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Hand Struck Stamps
Calcutta HG 35 — pre-1854 Indian handstamp, 1868, Black

Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Calcutta HG 35

Date Span
1868
Colour
Black
Rarity
Common
Note
Despatch
Catalogue
1989 Catalogue · p. 49
Figure
35
Submitted by
D. Hammond Giles

Census

Census records

0 covers recorded

No pre stamp cover bearing the Calcutta HG 35 handstamp has been recorded yet. If you hold one, submit it below.

No covers bearing this mark have been recorded yet. If you hold one, your submission — once reviewed — will appear here.

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About this mark

The Calcutta HG 35 handstamp

Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River.

Calcutta HG 35 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Calcutta — the present-day Kolkata — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1868. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 35".

No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for calcutta pre stamp covers, calcutta postal history or "Calcutta HG35" material can compare HG 35 across every office or browse the rest of the Calcutta marks.

Despatch

Frequently asked

What is the Calcutta HG 35 handstamp?
Calcutta HG 35 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Calcutta (modern Kolkata) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1868. The "HG 35" 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 Calcutta HG 35?
Calcutta HG 35 is graded "Common" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.
What does a Calcutta pre stamp cover with HG 35 look like?
A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Calcutta 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 35. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
How do I identify or submit a Calcutta HG 35 cover?
Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1868). 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 Calcutta

182 marks

182 other pre-1854 postal markings of Calcutta are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

View all Calcutta marks and postal history →

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Also searched as: Calcutta HG 35, Calcutta HG35, Calcutta Giles 35, Kolkata postal history, Calcutta handstamp, Calcutta pre stamp cover.

How to cite

Calcutta HG 35handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/calcutta/hg-35 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026