Post office · North Western Provinces
AllahabadPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Allahabad postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 15 Allahabad handstamps recorded between 1828 and 1855, North Western Provinces, with 41 Allahabad covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 15
- Recorded
- 1828–1855
- Rare
- 2
Allahabad is situated 25°26' N and 81°50' E, on the left bank of the River Jumna, on a wedge of land formed by its confluence with the Ganges. Headquarters for the District and, in the 19th Century, was the seat of Government in the United Provinces_
Allahabad has 15 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1828–1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Allahabad handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | RedBlack | 1830–1836 | Common |
| HG 1a | Handstamp | Black | 1838 | Rare |
| HG 1b | Handstamp | Black | — | 1 example recorded |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Red | 1836 | Scarce |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | BlackRed | 1835–1836 | Scarce |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Red | 1837–1843 | Common |
| HG 4a | Handstamp | Black | 1844 | Common |
| HG 4b | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1844 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1844–1850 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1848 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1828–1848 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1848 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1844 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1844–1854 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1854–1855 | Common |
Allahabad— postal history & markings
Allahabad's fifteen handstamps run from 1828 to 1855, worked chiefly in red with black on a third of the marks. As at several United Provinces offices, spelling is the collector's key: the town's name appears both as 'ALAHABAD', with a single 'L' — on HG 5, HG 6 and HG 7 — and as 'ALLAHABAD', with two, on HG 4, HG 8 and HG 9. Sorting a strike by its 'L' count is often the quickest way to place it.
The record is one of steady rather than rare use — HG 1 and HG 7 are both common — with the scarcer marks, such as HG 3, in the minority. Two late entries, HG 10 and HG 11, belong to receiving houses rather than the head office. Sitting at the confluence of the Ganges and Jumna and the seat of United Provinces government, Allahabad worked a busy post, and its marks reflect a working office more than a cabinet of rarities.
Frequently asked — Allahabad postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Allahabad?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Allahabad are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Allahabad post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Allahabad was a post office of the North Western Provinces, British India, and this census records 15 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1828 and 1855.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Allahabad?
- 15 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Allahabad 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 Allahabad called today?
- Allahabad is the colonial-era name of present-day Prayagraj, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Ilahabad. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify an Allahabad 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 Allahabad 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 Allahabad were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Allahabad, Prayagraj, Ilahabad, Allahabad HG 1, Allahabad handstruck stamps, Allahabad pre stamp covers, Allahabad postal history.
How to cite
“Allahabad, North Western Provinces — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/allahabad (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Allahabad?
If you hold a cover or strike from Allahabad 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 North Western Provinces
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other North Western Provinces post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.