Post office · Sindh
Karatchee
- Handstamps
- 11
- Recorded
- 1841–1856
- Rare
- 1
Karatchee is the capital of Sind, situated 24°51'N and 6r4' E, at the extreme north-east of the Indus delta, 993 miles north of Bombay by land, or, in nautical terms, 483 miles. It came into British territory in 1843, and may be regarded almost as a creation of British rule.
Karatchee has 11 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1841–1856 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Post office handstamps
8 marks
Ship Letter
3 marks
Karatchee handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | RedBlack | 1841–1846 | Common |
| HG 2 | Handstamp | Red | 1843–1845 | Common |
| HG 3 | Handstamp | Red | 1846–1848 | Common |
| HG 4 | Handstamp | Red | 1846–1848 | Common |
| HG 5 | Handstamp | Black | 1850–1856 | Common |
| HG 6 | Handstamp | Black | 1850–1856 | Scarce |
| HG 7 | Handstamp | Red | 1851–1856 | Common |
| HG 8 | Handstamp | Red | 1850–1853 | Rare |
| S1 | Handstamp | Red | 1848–1853 | Scarce |
| S2 | Handstamp | Black | 1849 | Scarce |
| S3 | Handstamp | Black | 1849–1851 | Common |
Frequently asked — Karatchee postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Karatchee?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Karatchee are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Karatchee post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Karatchee was a post office of the Sindh, British India, and this census records 11 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1841 and 1856.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Karatchee?
- 11 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Karatchee 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 Karatchee called today?
- Karatchee is the colonial-era name of present-day Karachi, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify a Karatchee 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 Karatchee 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: Karatchee, Karachi, Karatchee HG 1, Karatchee handstruck stamps, Karatchee pre stamp covers, Karatchee postal history.
How to cite
“Karatchee, Sindh — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/sindh/karatchee (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Karatchee?
If you hold a cover or strike from Karatchee 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 Sindh
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Sindh post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.