North Western Provinces · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Roorkee HG 1
- Colour & date
- Black1854
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Note
- (c.37 x 13mm) 2-line slide stamp
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- India Study Circle IP214
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Roorkee HG 1 handstamp has been recorded yet. If you hold one, submit it below.
No covers bearing this mark have been recorded yet. If you hold one, your submission — once reviewed — will appear here.
About this mark
The Roorkee HG 1 handstamp
Roorkee (Rūṛkī; Hindi: [ɾuːɽkiː]), formerly also anglicized as Rurki, is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is 31 km (19 mi) from Haridwar, the district headquarters. It is spread over a flat terrain under the Sivalik Hills of the Himalayas. The city is developed on the banks of the Ganges Canal, its dominant feature, which flows from north–south through the middle of the city.
Roorkee HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Roorkee in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1854. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 1" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for roorkee pre stamp covers, roorkee postal history or "Roorkee HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Roorkee marks.
(c.37 x 13mm) 2-line slide stamp
Frequently asked
- What is the Roorkee HG 1 handstamp?
- Roorkee HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Roorkee in the North Western Provinces, British India, recorded in use around 1854. The "HG 1" 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 Roorkee HG 1?
- Roorkee HG 1 is graded "Scarce" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.
- What does a Roorkee pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Roorkee 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 1. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Roorkee HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1854). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Roorkee HG 1, Roorkee HG1, Roorkee Giles 1, Roorkee handstamp, Roorkee pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Roorkee HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/n-w-provinces/roorkee/hg-1 (accessed 20 August 2026).
Updated: 20 Aug 2026