Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Kedgeree S5
- Date Span
- 1855-57
- Colour
- Black
- Rarity
- Common
- Note
- Four "E"s in Kedgeree 37 x 23mm
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 116
- Figure
- S5
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Kedgeree S5 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 Kedgeree S5 handstamp
Kedgeree, a small village in the Contai division of Midnapore District, situated 21°52' N and 87°59' E, on the right bank of the Hooghly River. Formerly an important anchorage, being the first landfall up the river, 20 miles from Calcutta, where mails on incoming vessels would be off-loaded, and letter-packets put on board vessels departing.
Kedgeree S5 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Kedgeree — the present-day Khejuri — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1855 to 1857. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "S5".
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 kedgeree pre stamp covers, kedgeree postal history or "Kedgeree S5" material can compare S5 across every office or browse the rest of the Kedgeree marks.
Four "E"s in Kedgeree 37 x 23mm
Frequently asked
- What is the Kedgeree S5 handstamp?
- Kedgeree S5 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Kedgeree (modern Khejuri) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1855 to 1857. The "S5" 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 Kedgeree S5?
- Kedgeree S5 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 Kedgeree pre stamp cover with S5 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Kedgeree is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like S5. 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 Kedgeree S5 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1855-57). 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 Kedgeree
14 marks14 other pre-1854 postal markings of Kedgeree are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Kedgeree HG 1handstampBlack1817–1820
- Kedgeree HG 2handstampBlack1821–1827
- Kedgeree HG 3handstampBlack1828–1832
- Kedgeree HG 4handstampBlack1835–1836
- Kedgeree HG 5handstampBlack1837–1842
- Kedgeree HG 6handstampBlack1846
- Kedgeree HG 7handstampBlack1838–1848
- Kedgeree HG 7AhandstampRed1844
- Kedgeree HG 7BhandstampBlack1854
- Kedgeree HG 8handstampBlack1857–1858
- Kedgeree S1handstampBlack1815–1822
- Kedgeree S2handstampBlack1822-28
- Kedgeree S3handstampBlack1828-39
- Kedgeree S4handstampBlack1836–1846
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Kedgeree S5, Kedgeree Giles S5, Khejuri postal history, Kedgeree handstamp, Kedgeree pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Kedgeree S5 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/kedgeree/s5 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026