Post office · Bombay Presidency
PoonaPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Poona postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 18 Poona handstamps recorded between 1805 and 1868, Bombay Presidency, with 60 Poona covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 18
- Recorded
- 1805–1868
- Rare
- 4
Poona, the headquarters of Poona District, is situated 18°31' N and 73°51' E, 1850 feet above sea level, and 119 miles south-east of Bombay. In 1763 the Nizam Ali of Hyderabad sacked the town. In the struggle between successive Peshwas, and their subordinates Sindhia and Holkar, Poona suffered many vicissitudes, until 1802, by the provisions of the Treaty of Bassein, the Peshwa allowed the British subsidiary force to be stationed there. After the defeat of the Peshwa in 1818, Poonah became the headquarters of a British District, as the principal cantonment in the Deccan. •
Poona has 18 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1805–1868 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Poona handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1805–1812 | Rare |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1814–1836 | Scarce |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1817 | Scarce |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Red | 1823–1835 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1823–1827 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Red | 1822–1829 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1832–1837 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1833–1837 | Scarce |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1854 | Common |
| HG 9A | Handstamp | Red | 1860 | Rare |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1838–1856 | Common |
| HG 10a | Handstamp | Red | 1860 | Scarce |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1841–1853 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Red | 1845–1849 | Common |
| HG 12A | Handstamp | Black | 1845–1848 | Rare |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Black | 1845–1868 | Common |
| HG 14 | Handstamp | Black | 1868 | Rare |
| HG 15 | Handstamp | Purple | 1852 | Common |
Poona— postal history & markings
Poona's record runs from 1805 to 1868, and its opening mark is its most striking: HG 1, an intaglio handstamp struck white on black, is rare and sets the office apart from the outset. The eighteen marks are split fairly evenly between red and black, with a single strike in purple.
Two details reward attention. Several dies drop the final 'h' from 'Poonah' — HG 12 and HG 13 among them — a small spelling shift that helps date and separate them. And HG 14 is a 'Bangy Post' marking, a reference to the bangy or parcel-and-dak service carried by runner. The town came firmly under British control only after the Peshwa's defeat in 1818, and the office's early marks — HG 2 and HG 3, both scarce — belong to those first years of the cantonment. Between the intaglio opener and the Bangy Post mark, Poona offers more character than its eighteen strikes might suggest.
Frequently asked — Poona postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Poona?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Poona are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Poona post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Poona was a post office of the Bombay Presidency, British India, and this census records 18 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1805 and 1868.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Poona?
- 18 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Poona in this census, of which 4 are 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.
- What is Poona called today?
- Poona is the colonial-era name of present-day Pune, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Poona City. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Poona 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 Poona 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 Poona were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Poona, Pune, Poona City, Poona HG 1, Poona handstruck stamps, Poona pre stamp covers, Poona postal history.
How to cite
“Poona, Bombay Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/poona (accessed 25 September 2026).
Updated: 25 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Poona?
If you hold a cover or strike from Poona 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.