- Handstamps
- 19
- Recorded
- 1800–1865
- Rare
- 2
Bangalore City, the seat of government of the Mysore State, and headquarters of the Bangalore Brigade of the Indian Army, situated 12°58' N, and 77°35' E, 219 miles from Madras, and 692 miles from Bombay. The fort, first constructed of mud, was enlarged and built in stone by Haider Ali in 1761, captured by the British in 1791, subsequently dismantled by Tipu Sultan, but restored in 1799.
Bangalore has 19 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1800–1865 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Bangalore 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 | 1800 | 5 examples recorded |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | BlackRed | 1803–1825 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1823 | Scarce |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1823–1825 | Scarce |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1823–1837 | Scarce |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Red | 1826–1838 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1830–1865 | Rare |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Black | 1832 | Scarce |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1837–1855 | Common |
| HG 9a | Handstamp | Red | 1855 | Scarce |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | BlackBlue | 1851–1855 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1840–1853 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Black | 1848–1861 | Common |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Red | 1854 | Common |
| HG 14 | Handstamp | RedBlack | 1853–1859 | Common |
| HG 15 | Handstamp | Blue | 1848–1861 | Common |
| HG 16 | Handstamp | Blue | 1848–1861 | Common |
| HG 17 | Handstamp | Blue | 1851–1861 | Common |
| HG 18 | Handstamp | Red | 1856–1857 | Common |
Frequently asked — Bangalore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Bangalore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Bangalore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Bangalore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Bangalore was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 19 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1800 and 1865.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Bangalore?
- 19 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Bangalore in this census, of which 2 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 Bangalore called today?
- Bangalore is the colonial-era name of present-day Bengaluru, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Bangalor, Bangaluru. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Bangalore 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 Bangalore 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.
Also searched as: Bangalore, Bengaluru, Bangalor, Bangaluru, Bangalore HG 1, Bangalore handstruck stamps, Bangalore pre stamp covers, Bangalore postal history.
How to cite
“Bangalore, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/bangalore (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Bangalore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Bangalore 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 Madras Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Madras Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.