Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Chass HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Chass HG 1 handstamp
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 HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Chass in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1789. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for chass pre stamp covers, chass postal history or "Chass HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Chass marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Chass HG 1 handstamp?
- Chass HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Chass in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1789. The "HG 1" 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 Chass HG 1?
- Chass HG 1 is graded "Rare" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Chass pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Chass 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. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, 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 Chass 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 (1789). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Chass HG 1, Chass HG1, Chass Giles 1, Chass handstamp, Chass pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Chass HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/chass/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026