Bonelli's Electric Telegraph Co. Ltd. was formed in August 1860 by Henry Cook, an American, of 69 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, and Eastbourne, with an initial capital of £25,000. The company was formed to exploit the telegraph system of Gaetano Bonelli of Italy, but the firm had limited success, and it failed in 1864.^[1]

The company issued a number of telegraph stamps which are of interest to philatelists. It is unclear, however, whether the stamps were ever used as only unused copies are known.^[2]