Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Gowahaty HG 2
- Colour & date
- Black1835
- Rarity
- Rare
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 95
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Gowahaty HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Gowahaty HG 2 handstamp
Gowahaty (Goa-hathi = "high land covered with areca-palms"), in Kamrup District, in Assam, on both banks of the Brahmaputra River, is situated 26°11' N and 91°45' E. In 1826, when Assam was ceded to the Company, Gowahaty became the headquarters orthe Assam Division.......
Gowahaty HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Gowahaty — the present-day Guwahati — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1835. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for gowahaty pre stamp covers, gowahaty postal history or "Gowahaty HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Gowahaty marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Gowahaty HG 2 handstamp?
- Gowahaty HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Gowahaty (modern Guwahati) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1835. The "HG 2" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Gowahaty HG 2?
- Gowahaty HG 2 is graded "Rare" in this census. Rarity here is evidence-based: it is derived from the number of surviving covers actually recorded, not estimated. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Gowahaty pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Gowahaty 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 2. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Gowahaty HG 2 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1835). 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 Gowahaty
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Gowahaty 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: Gowahaty HG 2, Gowahaty HG2, Gowahaty Giles 2, Guwahati postal history, Gowahaty handstamp, Gowahaty pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Gowahaty HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/gowahaty/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026