Post office · Bengal Presidency
MaldaPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Malda postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Malda handstamps recorded between 1827 and 1852, Bengal Presidency, with 4 Malda covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1827–1852
- Rare
- 1
Maida is situated in East Bengal, 25°2' N and 88°8' E at the confluence of the Kalindri and the Mahananda. During the eighteenth century it was the seat of thriving cotton and silk manufactures and both the Dutch and French had factories there, but from 1810 it began to lose its prosperity.
Malda has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1827–1852 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Malda handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Malda— postal history & markings
Malda's two handstamps, both in black, come from a town at the confluence of the Kalindri and Mahananda in eastern Bengal, once a centre of the silk trade. HG 1 of 1827 is very scarce, followed by the common HG 2 of 1850. The record is small, but that very scarce opener gives the collector a target — a compact all-black office anchored by its early strike.
Frequently asked — Malda postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Malda?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Malda are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Malda post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Malda was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1827 and 1852.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Malda?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Malda 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 Malda 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 Malda 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 Malda were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Malda, Maldah, Malda HG 1, Malda handstruck stamps, Malda pre stamp covers, Malda postal history.
How to cite
“Malda, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/malda (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Malda?
If you hold a cover or strike from Malda 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.