Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Kirkee HG 5
- Colour & date
- Red1854–1857
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 118
- Figure
- 5
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Kirkee HG 5 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Kirkee HG 5 handstamp
Kirkee is a town in the Poona District, Bombay Presidency, situated 18°34' N and 73°51' E, 116 miles south-east of Bombay and 4 north-west of Poona. On Nov. 1817 the first of three battles fought near Kirkee led to the collapse of the Maratha power.
Kirkee HG 5 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Kirkee — the present-day Khadki — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1854 to 1857. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 5".
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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for kirkee pre stamp covers, kirkee postal history or "Kirkee HG5" material can compare HG 5 across every office or browse the rest of the Kirkee marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Kirkee HG 5 handstamp?
- Kirkee HG 5 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Kirkee (modern Khadki) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1854 to 1857. The "HG 5" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in red.
- How rare is Kirkee HG 5?
- Kirkee HG 5 is graded "Common" 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 Kirkee pre stamp cover with HG 5 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Kirkee 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 5. 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 Kirkee HG 5 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1854–1857). 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 Kirkee
6 marks6 other pre-1854 postal markings of Kirkee are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Kirkee HG 5, Kirkee HG5, Kirkee Giles 5, Khadki postal history, Kirkee handstamp, Kirkee pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Kirkee HG 5 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/kirkee/hg-5 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026