Post office · Bengal Presidency
SumbulporePostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Sumbulpore postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Sumbulpore handstamp recorded between 1841 and 1850, Bengal Presidency, with 2 Sumbulpore covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1841–1850
Sambalpur is a major city in Odisha, located on the banks of the river Mahanadi.
Sumbulpore has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking dated 1841–1850 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Sumbulpore handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1841–1850 | Common |
Sumbulpore— postal history & markings
Sumbulpore — Sambalpur, on the Mahanadi in the Orissa country — leaves a single common red handstamp, HG 1 of 1841. The record is minimal, one mark only, with no rarity to single out. For the collector, its interest lies in its setting, a river town of the eastern plateau represented by a single strike.
Frequently asked — Sumbulpore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Sumbulpore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Sumbulpore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Sumbulpore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Sumbulpore was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated between 1841 and 1850.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Sumbulpore?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Sumbulpore in this census. 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 Sumbulpore called today?
- Sumbulpore is the colonial-era name of present-day Sambalpur, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Sumbulpore 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 Sumbulpore 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 Sumbulpore were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Sumbulpore, Sambalpur, Sumbulpore HG 1, Sumbulpore handstruck stamps, Sumbulpore pre stamp covers, Sumbulpore postal history.
How to cite
“Sumbulpore, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/sumbulpore (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Sumbulpore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Sumbulpore 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.