Post office · Punjab
Umbalah
- Handstamps
- 14
- Recorded
- 1844–1854
- Rare
- 3
Umbalah (Ambala) is 'on the Grand Trunk Road in the Punjab, 1077 miles from Calcutta, 1105 from Bombay and 848 from Karachi, situated 30°23' N and 76°46' E. It had the largest cantonment in India, established in 1843. It had no importance before the lapse of the Umballa estate in 1823, when it became the residence of the Political Agent for the C is-Sutlej States.
Umbalah has 14 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1844–1854 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
Umbalah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1844–1850 | Common |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Black | 1846 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1845–1847 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Red | 1845 | Rare |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1845 | Rare |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1848–1849 | Common |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1848 | Common |
| HG 7a | Handstamp | Black | 1848 | 1 example recorded |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1848–1853 | Common |
| HG 9 | Handstamp | Red | 1845–1849 | Common |
| HG 10 | Handstamp | Black | 1851 | Common |
| HG 11 | Handstamp | Red | 1852 | Common |
| HG 12 | Handstamp | Red | 1853–1854 | Common |
| HG 13 | Handstamp | Red | 1852 | Scarce |
Frequently asked — Umbalah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Umbalah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Umbalah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Umbalah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Umbalah was a post office of the Punjab, British India, and this census records 14 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1844 and 1854.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Umbalah?
- 14 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Umbalah 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 Umbalah called today?
- Umbalah is the colonial-era name of present-day Ambala, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify an Umbalah 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 Umbalah 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.
Also searched as: Umbalah, Ambala, Umbalah HG 1, Umbalah handstruck stamps, Umbalah pre stamp covers, Umbalah postal history.
How to cite
“Umbalah, Punjab — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/umbalah (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Umbalah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Umbalah 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.