Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Bhauglepoor HG 2
- Colour & date
- Black1799–1808
- Rarity
- Rare
- Note
- Intaglio white on black – Rare The most important thing of this handstamp is that its a BILINGUAL one, the fact never been recorded by any one so far. This might be due to smudged and unclear handstamps. Hence the URDU wordings in the handstamps were taken as the design rather the wordings. This quite a clear handstamp shows PUR [ )و ] on left side and BHAGAL I Su lon right side of POST in the first line in URDU script and LA / 1 and VASU I ° 1 on left and right side of PAID on bottom line i.e. VASUL means PAID. URDU is a language which is read and write from right to left and accordingly the setting is done.
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 31
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
2 covers recorded2 pre-1854 covers bearing the Bhauglepoor HG 2 handstamp are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Bhauglepoor HG 2 handstamp
Bhauglepoor is situated 25°15' N and 8r E, on the right bank of the Ganges River, 265 miles from Calcutta, being the headquarters of Bhauglepoor District, Bengal.
Bhauglepoor HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Bhauglepoor — the present-day Bhagalpur — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1799 to 1808. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
2 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each 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 bhauglepoor pre stamp covers, bhauglepoor postal history or "Bhauglepoor HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Bhauglepoor marks.
Intaglio white on black – Rare The most important thing of this handstamp is that its a BILINGUAL one, the fact never been recorded by any one so far. This might be due to smudged and unclear handstamps. Hence the URDU wordings in the handstamps were taken as the design rather the wordings. This quite a clear handstamp shows PUR [ )و ] on left side and BHAGAL I Su lon right side of POST in the first line in URDU script and LA / 1 and VASU I ° 1 on left and right side of PAID on bottom line i.e. VASUL means PAID. URDU is a language which is read and write from right to left and accordingly the setting is done.
Frequently asked
- What is the Bhauglepoor HG 2 handstamp?
- Bhauglepoor HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Bhauglepoor (modern Bhagalpur) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1799 to 1808. The "HG 2" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Bhauglepoor HG 2?
- Bhauglepoor HG 2 is graded "Rare" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. 2 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each with images and provenance.
- What does a Bhauglepoor pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bhauglepoor 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 2. 2 surviving covers bearing this mark are recorded in the census, each 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 Bhauglepoor HG 2 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1799–1808). 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.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Bhauglepoor
7 marks7 other pre-1854 postal markings of Bhauglepoor are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Bhauglepoor HG 2, Bhauglepoor HG2, Bhauglepoor Giles 2, Bhagalpur postal history, Bhauglepoor handstamp, Bhauglepoor pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Bhauglepoor HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/bhauglepoor/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026