Post office · North Western Provinces
DelhiPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Delhi postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 20 Delhi handstamps recorded between 1809 and 1858, North Western Provinces, with 66 Delhi covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 20
- Recorded
- 1809–1858
- Rare
- 3
Dehli is situated 28°39' N and 77°15 ' E, in the Punjab, and was the former capital of the Moghal empire. It is on the west bank of the Jumna River, abo ut 956 miles from <:;:alcutta and 982 from Bombay. In 1803, Lord Lake, having defeated the Marathas, entered Dehli and took the emperor under his protection, and the conquered territory was admini stered by the . British in the name of the emperor. Great disturbances took place during the 1857 uprisin g, and the city was recaptured September of that year.
Delhi has 20 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1809–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Delhi handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | BlackRed | 1809–1837 | Common |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Red | 1828 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1845 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1841–1857 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1841–1845 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Red | 1843–1845 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Black | 1843 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1846–1852 | Common |
| HG 8a | Handstamp | Red | 1847 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Black | 1846–1852 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1853–1858 | Common |
| HG 10a | Handstamp | Red | 1855 | — |
| HG 10b | Handstamp | Red | 1854 | Rare |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1857 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Black | 1857–1858 | Common |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Black | 1841–1852 | Common |
| HG 14 | Handstamp | Red | 1846–1855 | Common |
| HG 15 | Handstamp | Black | 1845–1853 | Common |
| HG 16 | Handstamp | Red | 1853 | Scarce |
| HG 17 | Handstamp | Red | 1849 | Common |
Delhi— postal history & markings
Delhi's twenty handstamps span 1809 to 1858 — a period that closes with the 1857 uprising, during which the city was recaptured that September. The office worked slightly more in red than black, and its record is defined by spelling. The town's name was rendered several ways across the dies: HG 3 and HG 4 end 'HIE', HG 5 and HG 6 end 'HI', and these endings are often the surest way to separate otherwise similar strikes.
The earliest mark, HG 1 of 1809, is scarce, and — as the notes point out — is rare specifically when found as a cancellation in black. HG 2 of 1828 is known from a single example. A late mark, HG 13, may belong to a receiving house, though its date is uncertain. For the collector of the former Moghal capital, Delhi's interest lies less in great rarity than in the careful reading of its shifting spellings.
Frequently asked — Delhi postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Delhi?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Delhi are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Delhi post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Delhi was a post office of the North Western Provinces, British India, and this census records 20 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1809 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Delhi?
- 20 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Delhi in this census, of which 3 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.
- How do I identify a Delhi 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 Delhi 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 Delhi were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Delhi, Dilli, Delhi City, Dehli, Delhi HG 1, Delhi handstruck stamps, Delhi pre stamp covers, Delhi postal history.
How to cite
“Delhi, North Western Provinces — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/delhi (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Delhi?
If you hold a cover or strike from Delhi 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.