Post office · Bengal Presidency
Balasore
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1836–1838
- Rare
- 1
Balasore, on the right bank of the Burhabalang River, 15 miles from its mouth, but only 6 miles by direct line to the sea in Bengal, situated 21°30' N and 86°56' E. First place to be occupied by the English in 1633, because the safety of its roadstead, near the mouth of the Ganges, enabled sea-going ships to unload their cargoes into smaller vessels for transport up the Hooghly River.
Balasore has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1836–1838 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Balasore handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Balasore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Balasore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Balasore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Balasore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Balasore was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1836 and 1838.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Balasore?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Balasore in this census, of which 1 is graded rare or better. Each mark carries its Hammond Giles catalogue figure number, colour, date range, evidence-based rarity grade, and links to every surviving cover recorded with it.
- What is Balasore called today?
- Balasore is the colonial-era name of present-day Baleshwar, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Balasore postmark or cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impressions on this page — each figure shows the mark's design, ink colour and recorded date range. If your Balasore cover bears a mark that matches a figure, open that figure's page to see every recorded example with provenance. If it matches none, it may be unrecorded: submit photographs through the form on this page and the editors will review it for inclusion in the census.
Also searched as: Balasore, Baleshwar, Balasore HG 1, Balasore handstruck stamps, Balasore pre stamp covers, Balasore postal history.
How to cite
“Balasore, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/balasore (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Balasore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Balasore that does not match any figure above, submit it below. Approved additions appear here as new entries in the census — every submission is reviewed first.
Same presidency
Other post offices in the Bengal Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Bengal Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.