Post office · Bengal Presidency
RajemahalPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Rajemahal postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 3 Rajemahal handstamps recorded between 1776 and 1848, Bengal Presidency, with 11 Rajemahal covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1776–1848
- Rare
- 2
Rajemahal is in the San tal Parganas District, Bengal on the right bank of the Ganges, situated 25°3' N and 87°50' E. After his return from the conquest of Orissa, Man Singh, Akbar's Rajput general, selected Rajemahal as the capital of Bengal, because of its central position with respect to Bengal and Bihar, and because it commanded the Ganges and the pass of. T eliagarhi.
Rajemahal has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1776–1848 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Rajemahal handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Rajemahal— postal history & markings
Rajemahal leaves a small but exceptional record. Its three handstamps, on the Ganges in the Santal Parganas of Bengal, open with HG 1 of 1776 — an intaglio mark, cut in reverse and struck white on black, and rare — followed by the equally rare intaglio HG 2 and a common mauve HG 3. The 1776 opener is among the very oldest marks recorded on the census, and both intaglio strikes belong to a prized reverse-cut style. For the collector, Rajemahal packs genuine age and rarity into just three marks, its ancient river-town post a real prize.
Frequently asked — Rajemahal postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Rajemahal?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Rajemahal are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Rajemahal post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Rajemahal was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1776 and 1848.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Rajemahal?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Rajemahal in this census, of which 2 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 Rajemahal called today?
- Rajemahal is the colonial-era name of present-day Rajmahal, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Rajemahal 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 Rajemahal 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 Rajemahal were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Rajemahal, Rajmahal, Rajemahal HG 1, Rajemahal handstruck stamps, Rajemahal pre stamp covers, Rajemahal postal history.
How to cite
“Rajemahal, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/rajemahal (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Rajemahal?
If you hold a cover or strike from Rajemahal 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.