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Hand Struck Stamps
Cawnpore HG 13A — pre-1854 Indian handstamp, 1849, Black

North Western Provinces · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Cawnpore HG 13A

Handstamp
Colour & date
Black1849
Rarity
Scarce
Figure
13A
Submitted by
Aditya Asthana
← HG 13All CawnporeHG 14 →

Census

Census records

1 cover recorded

1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cawnpore HG 13A handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.

COV-2527 pre-stamp cover
COV-2527

4 August 1849

1 Anna unpaid entire from Lucknow to Cawnpore. Delivered the next day at Cawnpore, 5 August 1849. Unrecorded Handstruck with Cawnpore spelt as CAWNPOOR instead of Cawnpore. It variation in spelling is only found in 1849.

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About this mark

The Cawnpore HG 13A handstamp

Cawnpore HG 13A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cawnpore — the present-day Kanpur — in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1849. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 13A" 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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for cawnpore pre-stamp covers, cawnpore postal history or "Cawnpore HG13A" material can compare HG 13A across every office or browse the rest of the Cawnpore marks.

Frequently asked

What is the Cawnpore HG 13A handstamp?
Cawnpore HG 13A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cawnpore (modern Kanpur) in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1849. The "HG 13A" 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 Cawnpore HG 13A?
Cawnpore HG 13A is graded "Scarce" 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 Cawnpore pre-stamp cover with HG 13A look like?
A pre-stamp (pre-philatelic) cover from Cawnpore 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 13A. 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 Cawnpore HG 13A cover?
Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1849). 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.

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Also searched as: Cawnpore HG 13A, Cawnpore HG13A, Cawnpore Giles 13A, Kanpur postal history, Cawnpore handstamp, Cawnpore pre-stamp cover.

How to cite

“Cawnpore HG 13A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/cawnpore/hg-13a (accessed 12 July 2026).

Updated: 12 Jul 2026