INDIAN STATES: Various States 1700-1900 - Used Pre-stamp Covers Description for the nr. 0001 stamp: Official correspondence or a legal document Place of Origin: India 1750-1820 Grade: Ungraded Certification : Uncertified Old Indian manuscript-style cover / folded letter, not a modern postal cover. Here’s an evaluation based on what is visible: Type: Handwritten folded letter (often called a dak or native cover) Period: Likely 18th–early 19th century, pre-adhesive postal era Script: Looks like a regional Indian script (possibly Persian-influenced administrative hand, or a local script such as Modi / Kaithi / early Devanagari variant). Material: Handmade Indian paper Postal marking: The boxed symbol on the right is likely a merchant’s mark, routing mark, or seal, not a postage stamp. Fair to good for its age Ink still visible Some creasing and wear, expected for period material No obvious modern damage Based on the handwriting style in your image, the script can be identified with high confidence as MODI script. Likely origin & date Region: Western India (Maharashtra / Deccan) Language: Marathi Date range: c. 1750–1820 Script & orientation Modi script, read left → right This is a folded letter cover, so much of what we see are address and docket lines, not the body text. Script: Modi (Marathi) Content type: Address / routing docket Elements present: Personal ames with honorifics Number (likely accounting or routing) Merchant mark 1. Script evolution (very important for dating) Your example shows: Highly cursive, compressed Modi Letters often joined and simplified Minimal ornamentation Fast administrative/merchant hand, not calligraphic Earlier Modi (pre-1700) is more angular and spaced Later Modi (post-1830) becomes more standardized and influenced by print-era forms Confirms pre-British postal standardization 4. Paper & ink From the image: Handmade Indian paper Slightly fibrous, uneven tone Ink appears carbon-based, slightly brown-black Look carefully at the images to form an opinion The shipment will be from UK Lot TMR1 – 119