- Handstamps
- 19
- Recorded
- 1785–1852
- Rare
- 10
Patna, the chief town in Patna District, Bengal, is situated 25°37' N and 85°10' E, on the right bank of the Ganges River, a few miles below its junction with the Son. During the eighteenth century the East India Company established a factory at Patna, and this was involved in the event of the Massacre of Patna in 1763. It later became involved during the 1857 uprising. Patna did not enter British India until 1818.
Patna has 19 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1785–1852 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Patna handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1785 | Rare |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Red | 1795–1814 | Rare |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1797 | Rare |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1816 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1818 | 2 examples recorded |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1823–1829 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Black | 1824–1829 | 2 examples recorded |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Black | 1830–1835 | Very scarce |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Mauve | 1830 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1831–1835 | Scarce |
| HG 10a | Handstamp | Red | 1832 | Very scarce |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Black | 1834–1837 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Black | 1835 | Scarce |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Red | 1837 | Common |
| HG 14 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1852 | Common |
| HG 14a | Handstamp | Red | 1844 | Rare |
| HG 15 | Handstamp | Black | 1839–1847 | Common |
| HG 15a | Handstamp | Black | 1840 | Scarce |
| HG 16 | Handstamp | Red | 1847–1849 | Common |
Frequently asked — Patna postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Patna?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Patna are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Patna post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Patna was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 19 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1785 and 1852.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Patna?
- 19 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Patna in this census, of which 10 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.
- How do I identify a Patna 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 Patna 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: Patna, Patna City, Patna HG 1, Patna handstruck stamps, Patna pre stamp covers, Patna postal history.
How to cite
“Patna, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/patna (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Patna?
If you hold a cover or strike from Patna 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.