Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Bancoorah HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1855
- Rarity
- Rare
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- Private
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Bancoorah HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Bancoorah HG 1 handstamp
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 HG 1 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Bancoorah — the present-day Bankura — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1855. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for bancoorah pre stamp covers, bancoorah postal history or "Bancoorah HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Bancoorah marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Bancoorah HG 1 handstamp?
- Bancoorah HG 1 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Bancoorah (modern Bankura) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1855. The "HG 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in red.
- How rare is Bancoorah HG 1?
- Bancoorah HG 1 is graded "Rare" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Bancoorah pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bancoorah is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like HG 1. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Bancoorah HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1855). If your cover is not already recorded, you can submit front and back photographs through the census form on this page; every submission is editor-reviewed before publication.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Bancoorah HG 1, Bancoorah HG1, Bancoorah Giles 1, Bankura postal history, Bancoorah handstamp, Bancoorah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Bancoorah HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/bancoorah/hg-1 (accessed 13 November 2026).
Updated: 13 Nov 2026