Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Merut HG 1A handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Merut HG 1A handstamp
Merut City, a military cantonment and administrative headquarters of Merut District, United Provinces, is situated 29°1' N and 77°43' E, 970 miles from Calcutta, and 931 from Bombay. The cantonments were established in 1806. Merut obtained the unenviable notoriety in 1857 ' as the spot where the Mutiny broke out in Upper India.
Merut HG 1A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Merut — the present-day Meerut — in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1827. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 1A" 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 "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for merut pre stamp covers, merut postal history or "Merut HG1A" material can compare HG 1A across every office or browse the rest of the Merut marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Merut HG 1A handstamp?
- Merut HG 1A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Merut (modern Meerut) in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1827. The "HG 1A" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in red.
- How rare is Merut HG 1A?
- Merut HG 1A has 1 example recorded 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 Merut pre stamp cover with HG 1A look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Merut 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 1A. 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 Merut HG 1A cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1827). 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.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Merut
16 marks16 other pre-1854 postal markings of Merut are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Merut HG 1handstampBlack1809–1827
- Merut HG 2handstampRed1815–1827
- Merut HG 3handstampBlack1833-37
- Merut HG 4handstampBlack1835–1837
- Merut HG 5handstampRed1837-41
- Merut HG 6handstampBlack1839-43
- Merut HG 7handstampRed1843-51
- Merut HG 8handstampBlack1840-43
- Merut HG 9handstampBlack1843
- Merut HG 10handstampRed1843-52
- Merut HG 11handstampRed1845
- Merut HG 11ahandstampBlack1848
- Merut HG 12handstampRed1848
- Merut HG 13handstampRed1851
- Merut HG 14handstampRed1853-54
- Merut HG 15handstampBlack1854
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Merut HG 1A, Merut HG1A, Merut Giles 1A, Meerut postal history, Merut handstamp, Merut pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Merut HG 1A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/merut/hg-1a (accessed 16 July 2026).
Updated: 16 Jul 2026