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Hand Struck Stamps

Post office · Bengal Presidency

Moorshedabad

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.

Also known as: MurshidabadView on Google MapsWikipedia ↗

Brown border = community submission, verified by editors

Moorshedabad handstamp summary

All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.

MarkTypeColourDatesRarity
HG 1HandstampBlack1786–17942 examples recorded
HG 2HandstampBlack18051 example recorded
HG 2aHandstampBlack1815–18192 examples recorded
HG 3HandstampBlack1831Very scarce
HG 4HandstampBlack18611 example recorded

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.

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 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026

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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.