Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Dinapore HG 8
- Date Span
- 1846-47
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 84
- Figure
- 8
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Dinapore HG 8 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 Dinapore HG 8 handstamp
Dinapore is situated 25°38' N and 85°3' E, in Patna District, Bengal Presidency. It was an important military station, with a large cantonment. The 1857 uprising in the Patna Division started at Dinapore with three sepoy regiments breaking out in open revolt.
Dinapore HG 8 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Dinapore — the present-day Danapur — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1846 to 1847. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 8".
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 dinapore pre stamp covers, dinapore postal history or "Dinapore HG8" material can compare HG 8 across every office or browse the rest of the Dinapore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Dinapore HG 8 handstamp?
- Dinapore HG 8 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Dinapore (modern Danapur) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1846 to 1847. The "HG 8" 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 Dinapore HG 8?
- Dinapore HG 8 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 Dinapore pre stamp cover with HG 8 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Dinapore 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 8. 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 Dinapore HG 8 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1846-47). 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 Dinapore
8 marks8 other pre-1854 postal markings of Dinapore are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on 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: Dinapore HG 8, Dinapore HG8, Dinapore Giles 8, Danapur postal history, Dinapore handstamp, Dinapore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Dinapore HG 8 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/dinapore/hg-8 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026