Post office · North Western Provinces
BhilsaPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Bhilsa postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Bhilsa handstamps recorded between 1848 and 1852, North Western Provinces, with 2 Bhilsa covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1848–1852
Headquarters of the Bhilsa District in Gwalior State, Central India, situated 23°31' N and 77°49' E, 535 miles from Bombay. It came into Scindia's hands in 1775, and has since formed part of Gwalior State, though a British Post Office and Telegraph Office was established.
Bhilsa has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1848–1852 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Bhilsa handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Bhilsa— postal history & markings
Bhilsa's two handstamps, from the headquarters of its district in Gwalior State, are notable for colour: HG 2 of 1852 is struck in purple, an uncommon ink, alongside the black HG 1 of 1848. Both are in common use. The record is small, but the purple strike gives even this two-mark office a point of distinction — a compact Central India office marked out by its unusual second colour.
Frequently asked — Bhilsa postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Bhilsa?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Bhilsa are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Bhilsa post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Bhilsa was a post office of the North Western Provinces, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1848 and 1852.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Bhilsa?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Bhilsa in this census. 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 Bhilsa called today?
- Bhilsa is the colonial-era name of present-day Vidisha, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Bhilsa 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 Bhilsa 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 Bhilsa were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Bhilsa, Vidisha, Bhilsa HG 1, Bhilsa handstruck stamps, Bhilsa pre stamp covers, Bhilsa postal history.
How to cite
“Bhilsa, North Western Provinces — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/bhilsa (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Bhilsa?
If you hold a cover or strike from Bhilsa 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.