Bengal Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tumlook HG 2
- Colour & date
- Red1852
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 208
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Tumlook HG 2 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 Tumlook HG 2 handstamp
Tumlook (Tamluk) is the headquarters of a subdivison of Midnapore District, Bengal, situated 22°18' N and 87°56' E, on the banks of the Rupnarayan River. Indigo, silk, and copper were the chief exports from ancient Tumlook; it is a place of great pilgrimage, The earliest Hindu tradition places the sea 8 miles off, but the process of land-making at the mouth of the Hooghly has gone on slowly and steadily, and has left Tumlook an island village, now 60 miles distant from the sea,
Tumlook HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tumlook — the present-day Tamluk — in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1852. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
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 tumlook pre stamp covers, tumlook postal history or "Tumlook HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Tumlook marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Tumlook HG 2 handstamp?
- Tumlook HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tumlook (modern Tamluk) in the Bengal Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1852. The "HG 2" 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 Tumlook HG 2?
- Tumlook HG 2 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 Tumlook pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Tumlook 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. 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 Tumlook 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 (1852). 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 Tumlook
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Tumlook is recorded in the census. Compare it against this mark to place 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: Tumlook HG 2, Tumlook HG2, Tumlook Giles 2, Tamluk postal history, Tumlook handstamp, Tumlook pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tumlook HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/tumlook/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026