Post office · Bengal Presidency
MoteharyPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Motehary postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Motehary handstamps recorded between 1846 and 1855, Bengal Presidency, with 1 Motehary cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1846–1855
Motehary was the headquarters of Champaran District, Bengal, situated 26°40' N and 84°55' E. It became a trading centre for weaving, net-making and oil-pressing.
Motehary has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1846–1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Motehary handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Motehary— postal history & markings
Motehary's two handstamps, of 1846 and 1853, come from the headquarters of the Champaran District in northern Bengal, indigo country near the Nepal border. HG 1 is common and the black HG 2 scarce. The record is small, but the scarce second mark gives the collector a target — a compact office from a district that would later gain fame in the story of India's freedom struggle.
Frequently asked — Motehary postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Motehary?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Motehary are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Motehary post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Motehary was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1846 and 1855.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Motehary?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Motehary 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.
- What is Motehary called today?
- Motehary is the colonial-era name of present-day Motihari, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Motehary 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 Motehary 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 Motehary were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Motehary, Motihari, Motehary HG 1, Motehary handstruck stamps, Motehary pre stamp covers, Motehary postal history.
How to cite
“Motehary, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/motehary (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Motehary?
If you hold a cover or strike from Motehary 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.