India 4 Anna Bisect On Part Cover.

What does this look like under UV light, both long-wave and short-wave?

Unfortunately that's one piece of kit I do not have. What would I be looking for under UV. Please explain.

Sterling,
I have consulted HENDY

Solved my FLEURON query (used from 1840)


Now, RECEIVING HOUSES
Found the indented square OK, but raises questions beyond me
from what I read, it should have subsidiary hammer impressions

London was then 1 postal area.

I leave it in your capable hands
If you can nut it out, please advise.
Perhaps other auxiliary markings were on the missing piece of the cover.
Perhaps regulations changed 9 years hence.

rod222



How all these are applicable on the incoming mail from foreign destination?

The fleuron here is part of the Giles G3 mark of Mumbai.

I shared this in our India Study Circle online group and here are some observations.

• There are 2 black spots (deeper black shade) which are the remnants of original cancels.

• The stamp at the right is affixed later as indicated by torn perfs.

• The stamp at the right is slightly off-aligned with respect to the stamp at the left.

Sterling can confirm the torn perfs and the presence of any gum remnant on the right side.

Joy.



I have yet to read any literature on the process of overseas received mail, at that time, so I am happy to learn.



Yep, understood that.
When I was considering it may be a Brit Pmk, I was then curious as to when any fleuron was used in a Brit context.
The image solved that for me.

rod222



The designation RMS was used by the British Admiralty ships that carried mail and the contract steamers of the companies which were granted Royal Charter of Incorporation.

POSNC mail steamers were all SSs.

Joy

There are 2 black spots as can be seen on the right are they remnants of an earlier cancel its difficult to tell or are they of the original cancel with lines up with the cancel on the stamp on the left. Its debatable.

I can confirm that the stamp are a pair there is no evidence that the stamp on the right was added later or the perfs were torn, there is a possibility that there is a fold on the last two perfs as indicated by you in green. At 600 dpi scanning and looking through a loupe of 30 x magnification I do not see it.

AS the stamps are a pair they can only be inline.

I can confirm that there are no torn perfs the staining on the right looks more like an oily cancellation than any gum remnants.
I could do a larger scan but limited to what this forum can accept.

Subsidiary question.
The India Mails
How did the mail, get from Paris to London?
I cannot find any info on this short , last hop.

rod222



India Mail was carried by rail from Paris to Calais/Boulogne, then by steamer to Dover and then again by rail to London in the 1850s.

Sterling, can you share higher resolution scan of the stamps thru e-mail? I can then send my e-mail address to you.

Yes - I could do that. Send me your email address.

Iron Paddle Steamer SS POTTINGER

English: Iron paddle steamer Pottinger, 1846 P. & O. Ltd. Built by W. Fairbairn & Son's, Millwall, London. Yard No. 233. Launched: 28th March 1846. 1858. Troops of the 92nd Regiment mutinied, refusing to sail on her from Suez because they would have to berth on deck.

This would suggest otherwise,
the POTTINGER was not showing advancement over the wooden hulled steamers.

This suggests P&O were RMSP Royal Mail Steam Packets
so why not the RMS prefix ?

Oops less subservient.

Thoughts:

Firstly, if one of the issues is the tieing of the bisect to envelope, then cannot "similar staining/smudging" that I see around and on both stamps and envelope officially "tie" the stamp to the envelope. That "could be" (not preferred) another way to tie the stamp other than the "official postmark."

Secondly, there are good comments about "higher magnification" ... concur. Which would then also help with the above "firstly".

Lastly, when expertised they can "lift" part of stamp to peer underneath. UV may or may not help but worth a try (as suggested earlier). I have ordered a short/long wave UV thingy and hope it will be of value to me for some items I have.