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

 

1880 Pre-stamp period folded registered letter

A folded registered letter from the period 1880...but can't read out the point of entry or exit.. Can spot Trivandrum cds.

Need help to decipher.

55-6- 15...year 1055-Makaram-15th.....28 Jan, 1880

REGISTER number 57

 

1904 Wrapper Six Cash from Trivandrum to Quilon/Punalur. Manuscript numbers, to prevent pilferage..

 1904  Six Cash Wrapper (21:26) Type 11 from Trivandrum (cds..31mm.. Moos type 3.. to Quilon.
Trivandrum (Kar 13 1079)..July 28,1904.
As the addresee is out of station, anchalman tried to deliver 3 times (a delay of 6 days)...hence the Malayalam manuscript (3)... in violet.
Send from Quilon (Kar 19 1079... Aug 3) Punalur (Kar 20 1079... Aug 4).

The manuscript number in Malayalam seen on the wrappers, written in ink, is from the treasury itself by the officials, to take stock of the wrappers sent to different Anchal offices..

This number helps to keep track and prevent pilferage.

Malayalam manuscript (3)... in violet.

1902 Cash Six wrapper from Attungal to Peermade

1902 Cash Six wrapper addressed to Miss Baker, Peermade...returned, as the addressee has gone to England.

Attungal (തി 21)......(10/1/1078)..Aug 26, 1902
Peermade....(12/10)... Aug 28.

As the addresee has gone to England, returned to the sender..Sepoy Velu..13-1-78 (Aug 29)..in manuscript (blue)..
And also by the Peermade Anchal Master..in red m.s.

Peermade.....(16/10)... Sept 1

Attungal..... (18/10)... Sept 3.

Manuscript in blue by the Peermade Anchal Sepoy.

ശിമക്ക് പോയിരിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ കൊടുപ്പാൻ പറ്റില്ല ആയതിനാൽ, ഉടമസ്ഥന്നു ഏൽപ്പിക്കണം..
ശിപായി വേലു.. 13-1-78.

 Manuscript in red by the Peermade Anchal Master.

'ശിമക്ക് പോയിരിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ,  മടക്കി വന്നിരിക്കുന്നാൽ  ഉടമസ്ഥനെ ഏൽപ്പിക്കണം..

അറ്റിങ്ങൽ '