Punjab · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Umbalah HG 5
- Colour & date
- Black1845
- Rarity
- Rare
- Note
- Scarce
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 209
- Figure
- 5
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Umbalah HG 5 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Umbalah HG 5 handstamp
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 HG 5 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Umbalah — the present-day Ambala — in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1845. 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".
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for umbalah pre stamp covers, umbalah postal history or "Umbalah HG5" material can compare HG 5 across every office or browse the rest of the Umbalah marks.
Scarce
Frequently asked
- What is the Umbalah HG 5 handstamp?
- Umbalah HG 5 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Umbalah (modern Ambala) in the Punjab, British India, recorded in use around 1845. 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 Umbalah HG 5?
- Umbalah HG 5 is graded "Rare" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does an Umbalah pre stamp cover with HG 5 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Umbalah 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. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit an Umbalah 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 (1845). 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 Umbalah
13 marks13 other pre-1854 postal markings of Umbalah are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Umbalah HG 1handstampRed1844–1850
- Umbalah HG 2handstampBlack1846
- Umbalah HG 3handstampRed1845-47
- Umbalah HG 4handstampRed1845
- Umbalah HG 6handstampBlack1848–1849
- Umbalah HG 7handstampRed1848
- Umbalah HG 7ahandstampBlack1848
- Umbalah HG 8handstampRed1848-53
- Umbalah HG 9handstampRed1845-49
- Umbalah HG 10handstampBlack1851
- Umbalah HG 11handstampRed1852
- Umbalah HG 12handstampRed1853-54
- Umbalah HG 13handstampRed1852
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Umbalah HG 5, Umbalah HG5, Umbalah Giles 5, Ambala postal history, Umbalah handstamp, Umbalah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Umbalah HG 5 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/punjab/umbalah/hg-5 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026