Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Sewarah HG 1
- Colour & date
- Black1806–1813
- Rarity
- 2 examples recorded
- Note
- Rare – two examples recorded
- Catalogue
- 1996 Supplement · p. 8
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Sewarah HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Sewarah HG 1 handstamp
Sewarah was a small town in the Mymensingh District, East Bengal, situated 24°46' N and 90°7' E, about 20 miles south of Dacca; later called Nasirabad/Sowash and ultimately renamed Mymensingh, the district capital. (Giles 1996 Supplement)
Sewarah HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Sewarah — the present-day Mymensingh — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1806 to 1813. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1996 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 "2 examples recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for sewarah pre stamp covers, sewarah postal history or "Sewarah HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Sewarah marks.
Rare – two examples recorded
Frequently asked
- What is the Sewarah HG 1 handstamp?
- Sewarah HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Sewarah (modern Mymensingh) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1806 to 1813. The "HG 1" 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 Sewarah HG 1?
- Sewarah HG 1 has 2 examples recorded 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 Sewarah pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Sewarah 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 1. 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 Sewarah HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1806–1813). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Sewarah HG 1, Sewarah HG1, Sewarah Giles 1, Mymensingh postal history, Sewarah handstamp, Sewarah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Sewarah HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/sewarah/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026