Post office · North Western Provinces
RajputanaPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Rajputana postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 9 Rajputana handstamps recorded between 1823 and 1837, North Western Provinces, with 20 Rajputana covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 9
- Recorded
- 1823–1837
- Rare
- 3
Rajpootana, 26°27' N and 74°37' E , 677 miles from Bombay, and 275 from Delhi. At the close of the Pindari War, it was ceded by Daulat Rao to the British under the Treaty of 25th June, 1818.
Rajputana has 9 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1823–1837 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Rajputana 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 | 1823–1827 | Common |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1824 | Very scarce |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Black | 1830–1835 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1836–1837 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1830–1837 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1832–1833 | Very scarce |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Black | 1835 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Black | 1830–1836 | Rare |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1826 | Scarce |
Rajputana— postal history & markings
The Rajputana marks are unusual in naming a region rather than a single town. Its nine handstamps are compressed into a short span, 1823 to 1837, and worked almost entirely in black — only one strike is in red. HG 1 is common, but HG 2 is very scarce and several later marks, HG 6 and the red HG 9 among them, are scarcer still.
Small die details separate the strikes: HG 3 and HG 4 are distinguished as first and second settings. The territory had been ceded to the British under the treaty that closed the Pindari War in 1818, and this brief, black-dominated record captures the first years of organised posting across that newly acquired agency.
Frequently asked — Rajputana postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Rajputana?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Rajputana are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Rajputana post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Rajputana was a post office of the North Western Provinces, British India, and this census records 9 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1823 and 1837.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Rajputana?
- 9 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Rajputana 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 Rajputana 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 Rajputana 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 Rajputana were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Rajputana, Rajasthan, Rajputana HG 1, Rajputana handstruck stamps, Rajputana pre stamp covers, Rajputana postal history.
How to cite
“Rajputana, North Western Provinces — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/rajputana (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Rajputana?
If you hold a cover or strike from Rajputana 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.