India Qv Envelope 1 Anna Overprint And Surat Y Strike

Here is what I think is the same stamp as the other that I put on earlier, this time with a different overprint. What caught my eye was the "Y" (there I go rhyming again). I don't know if it is part of the postmark of part of the overprint. If anyone can help me with this stamp, I would greatly appreciate it. Sure is a pain not being able to look up World BOB. Thank all.

That is precisely why, members ought to take more time
in being precise with their queries.
It is all about assisting those that come after.

This is not a critcism but an explanation.

This thread could have been worded
"India stationery qv one anna opt"
or perhaps
"India postmark surat y"

In future when people search for information
your thread will be of immense help.

When someone uses "what is this"
after the help and time expended by members
the thread remains completely useless thereafter.

We all have to muck in to provide a usefull and valuable resource.

Whilst I cannot confirm your query,
I would suggest the "Y" is an audit device
for the cancelling hammers at the Surat GPO

Or, it may identify a position of the GPO
that routed the cover.

That is mainly guesswork

I have made queries on the same lettering
on the Egyptian cancellers of Alexandria
These letters go A,B.C.D,E,F,G similarly,
after no replies I came to the conclusion stated above.

Hope this helps.

If it is still an open question of whether the Y is part of the cancel or part of the overprint, I'd say it is definitely part of the cancel. I also don't know why (no pun intended).

Postal stationery is some of the hardest stuff to i.d. by catalogue, as you are often relegated to Higgins and Gage, which are not exactly everywhere. It would be a wonderful thing if Stanley Gibbons would add postal stationery to the Commonwealth & British Empire catalogue, but I'm sure that will never happen.

I also think the Y must be part of the Surat cancellation, but I can't explain what it's doing. Offhand, I don't recall seeing any similar letter in an Indian CDS. That position is often used to indicate some specialised function within the post office, such as DEL(ivery), REG(istration) or PAR(cel), but I can't imagine what Y would be.

It would be lovely if Gibbons included postal stationery, Cjd, but as you say, it's not going to happen. It would double the size of the Part 1 just for starters I tremble to think of the India & States section.

surat is a city in gujarat, india. I am not sure about the Y.

warm wishes.

Thank to all especailly rod for explaining why the title is so important. How short sighted of me, I never gave a thought about what came after my getting an explanation. The fact that it could help out again somewhere down the road never occurred to me. My apologies and I will try to be much more specific about my queries. I guess we may never know about the Y, but thanks for all the input from everyone.

jhlovell wrote:





The letter Y is part of the Surat postmark dt. November 27,1903, which is an index letter denoting specific time of mail dispatch, here it is 4 p.m.

Three index letters (X–Z) (used as movable slugs in dispatch postmarks) were first introduced in 1881 but its description and usage were later articulated in Rule 844 of the Indian Postal Manual 1883 when the index letters ranged M–Z, each allotted to specific dispatch time period.

The combined date and obliterator type of Surat HPO (est.1831) with index letter was introduced in 1893 to selected Head POs/Sub POs which handled on average 1000 postal articles daily.

The stationery cutout here is from British India 1A on 2A6P Vic. orange on white laid paper envelope (Higgins and Gage B7/Lang EK2) (14.6cm×8.3cm), issued in August 1899.

The surcharge overprint in black is also known impressed double or shifted which attract high premium.

The unoverprinted 2A6P envelope (H&G B6/Lang EK1) was originally issued on January 1,1893 (Edward G Fladung in H&G listing and also Derek Lang erroneously recorded the date as 1892), specifically for mail to all foreign countries except Iran and Sri Lanka as well as Índia Portuguêsa, after the reduction of the sea postage rate to 2A6P for 14.18gm (½oz) weight from January 1,1891.

But with the formal introduction of the "Imperial Penny Postage Scheme" on December 25,1898, the sea postage to GB and its other colonies was further reduced to 1A for 14.18gm (½oz), which is why remaing stock of B6 envelopes were surcharged ONE ANNA.

The image of the stationery cutout here does not reflect the true color of both the overprint and the cancel which were both black in color whereas it appears here slate violet, at least on my laptop screen.

It may be mentioned that the stamping ink for all postmarks including delivery marks was fixed as black by Rule 33 of the Indian Post Office Manual 1873; Chapter VIII: Stock Section II: Stamps and Seals Ink and Stamping Pads; p.79.