Post office · Bengal Presidency
CulnahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Culnah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Culnah handstamps recorded between 1839 and 1846, Bengal Presidency, with 1 Culnah cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1839–1846
Culnah is a sub-division and town in Burdwan District, Bengal, situated 23°13' N and 88°22' E, on the right bank of the Bhagirathi River. Formerly of great importance in Mohammadan times, being the port which supplied the District.
Culnah has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1839–1846 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Culnah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Culnah— postal history & markings
Culnah's two handstamps, of 1839 and 1846, come from a subdivision town in the Burdwan District on the Bhagirathi. Both are in common use, one black and one red. The record is minimal and ordinary, with no rarity to single out. For the collector, Culnah is a clean pair filling a small place on the Bengal river map — a compact office of a riverine station near Calcutta.
Frequently asked — Culnah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Culnah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Culnah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Culnah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Culnah was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1839 and 1846.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Culnah?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Culnah in this census. 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.
- What is Culnah called today?
- Culnah is the colonial-era name of present-day Kalna, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Culnah 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 Culnah 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.
For background on the material itself, see the guides to the handstruck stamps of India, the pre covers of India and the pre stamp covers of India, which explain how marks like those recorded at Culnah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Culnah, Kalna, Culnah HG 1, Culnah handstruck stamps, Culnah pre stamp covers, Culnah postal history.
How to cite
“Culnah, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/culnah (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Culnah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Culnah 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.