What is the Bombay SR16 handstamp?

Bombay SR16 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Bombay (modern Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1860 to 1867. The "SR16" 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 Bombay SR16?

Bombay SR16 is graded "Common" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.

What does a Bombay pre stamp cover with SR16 look like?

A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bombay is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like SR16. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.

How do I identify or submit a Bombay SR16 cover?

Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1860-67). 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.

Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Bombay SR16

Handstamp

Date Span: 1860-67
Colour: Black
Rarity: Common
Catalogue: 1989 Catalogue · p. 39
Figure: SR16
Submitted by: D. Hammond Giles

← SR15 All Bombay SR17 →

Census

Census records

0 covers recorded

No pre stamp cover bearing the Bombay SR16 handstamp has been recorded yet. If you hold one, submit it below.

No covers bearing this mark have been recorded yet. If you hold one, your submission — once reviewed — will appear here.

Compare SR16 across every office →

About this mark

The Bombay SR16 handstamp

Mumbai, also known as Bombay, is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra — the financial capital and most populous city of India, on the Konkan coast of the Arabian Sea.

Bombay SR16 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Bombay — the present-day Mumbai — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1860 to 1867. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "SR16".

No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for bombay pre stamp covers, bombay postal history or "Bombay SR16" material can compare SR16 across every office or browse the rest of the Bombay marks.

Frequently asked

What is the Bombay SR16 handstamp?: Bombay SR16 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Bombay (modern Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1860 to 1867. The "SR16" 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 Bombay SR16?: Bombay SR16 is graded "Common" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.
What does a Bombay pre stamp cover with SR16 look like?: A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bombay is a folded letter or envelope carried before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, with postage shown entirely by hand-struck marks like SR16. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
How do I identify or submit a Bombay SR16 cover?: Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1860-67). 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 Bombay

109 marks

109 other pre-1854 postal markings of Bombay are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

View all Bombay marks and postal history →

Suggest a correction

Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.

Also searched as: Bombay SR16, Bombay Giles SR16, Mumbai postal history, Bombay handstamp, Bombay pre stamp cover.

How to cite

“Bombay SR16 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/bombay/sr16 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026