Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Kalka HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Kalka HG 1 handstamp
Kalka (recorded under the same name) is a town in Panchkula district, Haryana, at the very foot of the Shivalik hills where the plains meet the road to Shimla. It was the staging point for the ascent to the Simla hill stations and later the railhead beneath them. As a post town of the north-western plains its pre-1854 markings record the mail feeding the Himalayan hill route.
Kalka HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Kalka in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1854. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 1" 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 kalka pre stamp covers, kalka postal history or "Kalka HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Kalka marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Kalka HG 1 handstamp?
- Kalka HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Kalka in the Punjab, 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 red.
- How rare is Kalka HG 1?
- Kalka HG 1 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 Kalka pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Kalka 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. 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 Kalka 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: Kalka HG 1, Kalka HG1, Kalka Giles 1, Kalka handstamp, Kalka pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Kalka HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/kalka/hg-1 (accessed 8 November 2026).
Updated: 8 Nov 2026