Sindh · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Shikarpore HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1848–1849
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 192
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Shikarpore HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Shikarpore HG 1 handstamp
Shikarpore, in Sheemooga District, Mysore is 33 miles north-west of Sheemo o ga, situated 14°16' N and 75°21' E. It was a hunting town in Tipu Sultan's day, and then a thriving cloth trading centre.
Shikarpore HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Shikarpore — the present-day Shikarpur — in the Sindh, British India, in recorded use from 1848 to 1849. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for shikarpore pre stamp covers, shikarpore postal history or "Shikarpore HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Shikarpore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Shikarpore HG 1 handstamp?
- Shikarpore HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Shikarpore (modern Shikarpur) in the Sindh, British India, in recorded use from 1848 to 1849. The "HG 1" 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 Shikarpore HG 1?
- Shikarpore HG 1 is graded "Common" 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 a Shikarpore pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Shikarpore 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 1. 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 a Shikarpore HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1848–1849). 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 Shikarpore
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Shikarpore 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: Shikarpore HG 1, Shikarpore HG1, Shikarpore Giles 1, Shikarpur postal history, Shikarpore handstamp, Shikarpore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Shikarpore HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/sindh/shikarpore/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026