Post office · Punjab
SobathooPostal Covers & Pre-1854 Postal History
Sobathoo postal covers and handstruck postal markings of pre-1854 British India, recorded in an open census: 7 Sobathoo handstamps recorded between 1825 and 1854, Punjab, with 13 Sobathoo covers traced to them.
- Handstamps
- 7
- Recorded
- 1825–1854
- Rare
- 3
Sobathoo is a hill station in Simla District, Punjab on a tableland at the end of the Simla range, overlooking the Ghambar River, and situated 30°59' N and 77° E. It was held as a military post from the close of the Gurkha War in 1816, where a small fort was built.
Sobathoo has 7 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1825–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Manuscript markings
1 markBefore handstamps were introduced, postmasters wrote postal details by hand — these manuscript markings pre-date the struck marks above.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Sobathoo handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Sobathoo— postal history & markings
Sobathoo's record opens with the very scarce HG 1 of 1825 and includes a rare manuscript endorsement, MN 1 of 1835 — so its earliest marks carry the weight. Across seven strikes to 1854 the office worked mainly in red, with HG 6 a scarce black mark. A hill station in the Simla District held as a military post from the close of the Gurkha War, Sobathoo sits on a tableland overlooking the Ghambar River. Its post is the modest output of a hill garrison, but between the scarce opener and the single manuscript, the early record rewards attention.
Frequently asked — Sobathoo postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Sobathoo?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Sobathoo are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Sobathoo post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Sobathoo was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 7 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1825 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Sobathoo?
- 7 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Sobathoo in this census, of which 3 are 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 Sobathoo called today?
- Sobathoo is the colonial-era name of present-day Subathu, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Sobathoo 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 Sobathoo 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 Sobathoo were struck, catalogued and graded for rarity.
Also searched as: Sobathoo, Subathu, Sobathoo HG 1, Sobathoo handstruck stamps, Sobathoo pre stamp covers, Sobathoo postal history.
How to cite
“Sobathoo, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/sobathoo (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026
An unrecorded mark from Sobathoo?
If you hold a cover or strike from Sobathoo 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.