Post office · Bengal Presidency
MoorshedabadPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Moorshedabad postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 5 Moorshedabad handstamps recorded between 1786 and 1861, Bengal Presidency, with 6 Moorshedabad covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 5
- Recorded
- 1786–1861
- Rare
- 5
Moorshedabad was the headquarters of the Lalbagh subdivision of the District, Bengal, situated 24°12' N and 88°17' E, on the left bank of the Bhagirathi River. The battle of Plassey was fought in 1757 just beyond the limits of the town. Moorshedabad, having been the seat of the Mohammadan government in Bengal, came into British possession when the E.!. Company received the Diwani of Bengal in 1765.
Moorshedabad has 5 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1786–1861 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Moorshedabad handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Moorshedabad— postal history & markings
Moorshedabad, the former capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, leaves a small but exceptional record — five handstamps, all in black, reaching back to 1786. Nearly every one is a rarity: HG 1 of 1786 is known from two examples, HG 2 of 1805 and HG 2a from one apiece, HG 3 is very scarce and HG 4 from a single strike. Standing on the Bhagirathi near the field of Plassey, the town had been the seat of Bengal's power before Calcutta eclipsed it, and its post carries that weight of history. For the collector, this all-black run of one- and two-example strikes is among the more coveted small sets in the Bengal series.
Frequently asked — Moorshedabad postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Moorshedabad?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Moorshedabad are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Moorshedabad post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Moorshedabad was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 5 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1786 and 1861.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Moorshedabad?
- 5 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Moorshedabad in this census, of which 5 are 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.
- What is Moorshedabad called today?
- Moorshedabad is the colonial-era name of present-day Murshidabad, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Moorshedabad 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 Moorshedabad 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 Moorshedabad were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Moorshedabad, Murshidabad, Moorshedabad HG 1, Moorshedabad handstruck stamps, Moorshedabad pre stamp covers, Moorshedabad postal history.
How to cite
“Moorshedabad, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/moorshedabad (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Moorshedabad?
If you hold a cover or strike from Moorshedabad 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.