Souvenir cover issued by Air-India
Special large rectangular illustrated Air Mail covers were issued by Air-India. Colourful, with a large bold red panel on the top, and a smaller greenish blue panel below, they had a oval white space to print the address. The cover had a drawing of the Lockheed Constellation L-749A Mogul Princess (VT-CQS), one of the first three aircraft delivered to Air-India. In fact, it was the Malabar Princess (VT-CQP) that actually had the honour of undertaking the maiden voyage.
Also notice in all the covers below that they do not contain the BOMBAY G.P.O., 8 JUN 48 circular date stamp. It seems that these were cancelled elsewhere, perhaps at the Bombay airport.
Also notice in all the covers below that they do not contain the BOMBAY G.P.O., 8 JUN 48 circular date stamp. It seems that these were cancelled elsewhere, perhaps at the Bombay airport.
Air-India International flight from Bombay to London 8 June 1948.
Unusual example of the Tata souvenir cover.
Air-India International Souvenir Cover franked with the 12 as commemorative stamp issued for the flight, and tied with the special flight cachet as well as circular BOMBAY G.P.O., 8 JUN 48 postal cancellation mark. However, the cover is not addressed to anyone, and not flown. This is the first example I have seen of a cover with such characteristics.
Air-India Souvenir cover addressed to Cairo. has the 12 as. stamp, and was over-stamped by 2 as., as the Letter rate by Air Mail to Egypt was only 10 as. Arrival stamp in Arabic script on the front of the cover as well.
Inauguration of India - UK Air Service by Air-India
8 June 1948
8 June 1948
948.1.2 Addressed to Cairo
Registered Souvenir cover, produced by Tata Limited, with the single value 12a. stamp and 4 as franking (registration fee) on reverse, with the official first day of issue Bombay cancellation. The postage to Egypt was 10a. and the cover was over stamped by 2a. Despite instructions that other cancellation was to applied on the 12a. stamp, it is tied with a Bombay G.P.O., 8 July 48 postal handstamp.
Registered Souvenir cover, produced by Tata Limited, with the single value 12a. stamp and 4 as franking (registration fee) on reverse, with the official first day of issue Bombay cancellation. The postage to Egypt was 10a. and the cover was over stamped by 2a. Despite instructions that other cancellation was to applied on the 12a. stamp, it is tied with a Bombay G.P.O., 8 July 48 postal handstamp.
Air-India Souvenir cover addressed to Geneva. Since the postage rate to Geneva was 14 as. the sender has correctly added 2 as. postage on the reverse. Arrival mark at Geneva (9-VI 48) is also on the reverse.
Air-India Souvenir cover addressed to London. Correctly franked with the 12 a. airmail letter rate, the cover does not have any arrival mark at London. The Postmaster at London G.P.O. was clearly unhappy at the thought of Air-India carrying mail to London, something done exclusively by B.O.A.C. so far, and he expressed his displeasure by refusing to affix arrival marks on these covers. However, examples of arrival marking in the U.K. do exist, and I have displayed these elsewhere in this gallery.
Air-India Souvenir Cover with a block of four of the commemorative 12 as value stamp issued for the occasion, and cancelled by the regular BOMBAY G.P.O. 8 JUN 48 cachet. While it seems a fair conclusion that the cover was flown on the 8 June flight, there is no marking of the boxed rectangular souvenir cachet used that day. I have only seen a handful of such examples.