Post office · Bengal Presidency
Culpee
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1776
- Rare
- 1
Culpee, south of Calcutta, on the east bank of the Hooghly River, about 50 miles from Calcutta. There was a post office from 1766, but it is not in the 1854 list, having been superceded by Kedgeree as the first landfall for Calcutta from seaward.
Culpee has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1776 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Culpee 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 | 1776 | 3 examples recorded |
Frequently asked — Culpee postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Culpee?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Culpee are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Culpee post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Culpee was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1776.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Culpee?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Culpee 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.
- What is Culpee called today?
- Culpee is the colonial-era name of present-day Kulpi, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Culpee 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 Culpee 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: Culpee, Kulpi, Culpee HG 1, Culpee handstruck stamps, Culpee pre stamp covers, Culpee postal history.
How to cite
“Culpee, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/culpee (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Culpee?
If you hold a cover or strike from Culpee 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.