Lot 20078 – HALF ANNA USED BEFORE OFFICIAL DATE OF ISSUE CO

HALF ANNA USED BEFORE OFFICIAL DATE OF ISSUE COVER SENT ON AUGUST 17, 1854 FROM THE TONGNOO POST OFFICE IN BURMA 1854 1/2a Blue, two well-margined singles, die I, both cancelled by diamond of dots & tied by red boxed INDIA PAID & LONDON PAID cds, on small neat envelope from Tongnoo to Devon, England, paying the double Indian inland rate up to 1/2 tola, showing dispatch TONGNOO / 1854 AU 17 cds & boxed transit CALCUTTA / G.P.O. / SHIPLETTER / 9 SEP 1854, both in red This is apparently the unique and certainly earliest usage of Indian stamps prior to the official date of use Accompanying two letters verify the fact that stamps were available at the Tongnoo post office in August 1854, the two copies of letters number « No.210 » & « No.549 » were written by « J.R.B.Bennett, Postmaster General » to « The Director General of the Post Office in India » dated « Calcutta, General Post Office, the 28th August 1854 » & « The Postmaster General of Bengal » dated « Rangoon 19th August, 1854 » Letter No.210 states: « I have the honour to submit herewith copy of a letter No.549 dated 19th instant, from the Postmaster of Rangoon, from which it appears, that the authorities of Tongnoo through some unaccountable misapprehension have been vending the Stamp Labels supplied to that station and that the Tongnoo mail of the 10th instant which came in on Saturday last, contained several letters bearing the new Indian postage stamps » Letter No.549 states: « I have the honour to acquaint you, that in the mail dispatched from the Tongnoo Post Office on the 10th instant, received today, were enclosed several letters for delivery at this place and for transmission to the General Post Office, bearing the new India Postage Stamps….. » Note: The official date of issue was October 1, 1854 This is the unique usage of an India stamp prior to the official date of use. A marvellous exhibition showpiece and one of the most important items of Indian postal history Obviously, one of the greatest items in Indian Classic Philately Expertise: BPA (2012) States « INDIA – early use, in Burma: 17th August 1854 envelope from Tongnoo, Burma, « via Southampton » to London, franked (before official issue date) with two single 1854-55 1/2a, Die I (SG 2), cancelled ….., is genuine » Estimate: € 100’000 – € 150’000