Azimgurh pre-1854 postal-mark census updated with surviving-cover evidence

A specialist census of India’s pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings was updated on 31 August 2026 with refreshed reference pages for Azimgurh, the historic spelling associated with modern Azamgarh. The Hand Struck Stamps project records several Azimgurh marks by Hammond Giles figure number and links them to known dates, colours, surviving covers and provenance where available.

The updated pages cover marks including HG 1, HG 2, HG 3 and HG 5. HG 1 is recorded in black from 1822–25 and is described as scarce, with two surviving covers recorded in the census. HG 2 is recorded in black from 1824–25. HG 3 is also associated with 1824–25, while the project notes that no surviving cover bearing that mark has yet been recorded, making any newly documented example potentially important. HG 5 is recorded in black in 1839, with a single surviving cover recorded.

Such census work is particularly valuable in Indian postal history because early handstamps can be difficult to identify from incomplete strikes, variable ink and inconsistent surviving documentation. A structured record of known examples helps collectors compare shape, wording, colour and date range against material in their own collections.

The project also allows collectors to submit front-and-back images of unrecorded covers for review, meaning the census can change as new material or provenance emerges. This makes the 31 August update more than a static catalogue entry: it is part of an evidence-based record of how many examples are actually known.

Collectors with Azimgurh or Azamgarh pre-stamp covers should compare their markings against the updated references. Any cover outside the recorded census, especially one bearing a poorly documented figure such as HG 3, could warrant specialist review and provenance checking.