Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Darjeeling HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1846
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 77
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Darjeeling 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 Darjeeling HG 1 handstamp
Darjeeling is situated 27°3' N and 88°16' E, in the Darjeeling District, Bengal, in the Lower Himalayas, 379 miles from Calcutta. It was acquired by the British in 1835 as a sanitarium, in which year a Post Office was established.
Darjeeling HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Darjeeling 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 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 darjeeling pre stamp covers, darjeeling postal history or "Darjeeling HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Darjeeling marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Darjeeling HG 1 handstamp?
- Darjeeling HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Darjeeling in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1846. 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 Darjeeling HG 1?
- Darjeeling 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 Darjeeling pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Darjeeling 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 Darjeeling 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 (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 Darjeeling
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Darjeeling 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: Darjeeling HG 1, Darjeeling HG1, Darjeeling Giles 1, Darjeeling handstamp, Darjeeling pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Darjeeling HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/darjeeling/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026