Post office · Bengal Presidency
DumDum
- Handstamps
- 8
- Recorded
- 1822–1854
- Rare
- 1
Dum Dum, a town in the Barrackpore division of the District of Twenty-four Parganas, Bengal, situated 22°38' N and 88°25' E. It was the Headquarters of the Bengal Artillery from 1783 to 1853, and is the site of the Government ammunition factory .
DumDum has 8 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1822–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Manuscript markings
1 markBefore handstamps were introduced, postmasters wrote postal details by hand — these manuscript markings pre-date the struck marks above.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
DumDum handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — DumDum postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of DumDum?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of DumDum are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the DumDum post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. DumDum was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 8 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1822 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for DumDum?
- 8 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for DumDum 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.
- How do I identify a DumDum 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 DumDum 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: DumDum, Dum Dum, DumDum HG 1, DumDum handstruck stamps, DumDum pre stamp covers, DumDum postal history.
How to cite
“DumDum, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/dumdum (accessed 11 August 2026).
Updated: 11 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from DumDum?
If you hold a cover or strike from DumDum 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.