Post office · Bombay Presidency
BelgaumPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Belgaum postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 8 Belgaum handstamps recorded between 1829 and 1858, Bombay Presidency, with 51 Belgaum covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 8
- Recorded
- 1829–1858
After having been held by the Mohammedan rulers, the fort passed to the Peshwas about 1754, and was taken by the British in 1818 with the overthrow of the Peshwa. It becam e a large military cantonment and, in 1838, the civil headquarters for the Poona District.
Belgaum has 8 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1829–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Belgaum handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Belgaum— postal history & markings
Belgaum's eight handstamps, from 1829 to 1858, are notable chiefly for their colour: the office worked mainly in red, but HG 2 of 1832 is struck in orange — an uncommon ink — alongside a couple of black marks. The record is otherwise a run of common strikes.
The fort here passed from Mohammedan rulers to the Peshwas and was taken by the British in 1818, after which Belgaum grew into a large military cantonment and, from 1838, the civil headquarters for the Poona District. Its post reflects that steady garrison life; for the collector, the orange HG 2 is the mark that lifts the office above an ordinary Bombay Presidency run.
Frequently asked — Belgaum postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Belgaum?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Belgaum are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Belgaum post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Belgaum was a post office of the Bombay Presidency, British India, and this census records 8 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1829 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Belgaum?
- 8 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Belgaum 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 Belgaum called today?
- Belgaum is the colonial-era name of present-day Belagavi, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Belgaum 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 Belgaum 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 Belgaum were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Belgaum, Belagavi, Belgaum HG 1, Belgaum handstruck stamps, Belgaum pre stamp covers, Belgaum postal history.
How to cite
“Belgaum, Bombay Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/belgaum (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Belgaum?
If you hold a cover or strike from Belgaum 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 Bombay Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Bombay Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.