Post office · Bengal Presidency
BancoorahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Bancoorah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Bancoorah handstamp recorded in 1855, Bengal Presidency, with 1 Bancoorah cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1855
- Rare
- 1
Bankura district (Pron: bā̃kuɽā) is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of Medinipur division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. Bankura district is surrounded by Purba Bardhaman district and Paschim Bardhaman district in the north, Purulia district in the west, Jhargram district and Paschim Medinipur district in the south, and some part of Hooghly district in the east. Damodar River flows in the northern part of Bankura district and separates it with the major part of Burdwan district.[4] The district head quarter is located in Bankura town.
Bancoorah has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Bancoorah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1855 | Rare |
Frequently asked — Bancoorah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Bancoorah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Bancoorah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Bancoorah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Bancoorah was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1855.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Bancoorah?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Bancoorah 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 Bancoorah called today?
- Bancoorah is the colonial-era name of present-day Bankura, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Bancoorah 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 Bancoorah 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.
For background on the material itself, see the guides to the handstruck stamps of India, the pre covers of India and the pre stamp covers of India, which explain how marks like those recorded at Bancoorah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Bancoorah, Bankura, Bancoorah HG 1, Bancoorah handstruck stamps, Bancoorah pre stamp covers, Bancoorah postal history.
How to cite
“Bancoorah, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/bancoorah (accessed 13 November 2026).
Updated: 13 Nov 2026
An unrecorded mark from Bancoorah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Bancoorah 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.