Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Culnah HG 2
- Date Span
- 1846
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 74
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Culnah HG 2 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 Culnah HG 2 handstamp
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 HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Culnah — the present-day Kalna — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1846. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
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 culnah pre stamp covers, culnah postal history or "Culnah HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Culnah marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Culnah HG 2 handstamp?
- Culnah HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Culnah (modern Kalna) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1846. The "HG 2" 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 Culnah HG 2?
- Culnah HG 2 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 Culnah pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Culnah 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 2. 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 Culnah HG 2 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1846). 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 Culnah
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Culnah 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: Culnah HG 2, Culnah HG2, Culnah Giles 2, Kalna postal history, Culnah handstamp, Culnah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Culnah HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/culnah/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026