Post office · Punjab
PeshawurPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Peshawur postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 8 Peshawur handstamps recorded between 1842 and 1854, Punjab, with 4 Peshawur covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 8
- Recorded
- 1842–1854
- Rare
- 1
Peshawur is the capital of the North West Frontier Province, situated 34°1' N and 71°35' E. It has a cantonment on a ridge overlooking the surrounding plain and city, 10 1/2 miles from Jumrud fort near the entrance of the Khyber Pass. It became the headquarters of the British District in 1849.
Peshawur has 8 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1842–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Peshawur handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Peshawur— postal history & markings
Peshawur's eight handstamps belong entirely to a five-year window, 1849 to 1854 — the office could hardly be earlier, for the city became the headquarters of the British district only in 1849. It worked in red and black, opening with HG 3, known from two examples, and the common HG 1 and HG 2 of 1850.
This is the post of the North-West Frontier: a cantonment on a ridge above the plain, ten miles from the fort at the mouth of the Khyber Pass. Its record is short by necessity, but for the collector it carries the particular interest of the frontier — the earliest organised posting from the very edge of British India, struck in the first years after annexation.
Frequently asked — Peshawur postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Peshawur?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Peshawur are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Peshawur post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Peshawur was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 8 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1842 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Peshawur?
- 8 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Peshawur 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 Peshawur called today?
- Peshawur is the colonial-era name of present-day Peshawar, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Peshawur 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 Peshawur 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 Peshawur were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Peshawur, Peshawar, Peshawur HG 1, Peshawur handstruck stamps, Peshawur pre stamp covers, Peshawur postal history.
How to cite
“Peshawur, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/peshawur (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Peshawur?
If you hold a cover or strike from Peshawur 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.