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Hand Struck Stamps
Calcutta X24 — pre-1854 Indian handstamp, 1854, Red

Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Calcutta X24

Colour & date
Red1854
Rarity
Scarce
Note
Bangy Post (Parcel)
Catalogue
1989 Catalogue · p. 62
Figure
X24
Submitted by
D. Hammond Giles

Census

Census records

0 covers recorded

No pre stamp cover bearing the Calcutta X24 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 X24 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 X24 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 1854. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "X24".

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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for calcutta pre stamp covers, calcutta postal history or "Calcutta X24" material can compare X24 across every office or browse the rest of the Calcutta marks.

Bangy Post (Parcel)

Frequently asked

What is the Calcutta X24 handstamp?
Calcutta X24 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Calcutta (modern Kolkata) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1854. The "X24" 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 Calcutta X24?
Calcutta X24 is graded "Scarce" 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 X24 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 X24. 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 X24 cover?
Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1854). 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 X24, Calcutta Giles X24, Kolkata postal history, Calcutta handstamp, Calcutta pre stamp cover.

How to cite

Calcutta X24handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/calcutta/x24 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026