Post office · Bombay Presidency
MhowPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Mhow postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 6 Mhow handstamps recorded between 1830 and 1859, Bombay Presidency, with 22 Mhow covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 6
- Recorded
- 1830–1859
- Rare
- 1
Mhow was a British cantonment in the Indore State, Central India, situated 22°33' N and 75°46' E, on the southern boundary of the Malwa plateau. It was founded by Sir John Malcolm in 1818 under the Treaty of Mandasor.
Mhow has 6 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1830–1859 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Mhow handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Mhow— postal history & markings
Mhow's six handstamps, from 1830 to 1859, are split evenly between black and red. HG 2 of 1831 is rare; the remainder of the record is common use. A British cantonment in the Indore State on the southern edge of the Malwa plateau, Mhow was founded by Sir John Malcolm in 1818 under the Treaty of Mandasor — the same settlement that shaped the region's princely map. Its post served that Central India garrison, and while most of its marks are ordinary, the rare HG 2 gives the collector a single scarce target within a compact cantonment record.
Frequently asked — Mhow postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Mhow?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Mhow are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Mhow post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Mhow was a post office of the Bombay Presidency, British India, and this census records 6 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1830 and 1859.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Mhow?
- 6 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Mhow in this census, of which 1 is graded rare or better. 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.
- How do I identify a Mhow 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 Mhow 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 Mhow were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Mhow, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Mhow HG 1, Mhow handstruck stamps, Mhow pre stamp covers, Mhow postal history.
How to cite
“Mhow, Bombay Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/mhow (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Mhow?
If you hold a cover or strike from Mhow 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.