Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Calcutta X1
- Colour & date
- Black1775
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Note
- The Indian BISHOPMARK is the rarest and most valued of all the Indian Handstruck Postage marks. Its known use is confined to Calcutta, and was only applied to occasional letters, it seems, as a random check. A different stamp was used for each month, though no example has yet been recorded for the months of September, October or November.
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 61
- Figure
- X1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Calcutta X1 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.
About this mark
The Calcutta X1 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 X1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Calcutta — the present-day Kolkata — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1775. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "X1".
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 "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for calcutta pre stamp covers, calcutta postal history or "Calcutta X1" material can compare X1 across every office or browse the rest of the Calcutta marks.
The Indian BISHOPMARK is the rarest and most valued of all the Indian Handstruck Postage marks. Its known use is confined to Calcutta, and was only applied to occasional letters, it seems, as a random check. A different stamp was used for each month, though no example has yet been recorded for the months of September, October or November.
Frequently asked
- What is the Calcutta X1 handstamp?
- Calcutta X1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Calcutta (modern Kolkata) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1775. The "X1" 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 X1?
- Calcutta X1 has 1 example recorded 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 X1 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 X1. 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 X1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1775). 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 marks182 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.
- Calcutta HG 1handstampBlack1775–1787
- Calcutta HG 1ahandstampBlack1775–1786
- Calcutta HG 2handstampBlack1775–1787
- Calcutta HG 3handstampBlack1776–1789
- Calcutta HG 4handstampBlack1787
- Calcutta HG 5handstampBlack1788
- Calcutta HG 6handstampBlack1788
- Calcutta HG 7handstampBlack1788
- Calcutta HG 8handstampBlack1788–1789
- Calcutta HG 9handstampBlack1789
- Calcutta HG 10handstampBlack1788–1820
- Calcutta HG 10ahandstampBlack1795–1817
- Calcutta HG 11handstampBlack1791–1818
- Calcutta HG 11ahandstampBlack1791–1822
- Calcutta HG 12handstampBlack1807–1818
- Calcutta HG 13handstampBlack1822–1830
- Calcutta HG 13ahandstampRed1825
- Calcutta HG 14handstampBlack1823
- Calcutta HG 15handstampBlack1815–1837
- Calcutta HG 15ahandstampBlack1817–1837
- Calcutta HG 16handstampBlack1818–1837
- Calcutta HG 16ahandstampBlack1821–1837
- Calcutta HG 17handstampBlack1833–1837
- Calcutta HG 18handstampBlack1836
- Calcutta HG 19handstampBlack1834
- Calcutta HG 20handstampBlack1830–1835
- Calcutta HG 21handstampRed1837–1845
- Calcutta HG 22handstampBlack1837–1854
- Calcutta HG 23handstampRed1838–1852
- Calcutta HG 23AhandstampRed1842
- Calcutta HG 24handstampRed1839–1851
- Calcutta HG 24AhandstampRed1838–1851
- Calcutta HG 25handstampRed1841–1851
- Calcutta HG 26handstampBlack1844–1852
- Calcutta HG 27handstampRed1847–1854
- Calcutta HG 28handstampBlack1847–1854
- Calcutta HG 29handstampRed1847-53
- Calcutta HG 29AhandstampBlack1852
- Calcutta HG 30handstampBlack1861-64
- Calcutta HG 31handstampBlue1864
- Calcutta HG 32handstampBlack1866-74
- Calcutta HG 33handstampRed1862-75
- Calcutta HG 34handstampRed1867-68
- Calcutta HG 35handstampBlack1868
- Calcutta HG 36handstamp1849–1859
- Calcutta G1handstampBlack1791
- Calcutta G2handstampRed1808-16
- Calcutta G3handstampRed1816–1820
- Calcutta G4handstampRed1821–1822
- Calcutta G5handstampRed1818-24
- Calcutta G6handstampRed1824-25
- Calcutta G7handstampRed1826
- Calcutta G8handstampBlack1825–1832
- Calcutta G9handstampRed1827–1837
- Calcutta G10handstampBlack1830–1833
- Calcutta G11handstampBlack1832
- Calcutta G12handstampRed1834–1839
- Calcutta G13handstampRed1834-37
- Calcutta G14handstampRed1837-53
- Calcutta G15handstampRed1847–1848
- Calcutta G16handstampRed1850
- Calcutta G17handstampRed1851
- Calcutta G17ahandstampRed1851
- Calcutta G18handstampRed1851-58
- Calcutta G19handstampRed1847–1858
- Calcutta G20handstampBlack1854-57
- Calcutta G21handstampRed1855-58
- Calcutta G23handstampBlue1857–1866
- Calcutta G24handstampRed1859–1863
- Calcutta G25handstampRed1859-63
- Calcutta G26handstampBlue1859-63
- Calcutta G27handstampBlue1872
- Calcutta SD1handstampBlack1794–1795
- Calcutta SD2handstampBlack1799–1816
- Calcutta SD3handstampBlack1816
- Calcutta SD4handstampBlack1816
- Calcutta SD5handstampRed1816–1818
- Calcutta SD6handstampBlack1816–1819
- Calcutta SD7handstampRed1816–1819
- Calcutta SD8handstampBlack1820-24
- Calcutta SD8ahandstampBlack1824-25
- Calcutta SD8bhandstampBlack1825–1828
- Calcutta SD9handstampBlack1828–1834
- Calcutta SD10handstampBlack1834–1840
- Calcutta SD11handstampBlack1837–1855
- Calcutta SD12handstampRed1837–1851
- Calcutta SD13handstampRed1837–1853
- Calcutta SD14handstampRed1838–1855
- Calcutta SD15handstampRed1843–1845
- Calcutta SD16handstampRed1838-46
- Calcutta SD16ahandstampRed1846–1851
- Calcutta SD17handstampRed1846–1856
- Calcutta SD18handstampRed1851-56
- Calcutta SD19handstampRed1856
- Calcutta SD20handstampRed1845-62
- Calcutta SD20ahandstampRed1848-53
- Calcutta SD21handstampRed1847–1854
- Calcutta SD22handstampRed1851–1852
- Calcutta SD23handstampRed1853
- Calcutta SD24handstampRed1842–1854
- Calcutta SD25handstampBlack1848-54
- Calcutta SD26handstampRed1847-53
- Calcutta SD27handstampRed1857-65
- Calcutta SD28handstampRed1857–1865
- Calcutta SD29handstampBlack1857-62
- Calcutta SD30handstampBlack1857-62
- Calcutta SD31handstampRed1858-67
- Calcutta SR1handstampBlack1795
- Calcutta SR2handstampRedPre-1807
- Calcutta SR3handstampRed1807-27
- Calcutta SR4handstampRed1809
- Calcutta SR5handstampRed1826-37
- Calcutta SR6handstampBlack1807-16
- Calcutta SR7handstampBlack1816–1819
- Calcutta SR8handstampBlack1820–1821
- Calcutta SR9ahandstampBlack1821–1837
- Calcutta SR9bhandstampBlack1821–1837
- Calcutta SR10handstampBlack1835-37
- Calcutta SR11handstampBlack1827-29
- Calcutta SR12handstampBlack1827-29
- Calcutta SR13handstampBlack1827–1829
- Calcutta SR14handstampBlack1827–1829
- Calcutta SR15handstampBlack1827-29
- Calcutta SR16handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR17handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR18handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR19handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR20handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR21handstampBlack1830
- Calcutta SR22handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR23handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR24handstampBlack1830–1832
- Calcutta SR25handstampBlack1830–1832
- Calcutta SR26handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR27handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR28handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR29handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR30handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR31handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR32handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR33handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR34handstampBlack1830–1832
- Calcutta SR35handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR36handstampBlack1830-32
- Calcutta SR37handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR38handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR39handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR40handstampBlack1832–1837
- Calcutta SR41handstampBlack1832-37
- Calcutta SR42handstampBlack1833-36
- Calcutta SR42ahandstampBlack1837–1839
- Calcutta SR43handstampBlack1837–1838
- Calcutta SR44handstampBlack1837–1845
- Calcutta SR45handstampBlack1837–1859
- Calcutta SR46handstampRed1838–1855
- Calcutta SR48handstampBlack1839–1858
- Calcutta SR49handstampBlack1841–1857
- Calcutta SR50handstampBlack1851–1861
- Calcutta SR51handstampBlack1860–1865
- Calcutta HG SRahandstampRed1821–1837
- Calcutta X2handstampBlack1775–1776
- Calcutta X3handstampBlack1776–1784
- Calcutta X4handstampBlack1784
- Calcutta X5handstampBlack1784
- Calcutta X6handstampBlack1784
- Calcutta X7handstampBlack1777
- Calcutta X8handstampBlack1777
- Calcutta X12handstampBlack1776
- Calcutta X13handstampBlack1838–1858
- Calcutta X14handstampBlack—
- Calcutta X15handstampBlack1846–1865
- Calcutta X16handstampBlack1848-51
- Calcutta X17handstampBlack—
- Calcutta X18handstampBlack1843–1856
- Calcutta X19handstampBlack1840
- Calcutta X20handstampBlack1849
- Calcutta X21handstampBlack1849
- Calcutta X22handstampBlack1849
- Calcutta X23handstampBlack1856
- Calcutta X24handstampRed1854
- Calcutta X25handstampBlack1863–1870
- Calcutta X26handstampBlack1865
Suggest a correction
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Also searched as: Calcutta X1, Calcutta Giles X1, Kolkata postal history, Calcutta handstamp, Calcutta pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Calcutta X1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/calcutta/x1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026