1902 Combination envelope of Travancore Village Post (V-26..വി-൨൬) Kunnikode to England.

 

 1902 (1078 ME) envelope from Travancore Village Post - Kunnikodu (V-26.(വി-൨൬) to England... Not recorded.

1902 Travancore 'One Chuckram' stamp affixed private envelope from a Village Post office of Kunnikode (V-26..വി-൨൬..not previously recorded) via Kottarakara, then transferred to Imperial Post of Kottarakara with Queen Victoria 'One Anna' stamp duly cancelled, to Weston Super Mare, Somersetshire,  England.

Kunnikoddu(കുന്നിക്കൊടു ) Village post office (വി -26) started functioning from the year 1078 ME (1902).

'Via Shencotta'... in manuscript on the reverse. Must have travelled thru' the town of Shenncottah anchal office, though no cancellations seen.

Kunnikode Village(V-26)...10 Nov,  1902.

Kottarakkara Anchal.. 10 Nov.

Kottarakkara Imperial.. 11 Nov. 

Sea Post Office(Bombay)...15 Nov. 

Weston Super Mare.... 30 Nov.

 

1899 British India Service card to Travancore local post.

British India/Travancore Anchal combination card. 

1899 India Post Service card (Post office Savings Bank notice to depositors) from Kottayam Imperial Post, forwarded to the Travancore local post office of Kottayam, for onward delivery to Palai,  

and then redirected....as the addressee has moved to Changnacherry...Postage due...(5 cash).

The postage rate was 5 cash in 1899.

Kottayam Imperial.. 8 Nov 1899

Kottayam Anchal... 9 Nov.(Thulam 24,1075)

Palai...10 Nov.(3/ 25/'75)

Redirected from Palai...10 Nov.(3/25/75)

Changnacherry.. 11 Nov.(3/26/75) 

Manuscript by Anchalman..

അന്വേഷിച്ചതിൽ ഈ പേരുകാരൻ  ചങ്ങനാശേരിക്ക്...

75-3-25

 

1897 Combination (British India & Travancore frankings) cover with missent yellow instruction label, from Imperial Post to Travancore Anchal.. Teppakulam(Madurai) to Kottayam.

 1897  India 'Half Anna' Victoria envelope from Teppakulam (near Madurai), carried by train from Madurai to Coimbatore, and wrongly routed to Coonnoor with yellow instruction label affixed, addressed to Kottayam Imperial, and then transferred to Kottayam (Travancore Anchal) for onward transmission to the Travancore local post office of Mannanam. 

Missent to Coonnoor.. and returned  with the yellow  instruction label (COVER WRONGLY DEALT WITH BY P.O.  PLEASE RETURN TO POSTMAN FOR ENQUIRY AND NOTICE). 

 Teppakulam (30 April,  1897)

Madurai (?) Railway transit postmark.. M.10.OUT/SET No 4/AP.30

Coimbatore (?) Railway transit postmark.. M.10.IN/SET No 4/AP.30

Coonoor (2 May)

Coonoor (2 May) 

Kottayam Imperial (5May)

Kottayam Anchal (6 May) 

Mannanam (7 May).

Cochin Half Puthan envelopes travelled to Travancore

 1893 to 1909 Cochin Half Puthan envelopes travelled to Travancore.

Volkart Bros: addressed interstate wrappers, cards & covers from Alleppey (Travancore) to Cochin

Volkart Brothers, a Swiss trading company (1851), which had its branch in Cochin (1859), exported spices, tea, cotton, coffee, cocoa, cotton etc,etc, & imported paper, watches, textiles, and other industrial machinery/goods).

7 different Travancore wrapper/card/covers addressed to 'VOLKART Bros', Cochin, from Alleppey.

1) 1897 Travancore 1/2 Chuckram Wrapper from Alleppey..തി -31) to Cochin.

2) 1897 Travancore Cash Eight perforated reply post card from Alleppey to Cochin.

3) 1897 Travancore Chuckram Three envelope from Alleppey (തി 31) to Cochin.

4) 1913 Travancore Half Chuckram  envelope from Alleppey  to Cochin.

5) 1914 Travancore 6 Cash stamp on cover (underpaid by 2 cash.. hence കൂലി..cancel) from Alleppey to Cochin (പിരിയണ്ടാകുല്ലി.. മുന്നു പൈ...3 pies due).

6) 1914 Travancore...Chuckram 1 stamp on cover (overpaid by 8 cash.. hence the blue manusript...'8 കാശിന്റെ സ്റ്റാമ്പ്‌ കൂടുതൽ ഒട്ടി കാണുന്നു'...8 cash excess stamps affixed) from Alleppey to Cochin.

7) 1914 Travancore...Chuckram 2 stamp on cover (overpaid by 1 Chuckram 8 cash.. hence the blue manusript...' 1 1/2 ചക്കറം സ്റ്റാമ്പ്‌ കൂടുതൽ ഒട്ടി കാണുന്നു'...1 1/2 chuckram excess stamps affixed) from Alleppey to Cochin.

Parvati Bai specimens/patterns/commemorative coins?...

Photo courtesy... first 2 photos... From the book 'Traversing Travancore through the ages on coins'... and exhibited in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (England)...Page..130.

 1) Debased gold/silver...Weight..0.38 grams & 7mm.
2) Gold... Weight...0.38 grams & 8mm.
3) Silver... Weight...0.74 grams & 9mm.
Interesting feature of the first 2 specimens is that it is faceless..only the third coin do have a face. 
Are these hand struck patterns/commemorative coins  from the Rani Gouri Parvati Bai period (1815-'29)?

From the book of Dr Joseph Thomas..'Legends of Travancore, A Numismatic Heritage'.. Page 220.
But the permission to mint coins (gold, silver varahan) was disallowed by the British Presidency.
Instead, did the Travancore Mint issued a  small double chuckram Lakshmi Silver coin (0.74 grams.. shown top), with the perfect specifications of a Half Fanam, during Regent Parvati Bai period, in continuation of 1817 Gold 1/16 Lakshmi Varahan (shown below) and the gold (.38 gms) and silver (.38 gms) showed on top?

1817 Gold 1/16 Lakshmi Varahan
Gold..2.53 grams.. 11mm.
(page 118.. coin #193  from the book of Beena Sarasan...'Traversing Travancore..'.
Exhibited in British Museum, London, England.
 

British Travancore Military covers of 2nd World War