Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Nepaul HG 4
- Colour & date
- Black1854–1855
- Rarity
- Rare
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- Hellrigl
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Nepaul HG 4 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Nepaul HG 4 handstamp
Nepaul (Nepal) refers to the East India Company postal establishment serving the British Residency at Kathmandu. The Residency was established in 1816 following the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Treaty of Sugauli. Mail was carried by runners through the Terai to the Company postal network in Bengal.
Nepaul HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Nepaul — the present-day Kathmandu — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1854 to 1855. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 4" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for nepaul pre stamp covers, nepaul postal history or "Nepaul HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Nepaul marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Nepaul HG 4 handstamp?
- Nepaul HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Nepaul (modern Kathmandu) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1854 to 1855. The "HG 4" 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 Nepaul HG 4?
- Nepaul HG 4 is graded "Rare" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Nepaul pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Nepaul is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like HG 4. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Nepaul HG 4 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1854–1855). 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 Nepaul
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Nepaul are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Nepaul HG 4, Nepaul HG4, Nepaul Giles 4, Kathmandu postal history, Nepaul handstamp, Nepaul pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Nepaul HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/nepaul/hg-4 (accessed 24 July 2026).
Updated: 24 Jul 2026