Post office · Bengal Presidency
BancorahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Bancorah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Bancorah handstamp recorded in 1838, Bengal Presidency, with 2 Bancorah covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1838
Bancorah (Bankura) is in the Burdwan Division of Bengal. It served as the headquarters of Bankura District and was an important centre for trade in rice and silk. The town came under British control in the late 18th century.
Bancorah has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1838 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Bancorah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | — | 1838 | Common |
Bancorah— postal history & markings
Bancorah — Bankura, in the Burdwan Division of Bengal — leaves a single common handstamp, HG 1 of 1838. The record is minimal, one mark only, with no rarity to single out. For the collector, Bancorah's interest lies in its place on the map: a district headquarters of the western Bengal uplands represented by a single strike.
Frequently asked — Bancorah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Bancorah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Bancorah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Bancorah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Bancorah was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1838.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Bancorah?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Bancorah in this census. 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 Bancorah called today?
- Bancorah 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 Bancorah 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 Bancorah 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 Bancorah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Bancorah, Bankura, Bancorah HG 1, Bancorah handstruck stamps, Bancorah pre stamp covers, Bancorah postal history.
How to cite
“Bancorah, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/bancorah (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Bancorah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Bancorah 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.