5¢ Red Brown (12), mostly clear margins, touched at bottom, used with block of four of 10¢ Green, Types II/III (33/32), Positions 33-34/43-44L1, bright shade, tied by "Troy N.Y. Paid May 4, 1858" circular datestamps on light blue folded letter to Saugor, Hindustan (India), sender's directive "Overland via Southampton" and "Paid to India" with correct 45¢ postage for British Mail via Southampton--carried on the Cunarder Canada, departing from Boston May 5, 1858, and arriving at Liverpool May 17--"Boston Br. Pkt. 5 May" backstamp, red "40" credit handstamp, red British transit datestamp (May 17), manuscript "1" pence British Colonial credit marking--the journey to India continued from Great Britain on the Peninsular & Oriental Line steamer Columbo, departing Southampton May 20, and arriving at Alexandria (Egypt) June 2; carried overland to Suez and from there by the steamer Nubia to Aden (arriving June 10) and on to Bombay--red Bombay transit (June 24) and Saugor receiving datestamp (June 29) on back, receipt docketing "Recd June 29, 1858"

Fine overall appearance; the 10¢ block was originally folded over the top edge of letter--refolded and crease in stamps pressed out, inside of letter reinforced with silk, and 5¢ has faint small crease.

The three recorded 5¢ 1856 covers to India come from the same correspondence, addressed to Fitz-Edward Hall (1825–1901), the eldest of six children born in Troy, New York. Hall entered Harvard in 1846, but left the same year for Calcutta in pursuit of his brother. Wrecked off the Ganges and forced to stay in India, Hall took lessons in Hindustani and Sanskrit, and decided to stay to master the languages. From 1850 to 1855 he studied and taught as a professor of Sanskrit and English. In 1856 he became inspector of public instruction for the central provinces at Saugor. Hall served as a rifleman for nine months, fighting rebels in the Sepoy mutiny of 1856 to 1858, during which time these letters were sent to him from Troy. He left India in 1862, and settled in London as a professor of Sanskrit, Hindustani, and Indian jurisprudence in King's College.

Ex Mortimer L. Neinken, David T. Beals, Frederick R. Mayer and Joseph Hackmey. Illustrated in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 134). Signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook. With 1989 P.F. certificate.

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