Post office · Punjab
LodianahPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Lodianah postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 13 Lodianah handstamps recorded between 1824 and 1858, Punjab, with 60 Lodianah covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 13
- Recorded
- 1824–1858
- Rare
- 1
Lodianah lies on the south bank of the Sutlej river, in the Punjab, situated 30°56' N and 75°52' E on the Grand Trunk Road, 1148 miles from Calcutta and 1215 from Bombay. In 1806 it was taken by Ranjit Singh, who gave it to his uncle, Raja Bhag Sing. A British cantonment was set up in 1809 west of the town, which up to 1838 was the outpost of the Sutlej frontier. The cantonment was abandoned in 1854. An ex-territorial Post Office was established by 1824, or earlier.
Lodianah has 13 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1824–1858 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Lodianah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Black | 1824–1837 | Common |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1835 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1844 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1839–1848 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1844 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Red | 1837–1851 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1840–1844 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1844 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | BlackMauveOrange | 1837–1842 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1850–1854 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Black | 1850 | Very scarce |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Red | 1852–1858 | Common |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Red | 1855 | Common |
Lodianah— postal history & markings
Lodianah's thirteen handstamps run from 1824 to 1858, split between red and black. HG 1 of 1824 is an 'ex-territorial' mark — struck by a post office operating ahead of formal British administration — and the series that follows records the workings of a Grand Trunk Road station near the Sutlej. HG 9 marks the handover from military to civil post.
Two entries stand out. HG 11 is a 'newspaper or banghy post' marking, a reference to the banghy service carried by runner; and HG 13 is a slide stamp that spells the name 'LOODIANA', a variant worth watching for. Between the ex-territorial opener, the banghy mark and the alternative spelling, Lodianah offers rather more to distinguish than a plain run of town strikes.
Frequently asked — Lodianah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Lodianah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Lodianah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Lodianah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Lodianah was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 13 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1824 and 1858.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Lodianah?
- 13 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Lodianah 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.
- What is Lodianah called today?
- Lodianah is the colonial-era name of present-day Ludhiana, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Lodianah 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 Lodianah 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 Lodianah were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Lodianah, Ludhiana, Lodianah HG 1, Lodianah handstruck stamps, Lodianah pre stamp covers, Lodianah postal history.
How to cite
“Lodianah, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/lodianah (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Lodianah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Lodianah 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.