Post office · Bengal Presidency
BarrackporePostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Barrackpore postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 7 Barrackpore handstamps recorded between 1819 and 1854, Bengal Presidency, with 15 Barrackpore covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 7
- Recorded
- 1819–1854
- Rare
- 1
Barrackpore is situated 22°46' N and 88°21' E, on the east bank of the River Hooghly, 15 miles above Calcutta, Bengal. The name is probably derived from the fact that troops have been stationed here since 1772. Twice involved in mutinies, in 1824 and again in 1857.
Barrackpore has 7 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1819–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Barrackpore handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Barrackpore— postal history & markings
Barrackpore's seven handstamps, from 1819 to 1854, include one of the style collectors prize: HG 3, an intaglio mark struck white on black and known from three examples. HG 1 of 1819 is scarce, and HG 5 carries a spelling variety — a single 'R' in 'BARACKPORE'. HG 4 records the handover of the post from military to civil control.
Troops had been stationed here, fifteen miles above Calcutta, since 1772, and the cantonment was twice caught up in mutiny, in 1824 and again in 1857. Its post reflects that garrison life, and between the reverse-cut HG 3 and the one-R spelling, the office offers the specialist rather more than a plain run of Bengal town marks.
Frequently asked — Barrackpore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Barrackpore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Barrackpore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Barrackpore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Barrackpore was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 7 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1819 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Barrackpore?
- 7 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Barrackpore 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.
- How do I identify a Barrackpore 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 Barrackpore 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 Barrackpore were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Barrackpore, Barrackpur, Barrackpore HG 1, Barrackpore handstruck stamps, Barrackpore pre stamp covers, Barrackpore postal history.
How to cite
“Barrackpore, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/barrackpore (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Barrackpore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Barrackpore 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.