Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Patna HG 14a handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Patna HG 14a handstamp
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 HG 14a is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Patna in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1844. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 14a" 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 patna pre stamp covers, patna postal history or "Patna HG14a" material can compare HG 14a across every office or browse the rest of the Patna marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Patna HG 14a handstamp?
- Patna HG 14a is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Patna in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1844. The "HG 14a" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in red.
- How rare is Patna HG 14a?
- Patna HG 14a 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 Patna pre stamp cover with HG 14a look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Patna 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 14a. 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 Patna HG 14a cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1844). 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 Patna
18 marks18 other pre-1854 postal markings of Patna are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Patna HG 1handstampBlack1785
- Patna HG 2handstampRed1795–1814
- Patna HG 3handstampBlack1797
- Patna HG 4handstampBlack1816
- Patna HG 5handstampBlack1818
- Patna HG 6handstampBlack1823–1829
- Patna HG 7handstampBlack1824–1829
- Patna HG 8handstampBlack1830–1835
- Patna HG 9handstampMauve1830
- Patna HG 10handstampBlack1831–1835
- Patna HG 10ahandstampRed1832
- Patna HG 11handstampBlack1834–1837
- Patna HG 12handstampBlack1835
- Patna HG 13handstampRed1837
- Patna HG 14handstampRed1838–1852
- Patna HG 15handstampBlack1839-47
- Patna HG 15ahandstampBlack1840
- Patna HG 16handstampRed1847-49
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Patna HG 14a, Patna HG14a, Patna Giles 14a, Patna handstamp, Patna pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Patna HG 14a — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/patna/hg-14a (accessed 22 August 2026).
Updated: 22 Aug 2026