Sindh · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Shikarpore HG 5
- Date Span
- 1857
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 192
- Figure
- 5
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Shikarpore 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 Shikarpore HG 5 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 5 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Shikarpore — the present-day Shikarpur — in the Sindh, British India, recorded in use around 1857. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, 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 shikarpore pre stamp covers, shikarpore postal history or "Shikarpore HG5" material can compare HG 5 across every office or browse the rest of the Shikarpore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Shikarpore HG 5 handstamp?
- Shikarpore HG 5 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Shikarpore (modern Shikarpur) in the Sindh, British India, recorded in use around 1857. 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 Shikarpore HG 5?
- Shikarpore 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 Shikarpore pre stamp cover with HG 5 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 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 Shikarpore 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 (1857). 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 5, Shikarpore HG5, Shikarpore Giles 5, Shikarpur postal history, Shikarpore handstamp, Shikarpore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Shikarpore HG 5 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/sindh/shikarpore/hg-5 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026