Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Bugwah HG 1
- Date Span
- 1850-54
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 44
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
2 covers recorded2 pre-1854 covers bearing the Bugwah HG 1 handstamp are recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Bugwah HG 1 handstamp
Bugwah is 30 miles from Rungpore, and 332 miles from Calcutta, in the District of Rungpore.
Bugwah HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Bugwah in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1850 to 1854. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for bugwah pre stamp covers, bugwah postal history or "Bugwah HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Bugwah marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Bugwah HG 1 handstamp?
- Bugwah HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Bugwah in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1850 to 1854. 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 Bugwah HG 1?
- Bugwah HG 1 is graded "Common" 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 Bugwah pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bugwah 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. 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 Bugwah 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 (1850-54). 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 Bugwah
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Bugwah is recorded in the census. Compare it against this mark to place 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: Bugwah HG 1, Bugwah HG1, Bugwah Giles 1, Bugwah handstamp, Bugwah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Bugwah HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/bugwah/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026