Punjab · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Sobathoo HG 5
- Date Span
- 1842-44
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1993 Supplement · p. 28
- Figure
- 5
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Sobathoo 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 Sobathoo HG 5 handstamp
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 HG 5 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Sobathoo — the present-day Subathu — in the Punjab, British India, in recorded use from 1842 to 1844. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1993 Supplement, 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 sobathoo pre stamp covers, sobathoo postal history or "Sobathoo HG5" material can compare HG 5 across every office or browse the rest of the Sobathoo marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Sobathoo HG 5 handstamp?
- Sobathoo HG 5 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Sobathoo (modern Subathu) in the Punjab, British India, in recorded use from 1842 to 1844. The "HG 5" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in red.
- How rare is Sobathoo HG 5?
- Sobathoo 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 Sobathoo pre stamp cover with HG 5 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Sobathoo 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 Sobathoo 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 (1842-44). 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 Sobathoo
6 marks6 other pre-1854 postal markings of Sobathoo 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: Sobathoo HG 5, Sobathoo HG5, Sobathoo Giles 5, Subathu postal history, Sobathoo handstamp, Sobathoo pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Sobathoo HG 5 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/sobathoo/hg-5 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026