Today in Postal History

    

India to Netherlands
April 21, 1873

This folded letter is a nice example of
market reports often found in the 19th century.
Market reports were prepared to advise traders of
current prices and offerings of commodities and other goods.

In this case, the report is for the market in
Bombay and was sent to a trading firm in Amsterdam.

The market report was printed on a single sheet of paper and folded.
The preprinted address was printed on a sheet
of perforated gummed paper and applied to the folded report.

Two stamps were applied: an 8 pie mauve of the 1865 issue and,
what I believe is a 2 anna yellow of the same issue (SG 57 and 61).

There are two strikes of a CDS with number 1 killer.
There is an illegible marking under the CDS on the 2 anna stamp.

The PD marking indicates that this letter was was paid to its destination.
The routing was specified as Via Brindisi
which provided the fastest delivery to European cities.

It is interesting to contemplate the changes in technology since 1873
when the quotations were weeks old when seen by prospective buyers and
even more weeks old when orders were executed.
Now such commodity trades are priced and trades completed in seconds.