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Hand Struck Stamps

Post office · Punjab

Kangra

Handstamps
4
Recorded
1837–1857
Rare
1

Kangra is in the Punjab, situated 30°5' N and 76°16' E. It was besieged by the Gurkhas durin g 1806-9, who were repelled, with the help of Jai Singh-, who afterwards appropriated the fort for himself. It was held by the Sikhs until the Jullunder Doab was ceded to the East India Company in 1846.

Kangra has 4 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1837–1857 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.

Brown border = community submission, verified by editors

Kangra handstamp summary

All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.

MarkTypeColourDatesRarity
HG 1HandstampBlack1852Common
HG 2HandstampBlack1837–1848Common
HG 3HandstampBlack1852–1857Common
HG 4HandstampBlack1852Rare

Frequently asked — Kangra postal history

What are the pre stamp covers of Kangra?
Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Kangra are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Kangra post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Kangra was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 4 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1837 and 1857.
How many handstamps are recorded for Kangra?
4 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Kangra in this census, of which 1 is graded rare or better. 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.
How do I identify a Kangra 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 Kangra 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.

Also searched as: Kangra, Kangra HG 1, Kangra handstruck stamps, Kangra pre stamp covers, Kangra postal history.

How to cite

Kangra, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/kangra (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026

An unrecorded mark from Kangra?

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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.