Post office · Bengal Presidency
Chass
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1789
- Rare
- 1
Chass is situated 10 miles north of Purulia, in Manbhum District in West Bengal. It was on the Benares Trunk Road of Warren Hastings, and had a Post Office in 1789, but not recorded in the 1837 Post Office Act.
Chass has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1789 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Chass handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1789 | Rare |
Frequently asked — Chass postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Chass?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Chass are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Chass post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Chass was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1789.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Chass?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Chass in this census, of which 1 is graded rare or better. Each mark carries its Hammond Giles catalogue figure number, colour, date range, evidence-based rarity grade, and links to every surviving cover recorded with it.
- How do I identify a Chass postmark or cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impressions on this page — each figure shows the mark's design, ink colour and recorded date range. If your Chass cover bears a mark that matches a figure, open that figure's page to see every recorded example with provenance. If it matches none, it may be unrecorded: submit photographs through the form on this page and the editors will review it for inclusion in the census.
Also searched as: Chass, Chass HG 1, Chass handstruck stamps, Chass pre stamp covers, Chass postal history.
How to cite
“Chass, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/chass (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Chass?
If you hold a cover or strike from Chass that does not match any figure above, submit it below. Approved additions appear here as new entries in the census — every submission is reviewed first.
Same presidency
Other post offices in the Bengal Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Bengal Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.