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Lot# 1150 - Auction 309-320

  • Lot# : 1150 India

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    Feudatory States, Poonch 1886 (May 24): India ½ a. green stationary envelope from Srinagar via Sialkot and Kahuta to Poonch, the indicium cancelled in transit at the Imperial post office by SIALKOT cds (May 27), bearing on reverse Jammu & Kashmir 1883 ½ a. adhesive and showing a superb strike of the circular intaglio seal handstamp with four lines Dogri script "By the grace of Shri Ragunath. Seal of the Poonch State Post Office." followed by small "1939" corresponding to 1882-83, and in the lower half the same phrase in Persian, also KAHUTA transit (May 29) cds. The earliest recorded incoming mail to Poonch.rnrnNote: The existence of another Punch seal had been hinted at by the occasional covers seen addressed to Poonch, postdating the introduction of the new square obliterator, which bore faint impressions similar in diameter to the Poonch seal. Originally, it seemed that the first seal had been retained for the sorting of incoming mail. However, this cover provides irrefutable evidence of the second type, which is known to have been used almost exclusively for sorting purposes, and never as an obliterator.rnReference: Displayed as figure 5 and described in detail in the article "Punch: The Postal History" by Anthony S. Bard in London Philatelist 1270 (Nov. 1999), pp. 295-304.rnProvenance: Collections H. Garratt-Adams; and A. S. Bard.
    Starting bid : 1,500 CHF
    Hammer price : not sold