Post office · Burma
SarawahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Sarawah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Sarawah handstamp, Burma, with 1 Sarawah cover traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Rare
- 1
Sarawak is the largest of Malaysia’s 13 states and is located in East Malaysia, on the northwestern part of the island of Borneo. Its territory covers an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak shares borders with the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, Kalimantan (Indonesia) to the south, and Brunei to the north. The state capital is Kuching, which is also Sarawak’s largest city and its principal administrative and economic centre. Other important towns and cities include Miri, Sibu, and Bintulu. According to the 2020 Malaysian census, Sarawak had a population of approximately 2.45 million. Sarawak has an equatorial tropical climate and is renowned for its extensive rainforests, rivers, caves, and exceptional biodiversity. Gunung Mulu National Park contains some of the world’s most remarkable cave systems, while the Rajang River, flowing through the state, is the longest river in Malaysia. Mount Murud is the highest point in Sarawak. The state is culturally and ethnically diverse, with numerous indigenous communities and a distinctive history that sets it apart from much of Malaysia. Sarawak is also notable for being the only Malaysian state in which Christianity forms the majority religion.
Sarawah has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Sarawah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP 1 | Handstamp | Black | — | Rare |
Sarawah— postal history & markings
Sarawah's single marking belongs to British Burma, administered through Bengal, and is rare, struck in black. As a Burmese office it lies outside the Hammond Giles catalogue of British India, its mark recorded here directly from surviving material — a valuable trace of the post of a remote station of the eastern empire.
Frequently asked — Sarawah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Sarawah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Sarawah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Sarawah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Sarawah was a post office of the Burma, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, of the pre-adhesive period.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Sarawah?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Sarawah 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.
- What is Sarawah called today?
- Sarawah is the colonial-era name of present-day Sarawak, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Sarawah 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 Sarawah 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 Sarawah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Sarawah, Sarawak, Sarawah handstruck stamps, Sarawah pre stamp covers, Sarawah postal history.
How to cite
“Sarawah, Burma — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/burma/sarawah (accessed 13 November 2026).
Updated: 13 Nov 2026
An unrecorded mark from Sarawah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Sarawah 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 Burma
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Burma post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.