Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Balasore HG 3
- Date Span
- 1838
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 20
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Balasore HG 3 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 Balasore HG 3 handstamp
Balasore, on the right bank of the Burhabalang River, 15 miles from its mouth, but only 6 miles by direct line to the sea in Bengal, situated 21°30' N and 86°56' E. First place to be occupied by the English in 1633, because the safety of its roadstead, near the mouth of the Ganges, enabled sea-going ships to unload their cargoes into smaller vessels for transport up the Hooghly River.
Balasore HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Balasore — the present-day Baleshwar — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1838. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
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 balasore pre stamp covers, balasore postal history or "Balasore HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Balasore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Balasore HG 3 handstamp?
- Balasore HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Balasore (modern Baleshwar) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1838. The "HG 3" 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 Balasore HG 3?
- Balasore HG 3 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 Balasore pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Balasore 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 3. 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 Balasore HG 3 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1838). 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 Balasore
2 marks2 other pre-1854 postal markings of Balasore 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: Balasore HG 3, Balasore HG3, Balasore Giles 3, Baleshwar postal history, Balasore handstamp, Balasore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Balasore HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/balasore/hg-3 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026