Sindh · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tattah HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1856
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 201
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Tattah HG 1 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 Tattah HG 1 handstamp
Tattah, in Karachi District, Sind, is situated 24°45' N and 67°58' E, about 7 miles west of the Indus River, and about 50 miles from Karachi. In 1758 the East India Company established a factory, but it was withdrawn in 1775. In 1837, Capt. Wood of the Indian Navy made a census of the population of 10,000, and Company troops were stationed there in 1839.
Tattah HG 1 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tattah — the present-day Thatta — in the Sindh, British India, recorded in use around 1856. 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".
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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for tattah pre stamp covers, tattah postal history or "Tattah HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Tattah marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Tattah HG 1 handstamp?
- Tattah HG 1 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Tattah (modern Thatta) in the Sindh, British India, recorded in use around 1856. 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 Tattah HG 1?
- Tattah HG 1 is graded "Scarce" 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 Tattah pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Tattah 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. 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 Tattah 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 (1856). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Tattah HG 1, Tattah HG1, Tattah Giles 1, Thatta postal history, Tattah handstamp, Tattah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tattah HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/sindh/tattah/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026