1937 Brussels (Belgium) to Trivandrum airmail cover

1937 flight cover from Brussels to Trivandrum via Karachi.  Travel time is 10 days...

Despatched from Brussels (Belgium)..5 Jan,1937

Transit station @ Karachi...9 January.

Delivered @ Trivandrum..15 Janunary. 

 

 

Pillar post manuscript cancel...Pallikkal pick up box via Kayamkulam

1895 Eight Cash card picked up from a Pillar box @ Pallikkal (12/May /1895....

'30-9-70 പള്ളിക്കൽ'.....duly pen stroked on the card by the Anchal Man, with the nearest designated anchal office at Kayamkulam (13/May) to Edapally (14 May).

Pallikkal anchal office which opened as an experimental office in 1889 had to close its office as it is not profitable to carry forward.  Started once again functioning & this time, as a Village anchal office from the year 1077 (1901-'02)....what started as a mail pick up point into a full fledged post office.

 Example of Pallikkal circular dated Stamp of 1890.

1882 (pre-adhesive) Letter Receipt from Ambalapuzha (Travancore) to the Dewan of Cochin.

1882 a.d....Official (Sarkar Karyam) Registered Letter Receipt (to be returned)....ഉറപ്പ് കത്തു രസീത് (തിരിയെ അയക്കേണ്ടതു)

1882 a.d....pre-adhesive period  official Letter Receipt (for registered..ഉറപ്പു കത്ത് ), posted late (scroll cancel... Nitepoke), from Ambalapuzha (Travancore) via North Paravur (Thekken Paravur....transit point of Travancore) , addressed to the Cochin Dewan, with the Ernakulam conch black round seal....'എറണാകുളത്തു അ.....'  probably അപ്പിസ്സ്  or അഞ്ചൽ.

...Posted late (reverse side.. scroll type  'Nithepoke' in vernacular language) from Ambalapuzha (1058 Dhanu 4....18 December, 1882) to Ernakulam (Dhanu 6...20 December) via transit station of Thekken(North) Paravur (1058 Dhanu 5....19 December, 1882)

10 years before the launch of adhesive stamps & covers in Cochin &
6 years prior to the release of adhesive stamps & envelopes in Travancore.

Scarce & Rare..only one reported, so far.

Reverse side of the receipt. 

Posted late (reverse side.. scroll type  'Nithepoke' in vernacular language) from Ambalapuzha (1058 Dhanu 4....18 December, 1882) to Ernakulam  via transit station of Thekken(North) Paravur (1058 Dhanu 5....19 December, 1882)

1861 Registered cover from Cochin to Bombay

1861 (Feb 20) registered cover from Volkart Brothers, Cochin to their office in Bombay (March 06) bearing C-130 (in diamond of dots) cancelled on 1 Anna brown & 4 Anna black Victoria stamps...certified by Peter Holcombe.

Very scarce.

 

REGISTERED No

3 types of 'REGISTERED' Rectangular handstamp.

Registration of letters were introduced in the year 1041 M.E.(1865-'66). Rectangular handstamps were supplied in the year 1047 M.E.(1871-'72).

TYPE 1...this rectangular boxed (രജിസ്റ്റർചെയ്തു) handstamp inscribed in Malayalam, which was used in the pre-adhesive period, followed it up (very scarce) to the early years of post-adhesive period (after 1888)..a sample of which, shown below is of 1890 (Kanjirapally...Thi-46). 

Rarely seen used in after 1888.

 TYPE 11..this rectangular boxed handstamp in Malayalam (രജിസ്റ്റർചെയ്തു) with Number (ന... (നമ്പർ ) & Weight (തു.... (തൂക്കം ) measuring in multliple sizes existed over a period of time.

TYPE 111..this rectangular boxed handstamp (REGISTERED) in English, with numerous size & style exists...mostly seen after 1940.

Pre-adhesive period...REGISTER..in manuscript. .1879

1879 Registered (in pen stroke..രജി നമ്പ്ര-ന്ന...Reg No 6) folded letter from South (തെക്കൻ  പറവൂർ ) Paravur  (21/2/55...Sept 08, 1879) to Irinjalakuda.

Registration fee was 7 Chuckram  (registration process of letters was introduced in 1865).

This fee was lowered to 6 Ch in 1881-'82, and subsequently to 3 Ch, when adhesive stamps & envelopes were first issued in 1888.

2 different types of EXPRESS (അടിയന്തിരം) mail markings.

2 different types of EXPRESS (അടിയന്തിരം) mail postal markings.
 
1) അടിയന്ത്രം..vernacular (Malayalam).

2) EXPRESS...English marking.

These instructional 'Express'(അടിയന്ത്രം) markings were seen affixed on registered postal articles which are meant to delivered urgently within few hours of posting.

The postal fees were calculated on the basis of distance per mile.

As these Express or Urgent delivery system were not accepted by the public, due to the high postal charges, they were seldom seen used on postal articles.

 These markings were never found used as cancellations, but only as directions to the postman as to the the importance of its expedite delivery.

 അടിയന്തരം'... Pre-adhesive period (prior to 1888) manuscript ...requires further study, for it is written  by the sender itself, in order to be delivered ASAP.

1944 Dead Letter Office (D.L.O.) 'Ambulance' envelope

This privelege 'ambulance' (serves the purpose of an Ambulance which carries the deceased to its home)  envelope was used to return the  unclaimed / refused / D. L. O.  letters/envelopes to the office of despatch (only if the senders address is written on the dead cover), for delivery to the sender, free of charge.

An unclaimed envelope addressed to K.Kunjulakshmi Amma, enclosed in the D.L.O. envelope was posted from D. L.O. office @ Trivandrum (19 Vri 1120..Dec 04, 1944) to the Official Receiver, Trivandrum  (21 Vri '20..6/12/'44).

'Detter' for Letter...erroneously printed.

 Very Rare.  

British India 'Postage Due' on Travancore Cash Eight card

1) Travancore to Calcutta. 

1892...Travancore 8 Cash card posted from Tiruvella Anchal office (Medam 11, 1067...April 24) to Changnacherry Anchal office (Medam 12..April 25) ...Pre-stamp era cds.

 & transferred to Changnacherry (manuscript in Malayalam by the Anchal postmaster) Imperial post on April 25  for onward transmission to Calcutta with boxed Postage Due (1/2 Anna..in red manuscript). Delivered @ Calcutta  (April 30).

Postcard rate is 1/4 Anna, hence taxed by 1/2 Anna..twice the deficient.

 2) Travancore green Anchal postbox to Imperial  red postbox.

1893 (13 April) Travancore Cash Eight perforated (10) post card from Kanjirapally (addressed to Appu Ayengar, Sub postmaster of Kottayam Post Office-British India) to Kottayam local Travancore anchal office (15 April) 

& then transferred/posted to British Imperial Kottayam office, attracting a Postage Due fine of One Anna...(normal post card rate is 1/4 Anna,  since this is a (part of) double card..normal rate for double card is 1/2 Anna...hence taxed by 1 Anna).

Travelled thru' the green Travancore post box & red box of British India.

British Imperial India combination envelopes.

1) 1892 Travancore One Chuckram envelope tied with Victoria Half Anna stamp cancelled with squared circle of Tenkasi on the reverse....posted from Tenkasi (25 April 1892) to  British post @ Shencottah (26 April)...then transferred to Travancore Anchal post @ Shencotta..Thi-54 barred circle (Medam 15, 1067...27 April) & to the final destination @ Quilon (Medam 16...28 April).

2) 1889 Private envelope tied with One Chuckram stamp affixed on the reverse with  Thi 50 barred circle of  Mavelikara  (Kanni 5, 1065) posted to Kayamkulam  (Kanni 6) & then transferred to British Post of Kayamkulam (27 Sept, 1889) with Queen Victoria 1/2 Anna stamp tied with 'M' in barred circle of Kayamkulam, addressed to Tellicherry (29 Sept).

Reverse of the envelopes..1 & 2

Obverse of the envelopes..1 & 2.

 

Travancore...covers affixed with only Travancore stamps travelled to Australia & England...with Postage Due.

 1936 & 1942...Unusual to find envelopes with Travancore stamps only,  travelled abroad with censor markings ...Usually these envelopes would be affixed with British India stamps.

Probably this must have escaped the postal authorities attention, and passed thru', only because they are official envelopes with Travancore service stamps.

Experimental Office cancel No 3

7 th July 1919 (Midhunam 22, 1094)....the earliest cover, as mentioned by P. Wells in ISC journal, was despatched registered from Cochin State  Pazhayannur (C-22) to Kazhakambalam (Travancore), with Parikshartham (പരിക്ഷാർത്ഥo ആപ്പിസ്  No 3) cancel.

No 3...office, though an Experimental Office (only for 6 months) was in the limelight for almost 12 years..(1919 to 1930).

 

Interstate Cochin Half Puttan envelope to Quilon, Travancore State..

 1904 ...Cochin Half Puttan green envelope to Quilon via Travancore mail exchange station.. Edapally to Quilon.

1932 envelope from British Imperial post to Travancore post.

1932, April 26

 from Manaparai (British Post) to Ettumanoor (British Post..27 April) & then transferred to Travancore Ettumanoor post office (16 Medam 107...27 April 1932) with postage due (Kuli... കൂലി)...and delivered on the same day to the destination...Kidangoor (കിടങ്ങൂർ...'ർ' is missing)...Malayalam...single line circular cancel.

 Scarce usage, for these are hard to find..British India & Travancore cancellation in one cover. Postage Due (Kuli) 'probably' be 1 1/2 Chuckram (24 cash..double the deficiency of 3/4 ch (12 cash). 

There was no mention of rate of postage due, in the rectangular slab.

In 1932, there was a change,after 12 years, from 10 cash to 12 cash for  normal postage.

 

 

Delivery cancellation with Time & Day...Alleppey.

 Travancore.....rare delivery postmarks with Day & Time..പകൽ 3:30.

Very Scarce.

1904 April 22....1/2 Chuckram affixed stamp on a private envelope from Alleppey (Thi-31) to Alleppey...despatched (മേടം 10, 1079)  & delivered (മേടം 11..April.23 1904) from Alleppey.

 Scarce delivery cancel of  Pakal 3:30..(പകൽ 3:30)..Morning 3:30.

Time never reported before....പ  3:30.

Time seen before - 8:30 & 3.

Please check my blog for the above time specimens.

Thi-75 & Thi-103..Kaduthruthy

1) 1890 & 1891....Chuckram One envelopes from Kaduthuruthy (in manuscript on the reverse.. along with despatch date), both addressed to Kottayam.

Kaduthuruthy ..Thi-75 (തി -75)..scarce cancellation.

 

Despatch cds seal was not available to the Kaduthuruthy anchal office, at that period of time (hence pen written)...though Anchal office was started in M.E. 1064 (1888 a.d.)...and closed in 1070 (1895).

...to be reopened in Kaduthuruthy under Ettumanoor division, as a Village post office in 1080 M E.(1895)...

 Later to be promoted as an Anchal office again (Thi-103) in 1909..M.E
1085 (shown in the bottom page). 

 2 Kaduthruthy manuscript cancel with date.

'10-2-66 കടുത്തുരുത്തി'

'16-12-66 കടുത്തുരുത്തി'

2) 1909 a.d. Thi-103 (തി - 103)..Kaduthuruthy to Kaduthuruthy..postage rate is 1/2 ch (1/2 tola) plus registered charge of 3 chuckrams.

So when did Kaduthuruthy Village office became an Anchal office again, after it closed at 1895..is it in the year 1909 (M.E 1085)?

Thi-103 is absolutely rare.

1880 Queen Victoria British India Quarter Anna postcard from Trivandrum to Kottayam

1880 East India Queen Victoria Quarter Anna card to Kottayam C.M.S. College (21 Feb) from Trivandrum (19 Feb).

CMS College.. 

Travancore's first & India's first western styled & oldest existing college (two years older than the Bengal's Hindu College), founded by the Church Missionary Society of England, was started under the reign of Queen Gouri Parvati Bai, when Col. John Munro (East India Company - Resident) was the Dewan of Travancore) in 1815.

Rev: Benjamin Bailey was the first principal of the college.