census of Lodianah postal history — the office known today as Ludhiana, Punjab. What is a pre stamp cover?
LOODIANA/Bearing & BOXED “L.P.O.” - 1st AFGHAN WAR CAMPAIGN COVER EX “FUTTEABAD” (AFGHANISTAN); Very fine 23 Oct. 1842 EL (folds to show internal heading beside address-panel) to Calcutta (red 11 Nov. d.s.) from “Futteabad, two marches Cabool side of Jullalabad” from an Officer with the returning forces en route from Cabool to the Khyber Pass with a very fine brown boxed “LOODIANA/Bearing [14as]” (HG4) nicely placed on the top flap beside a matching mainly very fine boxed “L.P.O.” (HG9; closed seal tear; used on Military mail handed over to the Civil P.O.) alongside. Fascinating Campaign contents inc.; “We are at last getting out of Affghanistan...such as road as this from Cabool to where we now are I never travelled...our cattle starved...out of 6 camels which cost me 900Rs...when we left Cabool, I have two dead. 3 able to crawl...& 1 carrying his load...Our rear guard has...had 5 or 6 Officers wounded & some 150 men killed & wounded in the 8 marches to Gundamuck...3 days in Khyber [Pass] will I hope end our toil...our 25 days’ stay at Cabool was a disgrace to British Arms...the Lady Prisoners truly said in a quiet way that they thought Genl. P[ollock]. was going on much in the same was as Genl. E[lphinstone]. had gone the former year...Nott brought away the famed Hindoo Gates from Guznee & they are thus far all safe...”, and much more. Important Afghan War Campaign letter. PHOTO - see inside front cover.
Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd lot 127.
1 image of COV-997 is recorded; the Lodianah HG 4 mark itself is recorded in use 1839-48.
Questions about COV-997
- What is COV-997?
- COV-997 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Lodianah, Punjab of 23 October 1842, bearing the Lodianah HG 4 handstamp in black. LOODIANA/Bearing & BOXED “L.P.O.” - 1st AFGHAN WAR CAMPAIGN COVER EX “FUTTEABAD” (AFGHANISTAN); Very fine 23 Oct. 1842 EL (folds to show internal heading beside address-panel) to Calcutta (red 11 Nov. d.s.) from “Futteabad, two marches Cabool side of Jullalabad” from an Officer with the returning forces en route from Cabool to the Khyber Pass with a very fine brown boxed “LOODIANA/Bearing [14as]” (HG4) nicely placed on the top flap beside a matching mainly very fine boxed “L.P.O.” (HG9; closed seal tear; used on Military mail handed over to the Civil P.O.) alongside. Fascinating Campaign contents inc.; “We are at last getting out of Affghanistan...such as road as this from Cabool to where we now are I never travelled...our cattle starved...out of 6 camels which cost me 900Rs...when we left Cabool, I have two dead. 3 able to crawl...& 1 carrying his load...Our rear guard has...had 5 or 6 Officers wounded & some 150 men killed & wounded in the 8 marches to Gundamuck...3 days in Khyber [Pass] will I hope end our toil...our 25 days’ stay at Cabool was a disgrace to British Arms...the Lady Prisoners truly said in a quiet way that they thought Genl. P[ollock]. was going on much in the same was as Genl. E[lphinstone]. had gone the former year...Nott brought away the famed Hindoo Gates from Guznee & they are thus far all safe...”, and much more. Important Afghan War Campaign letter. PHOTO - see inside front cover.
- How scarce is the Lodianah HG 4 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Lodianah HG 4 as common, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1839-48.
- What is the provenance of COV-997?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd lot 127.
- When was COV-997 posted?
- COV-997 is dated 23 October 1842, within the recorded period of use of Lodianah HG 4 (1839-48).
About this record
This 23 October 1842 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Lodianah HG 4 handstamp of the Punjab, a mark graded “Common” in this census — one of 33 surviving covers with this mark recorded. It has appeared at auction with Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd, lot 127.