Punjab · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Derah HG 4
- Colour & date
- Red1838
- Rarity
- 1 example recorded
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- robert siegel auctions
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Derah HG 4 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Derah HG 4 handstamp
Derah Town is situated 30°19' N and 78°2' E, in the United Provinces at an elevation of 2,300 fee t above the sea. After a perpetual inundation of Rajputs, Gujars, Sikhs and Gurkhas, the latter occupying the valley in 1803, and remaining there until the Gurkha war in 1814, when the British occupied the town, the area was ceded by the G urkhas to the British under the treaty of 1815.
Derah HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Derah in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1838. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 4" 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 derah pre stamp covers, derah postal history or "Derah HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Derah marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Derah HG 4 handstamp?
- Derah HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Derah in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1838. The "HG 4" 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 Derah HG 4?
- Derah HG 4 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 Derah pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Derah 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 4. 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 Derah HG 4 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1838). 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 Derah
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Derah are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Derah HG 4, Derah HG4, Derah Giles 4, Derah handstamp, Derah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Derah HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/derah/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026