Scan or Photo Courtesy of Gowtham BJ
Date
29 September 1845
Description
Letter send on 29th September 1845 from Umballah, India to England and addressed in it correct form, has been signed by Lt. Col Brooke and sent at the solfier's unpaid concession rate of postage by British Packet and specifically routed overland "Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" NOTE: The red oval 3.5 x 2.7mm handstamp "UMBALLA/ Aden /OVERLAND" the only recorded example. India 1845 (29 Sept.) entire letter "From Sergt. M Walker ... 3/1 Horse Artillary Umballah, Soldiers Letter Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" to England, countersigned by the Commanding Officer and showing oval-framed "india" and h.s. "2" on face, the reverse with large part strike (part cut away on opening), and only recorded example, of the oval-framed "umballa/overland" h.s. in red with "Aden" inserted in manuscript at centre, partially over-cancelled with light arrival c.d.s. (25.11); some internal sellotape repair work, some of which show through to face at top and at foot, nevertheless the only soldier´s letter specifically routed via Aden Estimate £ 300-400 Note: A British G.P.O. Instruction No. 27 of September 1845 noted arrangements had been made to convey from Aden direct to Bombay by Steam Vessels of the East India Company, letters for Bombay being carried from London by the Calcutta Packets. A similar arrangement applied for letters from Bombay to England, the mail being transferred at Aden This letter was carried on the East India Company´´s steamer "Cleopatra" to Aden where it was transferred to the P&O Packet "Hindostan" which carried it to Suez. The cover then travelled overland to Alexandria and was put aboard the P&O Packet "Orient" which carried it to London
Auction
107, (2016)
Provenance
Gerald Sattin
Same office
Other recorded marks at Umbalah
13 marks13 other pre-1854 postal markings of Umbalah are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Umbalah HG 1handstampRed1844–1850
- Umbalah HG 2handstampBlack1846
- Umbalah HG 3handstampRed1845-47
- Umbalah HG 5handstampBlack1845
- Umbalah HG 6handstampBlack1848–1849
- Umbalah HG 7handstampRed1848
+7 more at this office.View all Umbalah marks and postal history →
About this Umbalah pre stamp cover
COV-4025 is an Umbalah pre stamp cover of 29 September 1845 bearing the Umbalah HG 4 handstamp, struck in red, recorded in the census of Umbalah postal history — the office known today as Ambala, Punjab. What is a pre stamp cover?
Letter send on 29th September 1845 from Umballah, India to England and addressed in it correct form, has been signed by Lt. Col Brooke and sent at the solfier's unpaid concession rate of postage by British Packet and specifically routed overland "Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" NOTE: The red oval 3.5 x 2.7mm handstamp "UMBALLA/ Aden /OVERLAND" the only recorded example. India 1845 (29 Sept.) entire letter "From Sergt. M Walker ... 3/1 Horse Artillary Umballah, Soldiers Letter Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" to England, countersigned by the Commanding Officer and showing oval-framed "india" and h.s. "2" on face, the reverse with large part strike (part cut away on opening), and only recorded example, of the oval-framed "umballa/overland" h.s. in red with "Aden" inserted in manuscript at centre, partially over-cancelled with light arrival c.d.s. (25.11); some internal sellotape repair work, some of which show through to face at top and at foot, nevertheless the only soldier´s letter specifically routed via Aden Estimate £ 300-400 Note: A British G.P.O. Instruction No. 27 of September 1845 noted arrangements had been made to convey from Aden direct to Bombay by Steam Vessels of the East India Company, letters for Bombay being carried from London by the Calcutta Packets. A similar arrangement applied for letters from Bombay to England, the mail being transferred at Aden This letter was carried on the East India Company´´s steamer "Cleopatra" to Aden where it was transferred to the P&O Packet "Hindostan" which carried it to Suez. The cover then travelled overland to Alexandria and was put aboard the P&O Packet "Orient" which carried it to London
Its recorded auction history runs through Spink Soldiers' Rates of the BE - Gerald Sattin Collection (Sale 8029) lot 197 (4 June 2008); and Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions 107 (2016).
1 image of COV-4025 is recorded (front); the Umbalah HG 4 mark itself is recorded in use 1845.
Questions about COV-4025
- What is COV-4025?
- COV-4025 is a recorded pre stamp cover of Umbalah, Punjab of 29 September 1845, bearing the Umbalah HG 4 handstamp in red. Letter send on 29th September 1845 from Umballah, India to England and addressed in it correct form, has been signed by Lt. Col Brooke and sent at the solfier's unpaid concession rate of postage by British Packet and specifically routed overland "Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" NOTE: The red oval 3.5 x 2.7mm handstamp "UMBALLA/ Aden /OVERLAND" the only recorded example. India 1845 (29 Sept.) entire letter "From Sergt. M Walker ... 3/1 Horse Artillary Umballah, Soldiers Letter Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" to England, countersigned by the Commanding Officer and showing oval-framed "india" and h.s. "2" on face, the reverse with large part strike (part cut away on opening), and only recorded example, of the oval-framed "umballa/overland" h.s. in red with "Aden" inserted in manuscript at centre, partially over-cancelled with light arrival c.d.s. (25.11); some internal sellotape repair work, some of which show through to face at top and at foot, nevertheless the only soldier´s letter specifically routed via Aden Estimate £ 300-400 Note: A British G.P.O. Instruction No. 27 of September 1845 noted arrangements had been made to convey from Aden direct to Bombay by Steam Vessels of the East India Company, letters for Bombay being carried from London by the Calcutta Packets. A similar arrangement applied for letters from Bombay to England, the mail being transferred at Aden This letter was carried on the East India Company´´s steamer "Cleopatra" to Aden where it was transferred to the P&O Packet "Hindostan" which carried it to Suez. The cover then travelled overland to Alexandria and was put aboard the P&O Packet "Orient" which carried it to London
- How scarce is the Umbalah HG 4 mark on this cover?
- The census grades Umbalah HG 4 as rare, counted from surviving recorded covers rather than estimated. The mark is recorded in use 1845.
- What is the provenance of COV-4025?
- Its recorded auction history runs through Spink Soldiers' Rates of the BE - Gerald Sattin Collection (Sale 8029) lot 197 (4 June 2008); and Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions 107 (2016).
- When was COV-4025 posted?
- COV-4025 is dated 29 September 1845, within the recorded period of use of Umbalah HG 4 (1845).
About this record
This 29 September 1845 pre stamp cover of British India bears the Umbalah HG 4 handstamp of the Punjab, a mark graded “Rare” in this census — the only surviving cover with this mark recorded so far. It has appeared at auction with Spink, Soldiers' Rates of the BE - Gerald Sattin Collection (Sale 8029), lot 197, (4 June 2008); Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions, 107, (2016).