Hand Struck Stamps

Building the record together

Our supporters

The census grows with the generosity of auction houses, dealers and collectors who share their scans and allow us to reference their material. Every image credited below helps preserve a piece of India's postal heritage.

India Study Circle

The India Study Circle is the premier society for collectors and researchers of Indian stamps, postal history and related philatelic material. Membership offers access to a wealth of published research, expert knowledge and a worldwide community of specialists covering all periods — from the earliest handstruck markings through to modern India.

Whether you collect pre stamp covers, the classic issues, postal stationery, revenues or any other area of Indian philately, joining the India Study Circle will deepen your understanding and connect you with fellow enthusiasts who share your passion.

Join the India Study Circle ↗

Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries

America's premier philatelic auction house, established in 1930. Siegel handles the finest collections of worldwide stamps and postal history.

Spink

Founded in 1666, Spink is one of the world's oldest auction houses specialising in stamps, coins, medals, banknotes and fine wines.

Cavendish Philatelic Auctions Ltd

A leading UK-based philatelic auction house renowned for specialist sales of British Commonwealth and world postal history.

David Feldman

Geneva-based international stamp auctioneers, handling major collections and rarities from around the world since 1975.

StampBay

Specialist auction house focused on stamps and postal history of the Indian subcontinent, based in Palo Alto, California.

Corinphila Auctions

One of Europe's oldest and most respected philatelic auction houses, established in Zürich in 1919, offering specialist sales of worldwide stamps and postal history.

H.R. Harmer

A storied name in philatelic auctioneering since 1918, H.R. Harmer handles important collections of stamps and postal history with a strong tradition in British Commonwealth material.

Argyll Etkin

London-based dealers and auctioneers specialising in fine stamps, postal history and historical documents, with particular expertise in British Empire and worldwide material.

Ava Auctions

Specialist auctioneers of stamps and postal history of India, Asia and the Far East, with regular sales featuring pre stamp covers and early Indian postal markings.

Sephils

Specialist online auctioneers of the stamps and postal history of India and the Indian states, with regular sales rich in pre-1854 covers and handstruck markings.

Christoph Gärtner

One of the world's largest auction houses for stamps and postal history, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, with frequent India and Indian States material.

Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions

London philatelic auctioneers specialising in British Empire and world postal history, including fine India and Indian States collections.

Stanley Gibbons Baldwin's

The philatelic auction arm of Stanley Gibbons, the celebrated London stamp house founded in 1856, offering British Empire and worldwide postal history.

CollectorBazar

An Indian online auction platform for philately, postal history and numismatics, connecting collectors and dealers across India.

Marudhar Arts

India's long-established auction house for coins, banknotes and stamps, founded in 1966 and based in Bengaluru, with regular philatelic and postal-history sales.

eBay

The global online marketplace where many independent sellers and dealers list pre-1854 Indian covers and postal markings referenced in this census.

Delcampe

The international marketplace for collectors, where dealers across the world offer stamps, postal history and pre stamp covers of India recorded here.

Support the census

If your auction house or collection holds scans of pre-1854 Indian postal markings and you'd like them included in this record, we'd love to hear from you. Every supporter receives a dedicated listing on this page with a permanent backlink to your site.