Punjab · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Goordaspore HG 1
- Colour & date
- Black—
- Rarity
- Common
- Note
- Date uncertain in both examples available
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 93
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Goordaspore 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 Goordaspore HG 1 handstamp
Goordaspore stands high on the watershed between the Ravi and Beas Rivers, in the Punjab, 1252 miles from Calcutta, 1283 from Bombay and 839 from Karachi, and is situated 32°3' N and 75°25' E.
Goordaspore HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Goordaspore — the present-day Gurdaspur — in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use —. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "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. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for goordaspore pre stamp covers, goordaspore postal history or "Goordaspore HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Goordaspore marks.
Date uncertain in both examples available
Frequently asked
- What is the Goordaspore HG 1 handstamp?
- Goordaspore HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Goordaspore (modern Gurdaspur) in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use —. 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 Goordaspore HG 1?
- Goordaspore HG 1 is graded "Common" 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 Goordaspore pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Goordaspore 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 Goordaspore 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 (—). 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: Goordaspore HG 1, Goordaspore HG1, Goordaspore Giles 1, Gurdaspur postal history, Goordaspore handstamp, Goordaspore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Goordaspore HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/goordaspore/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026