Post office · North Western Provinces
HoshungabadPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Hoshungabad postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 2 Hoshungabad handstamps recorded between 1830 and 1842, North Western Provinces, with 11 Hoshungabad covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 2
- Recorded
- 1830–1842
Hoshungabad is in the Central Provinces, 12 miles from Itarsi and 476 miles from Bombay. It is situated 22°46' N and 77°44' E, on the southern bank of the Narbada River. Hoshungabad was captured by the Marathas in 1809 and was occupied by British troops in 1817.
Hoshungabad has 2 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1830–1842 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Hoshungabad handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Hoshungabad— postal history & markings
Hoshungabad's two handstamps, from the Central Provinces on the Narmada, are notable for colour: HG 2 of 1838 is struck in purple, an uncommon ink, alongside the black HG 1 of 1830. 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 Narmada-side office marked out by its unusual second colour.
Frequently asked — Hoshungabad postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Hoshungabad?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Hoshungabad are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Hoshungabad post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Hoshungabad was a post office of the North Western Provinces, British India, and this census records 2 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1830 and 1842.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Hoshungabad?
- 2 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Hoshungabad 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 Hoshungabad called today?
- Hoshungabad is the colonial-era name of present-day Narmadapuram, India. The office also appears in postal history literature and auction catalogues as Hoshangabad. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Hoshungabad 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 Hoshungabad 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 Hoshungabad were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Hoshungabad, Narmadapuram, Hoshangabad, Hoshungabad HG 1, Hoshungabad handstruck stamps, Hoshungabad pre stamp covers, Hoshungabad postal history.
How to cite
“Hoshungabad, North Western Provinces — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/hoshungabad (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Hoshungabad?
If you hold a cover or strike from Hoshungabad 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.