Post office · Bengal Presidency
JalaiPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Jalai postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Jalai handstamp recorded in 1850, Bengal Presidency.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1850
Jalai was in the Mozafferpore (Muzaffarpur) District, situated approximately 26°18' N and 85°5' E. (Giles 1993 Supplement)
Jalai has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1850 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Jalai handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1850 | Common |
Jalai— postal history & markings
Jalai, in the Muzaffarpur country of northern Bengal, leaves a single common red handstamp, HG 1 of 1850. The record is minimal, one mark only, with no rarity to single out — a single strike from a small office of the Tirhoot country, filling a corner of the map.
Frequently asked — Jalai postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Jalai?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Jalai are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Jalai post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Jalai was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1850.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Jalai?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Jalai in this census. 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 Jalai 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 Jalai 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.
For background on the material itself, see the guides to the handstruck stamps of India, the pre covers of India and the pre stamp covers of India, which explain how marks like those recorded at Jalai were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Jalai, Jalai HG 1, Jalai handstruck stamps, Jalai pre stamp covers, Jalai postal history.
How to cite
“Jalai, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/jalai (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Jalai?
If you hold a cover or strike from Jalai 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.