Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Gowahaty HG 1A
- Colour & date
- Black1830
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Figure
- 1A
- Submitted by
- D Pittie
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Gowahaty HG 1A handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Gowahaty HG 1A handstamp
Gowahaty (Goa-hathi = "high land covered with areca-palms"), in Kamrup District, in Assam, on both banks of the Brahmaputra River, is situated 26°11' N and 91°45' E. In 1826, when Assam was ceded to the Company, Gowahaty became the headquarters orthe Assam Division.......
Gowahaty HG 1A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Gowahaty — the present-day Guwahati — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1830. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 1A" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for gowahaty pre stamp covers, gowahaty postal history or "Gowahaty HG1A" material can compare HG 1A across every office or browse the rest of the Gowahaty marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Gowahaty HG 1A handstamp?
- Gowahaty HG 1A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Gowahaty (modern Guwahati) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1830. The "HG 1A" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Gowahaty HG 1A?
- Gowahaty HG 1A has 1 example recorded in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Gowahaty pre stamp cover with HG 1A look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Gowahaty 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 1A. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Gowahaty HG 1A cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1830). 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 Gowahaty
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Gowahaty 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: Gowahaty HG 1A, Gowahaty HG1A, Gowahaty Giles 1A, Guwahati postal history, Gowahaty handstamp, Gowahaty pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Gowahaty HG 1A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/gowahaty/hg-1a (accessed 16 July 2026).
Updated: 16 Jul 2026