Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Cherapunjee HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1847
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1996 Supplement · p. 3
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Cherapunjee HG 1 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 Cherapunjee HG 1 handstamp
Cherrapunji, also known as Sohra, is a sub-divisional town in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, famed as one of the wettest places on earth.
Cherapunjee HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cherapunjee — the present-day Cherrapunji — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1847. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1996 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 cherapunjee pre stamp covers, cherapunjee postal history or "Cherapunjee HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Cherapunjee marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cherapunjee HG 1 handstamp?
- Cherapunjee HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cherapunjee (modern Cherrapunji) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1847. The "HG 1" 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 Cherapunjee HG 1?
- Cherapunjee HG 1 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 Cherapunjee pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Cherapunjee 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. 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 Cherapunjee 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 (1847). 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 Cherapunjee
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Cherapunjee is recorded in the census. Compare it against this mark to place your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Cherapunjee HG 1, Cherapunjee HG1, Cherapunjee Giles 1, Cherrapunji postal history, Cherapunjee handstamp, Cherapunjee pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cherapunjee HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/cherapunjee/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026