Post office · Punjab
DugshaiPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Dugshai postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 1 Dugshai handstamp recorded in 1853, Punjab.
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1853
Dagshai is one of the oldest cantonment towns in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, set on a hilltop astride the Kalka–Shimla road.
Dugshai has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1853 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Dugshai handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1853 | Common |
Dugshai— postal history & markings
Dugshai — Dagshai, one of the oldest hill cantonments of the Simla range — leaves a single common red handstamp, HG 1 of 1853. The record is minimal, one mark only, with no rarity to single out. For the collector, its interest lies in its setting, a Himalayan military station represented by a single strike.
Frequently asked — Dugshai postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Dugshai?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Dugshai are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Dugshai post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Dugshai was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1853.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Dugshai?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for Dugshai 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 Dugshai called today?
- Dugshai is the colonial-era name of present-day Dagshai, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Dugshai 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 Dugshai 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 Dugshai were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Dugshai, Dagshai, Dugshai HG 1, Dugshai handstruck stamps, Dugshai pre stamp covers, Dugshai postal history.
How to cite
“Dugshai, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/dugshai (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Dugshai?
If you hold a cover or strike from Dugshai 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 Punjab
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Punjab post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.