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Hand Struck Stamps
Panwell HG 1 — pre-1854 Indian handstamp, 1838, Black

Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Panwell HG 1

Date Span
1838
Colour
Black
Rarity
Common
Catalogue
1989 Catalogue · p. 165
Figure
1
Submitted by
D. Hammond Giles

Census

Census records

0 covers recorded

No pre stamp cover bearing the Panwell HG 1 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.

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About this mark

The Panwell HG 1 handstamp

Panwell is in Kolaba District, Bombay Presidency, situated 18°59' N and 73°7' E on the high road from Bombay to Poona. Panwell port is recorded as having carried on trade with Europe in 1570.

Panwell HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Panwell — the present-day Panvel — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1838. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".

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 panwell pre stamp covers, panwell postal history or "Panwell HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Panwell marks.

Frequently asked

What is the Panwell HG 1 handstamp?
Panwell HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Panwell (modern Panvel) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1838. The "HG 1" 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 Panwell HG 1?
Panwell HG 1 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 Panwell pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Panwell 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 1. 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 Panwell HG 1 cover?
Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1838). 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 Panwell

2 marks

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

View all Panwell 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: Panwell HG 1, Panwell HG1, Panwell Giles 1, Panvel postal history, Panwell handstamp, Panwell pre stamp cover.

How to cite

Panwell HG 1handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/panwell/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026

Panwell HG 1 — Pre-1854 Handstamp & Covers · Hand Struck Stamps