Post office · North Western Provinces
Cawnpore
- Handstamps
- 19
- Recorded
- 1802–1858
- Rare
- 1
Cawnpore, (a corrupt spelling of Kanhpur) is situated 26°28' N and 80°21' E, on the right bank of the Ganges River, 120 miles above its junction with the Jumna at Allahabad, in the United Provinces. Following the British victories in 1764-5 at Buxar and Jajmau, a treaty was made at Fyzabad in 1773 with the Nawab Wazir of Oudh, who allowed the British to occupy two stations in his territories with troops. The first selected was Fatehgarh, and a site in the Hardoi District, but in 1778 the troops were moved from the latter place to Cawnpore, and in 1801 the District, with others, was ceded by the Nawab. In 1857, Cawnpore was the scene of several of the most terrible episodes of the Mutiny.
Cawnpore has 19 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1802–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Cawnpore 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 | 1802–1803 | Rare |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1810–1818 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1818 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1820–1833 | Common |
| HG 4a | Handstamp | Black | 1825–1833 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1826 | Scarce |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | BlackRed | 1834–1837 | Scarce |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Black | 1836 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Black | 1833–1836 | Scarce |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1837–1845 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1837–1845 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1845–1848 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Red | 1847–1849 | Common |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Black | 1849 | Common |
| HG 13A | Handstamp | Black | 1849 | Scarce |
| HG 14 | Handstamp | Red | 1847–1848 | Common |
| HG 15 | Handstamp | Black | 1851–1852 | Common |
| HG 16 | Handstamp | Red | 1852 | Common |
| HG 17 | Handstamp | Black | 1858 | Common |
Frequently asked — Cawnpore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Cawnpore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Cawnpore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Cawnpore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Cawnpore was a post office of the North Western Provinces, British India, and this census records 19 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1802 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Cawnpore?
- 19 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Cawnpore 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 Cawnpore called today?
- Cawnpore is the colonial-era name of present-day Kanpur, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Cawnpur. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Cawnpore 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 Cawnpore 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: Cawnpore, Kanpur, Cawnpur, Cawnpore HG 1, Cawnpore handstruck stamps, Cawnpore pre stamp covers, Cawnpore postal history.
How to cite
“Cawnpore, North Western Provinces — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/cawnpore (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Cawnpore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Cawnpore 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.