Punjab · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Sealkote HG 5
- Colour & date
- Black1857
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 186
- Figure
- 5
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Sealkote HG 5 handstamp has been recorded yet. If you hold one, submit it below.
No covers bearing this mark have been recorded yet. If you hold one, your submission — once reviewed — will appear here.
About this mark
The Sealkote HG 5 handstamp
Sealkote, the headquarters of Sealkote District, Lahore Division, Punjab, 1341 miles from Calcutta, 1369 from Bombay and 808 from Karachi, is situated 32°30' N and 74°32' E. by the Rajput princes, but gallantly defended by a few Europeans during the 1857 upnsmg.
Sealkote HG 5 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Sealkote — the present-day Sialkot — in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1857. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 5".
No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for sealkote pre stamp covers, sealkote postal history or "Sealkote HG5" material can compare HG 5 across every office or browse the rest of the Sealkote marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Sealkote HG 5 handstamp?
- Sealkote HG 5 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Sealkote (modern Sialkot) in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1857. The "HG 5" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Sealkote HG 5?
- Sealkote HG 5 is graded "Common" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.
- What does a Sealkote pre stamp cover with HG 5 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Sealkote 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 5. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Sealkote HG 5 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1857). 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.
Same office
Other recorded marks at Sealkote
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Sealkote are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Sealkote HG 5, Sealkote HG5, Sealkote Giles 5, Sialkot postal history, Sealkote handstamp, Sealkote pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Sealkote HG 5 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/sealkote/hg-5 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026