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.