Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Gowalpara HG 3
- Colour & date
- Black1839–1840
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 96
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Gowalpara 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 Gowalpara HG 3 handstamp
Gowalpara, a town on the south bank of the Brahmaputra, Assam, situated 26°19′ N and 90°38′ E. Prior to annexation of Assam, Gowalpara was, in 1765\, a frontier station of the E.I. Company's territories. A colony of Europeans, who settled there, forcibly acquired a monopoly of the Bengal trade, and then engaged in lucrative transactions with the natives, who enjoyed a similar monopoly of trade in Assam.
Gowalpara HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Gowalpara — the present-day Goalpara — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1839 to 1840. Known strikes are in black. 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 gowalpara pre stamp covers, gowalpara postal history or "Gowalpara HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Gowalpara marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Gowalpara HG 3 handstamp?
- Gowalpara HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Gowalpara (modern Goalpara) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1839 to 1840. The "HG 3" 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 Gowalpara HG 3?
- Gowalpara 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 Gowalpara pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Gowalpara 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 Gowalpara 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 (1839–1840). 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 Gowalpara
2 marks2 other pre-1854 postal markings of Gowalpara 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: Gowalpara HG 3, Gowalpara HG3, Gowalpara Giles 3, Goalpara postal history, Gowalpara handstamp, Gowalpara pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Gowalpara HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/gowalpara/hg-3 (accessed 11 August 2026).
Updated: 11 Aug 2026