Post office · Punjab
SimlaPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Simla postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 10 Simla handstamps recorded between 1832 and 1854, Punjab, with 36 Simla covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 10
- Recorded
- 1832–1854
- Rare
- 1
Simla, Punjab, is situated 31°6' N and 7rl0' E, on a transverse spur of the Central Himalayan system, 7084 feet above sea level. After the Gurkha War, a tract of land was retained in 1816, and building started in 1819, to become the sanitarium and summer seat of Government.
Simla has 10 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1832–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Simla 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 | 1832 | Common |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1835–1836 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1838–1845 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Black | 1849–1852 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Red | 1845–1850 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Red | 1845–1852 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Black | 1849–1854 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1852 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1852 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1848–1850 | 2 examples recorded |
Simla— postal history & markings
Simla's ten handstamps, from 1832 to 1854, belong to a hill station unlike the plains offices around it — the Himalayan sanitarium that became the summer seat of government after a tract of land was retained in 1816. The office worked in an even balance of black and red, opening with the common HG 1 of 1832.
The record carries no great rarities; it is a steady, workmanlike run of town marks. But its interest lies in what it represents: the postal life of a seasonal capital, some seven thousand feet up a Himalayan spur, whose importance grew with each summer's migration of government. For the collector, a Simla strike is as much a piece of imperial geography as of postal history.
Frequently asked — Simla postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Simla?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Simla are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Simla post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Simla was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 10 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1832 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Simla?
- 10 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Simla 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 Simla called today?
- Simla is the colonial-era name of present-day Shimla, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Simla 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 Simla 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 Simla were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Simla, Shimla, Simla HG 1, Simla handstruck stamps, Simla pre stamp covers, Simla postal history.
How to cite
“Simla, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/simla (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Simla?
If you hold a cover or strike from Simla 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.