BHUBANESHWAR, May 16 : Two rare pre-stamp postal covers from Odisha have fetched record prices at a recent auction conducted by the US-based Siegel Auction Gallery, philately experts said.
The covers, part of the prestigious Magnolia Collection of Indian Postal Stationery, belong to the pre-stamp era when postage stamps had not yet been introduced and postal charges were prepaid by the sender.
One of the covers, an official folded letter posted from Puri on May 2, 1838, was sold for USD 950 (around Rs 1.2 lakh). The cover, addressed to P. DaCosta, bears an oval hand stamp reading “POOREE/FREE”, reflecting the spelling used during the East India Company period.
Another rare cover posted from Sambalpur on September 3, 1850 and addressed to Androssan in Scotland fetched USD 800 (around Rs 1 lakh). The cover carries the framed hand stamp “SUMBULPORE/Paid” and had reportedly travelled via Calcutta, Marseilles and London before reaching the addressee on October 21.
Philatelists said the covers are among the earliest known postal articles linked to Odisha and provide valuable insights into the region’s colonial postal history.
According to Anil Dhir, Vice-President of the Eastern India Philatelic Association and Fellow of the Philatelic Congress of India, pre-stamp covers from Odisha are extremely scarce and prized among collectors due to their early hand stamps and manuscript markings dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
He said Odisha’s early postal network functioned under the Bengal Presidency during British rule, with important mail routes connecting Cuttack, Puri and Balasore to Calcutta.
Dhir, who is also Convener of the Bhubaneswar chapter of INTACH, said several heritage post offices and dak bungalows in the state have either been demolished or extensively renovated over the years.
“These structures are important remnants of the colonial era and deserve proper preservation because of their historical significance,” he said.
(UNI)
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