North Western Provinces · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Baitool HG 1
- Colour & date
- Black1836
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Note
- Unrecorded by Giles
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- Andrew Titley
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Baitool HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Baitool HG 1 handstamp
Betul (the Baitool of early records) is a town on the Satpura plateau of southern Madhya Pradesh, headquarters of Betul district in the highlands between the Narmada and Tapti valleys. A forest and route town of the central uplands, it lay on the roads across the Deccan gateway. In the era of the Company's northern posts it served as a mail station, and its pre-1854 markings record the posts of the Satpura country.
Baitool HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Baitool — the present-day Betul — in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1836. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for baitool pre stamp covers, baitool postal history or "Baitool HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Baitool marks.
Unrecorded by Giles
Frequently asked
- What is the Baitool HG 1 handstamp?
- Baitool HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Baitool (modern Betul) in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1836. 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 Baitool HG 1?
- Baitool HG 1 has 1 example recorded in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Baitool pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Baitool 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. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Baitool 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 (1836). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Baitool HG 1, Baitool HG1, Baitool Giles 1, Betul postal history, Baitool handstamp, Baitool pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Baitool HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/baitool/hg-1 (accessed 22 August 2026).
Updated: 22 Aug 2026