Post office · Punjab
Lahore
- Handstamps
- 10
- Recorded
- 1843–1856
Lahore City is the Capital of the Punjab, situated 31°35' N and 74°20' E, on the Ravi river, 298 miles from Delhi. The possession of Lahore changed hands many times, and the period of Mughal rule was the golden time of its history. The rise of Ranjit Singh in the 19th century brought it under Sikh influence, but this declined after the first Sikh War, and in 1846, when a Council of Regency was established, and the British Resident became the central authority in ' Lahore. In 1849, after the conclusion of the second Sikh War, Maharajah Dalip Singh resigned the government to the East India Company.
Lahore has 10 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1843–1856 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Lahore 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 | 1845–1853 | Common |
| HG 1a | Handstamp | Red | — | — |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1843–1849 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1847–1850 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Red | 1851 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1851 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Purple | 1853 | Common |
| HG 6A | Handstamp | Black | 1853 | Scarce |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | RedBlack | 1852–1853 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1856 | Common |
Frequently asked — Lahore postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Lahore?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Lahore are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Lahore post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Lahore was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 10 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1843 and 1856.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Lahore?
- 10 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Lahore 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.
- How do I identify a Lahore 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 Lahore 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: Lahore, Lahore City, Lahore HG 1, Lahore handstruck stamps, Lahore pre stamp covers, Lahore postal history.
How to cite
“Lahore, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/lahore (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Lahore?
If you hold a cover or strike from Lahore 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.