Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Belgaum HG 4A
- Colour & date
- Red1838
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Figure
- 4A
- Submitted by
- Arvind
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Belgaum HG 4A handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Belgaum HG 4A handstamp
After having been held by the Mohammedan rulers, the fort passed to the Peshwas about 1754, and was taken by the British in 1818 with the overthrow of the Peshwa. It becam e a large military cantonment and, in 1838, the civil headquarters for the Poona District.
Belgaum HG 4A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Belgaum — the present-day Belagavi — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1838. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 4A" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for belgaum pre stamp covers, belgaum postal history or "Belgaum HG4A" material can compare HG 4A across every office or browse the rest of the Belgaum marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Belgaum HG 4A handstamp?
- Belgaum HG 4A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Belgaum (modern Belagavi) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1838. The "HG 4A" 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 Belgaum HG 4A?
- Belgaum HG 4A is graded "Scarce" 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 Belgaum pre stamp cover with HG 4A look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Belgaum 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 4A. 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 Belgaum HG 4A 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 Belgaum
7 marks7 other pre-1854 postal markings of Belgaum 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: Belgaum HG 4A, Belgaum HG4A, Belgaum Giles 4A, Belagavi postal history, Belgaum handstamp, Belgaum pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Belgaum HG 4A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/belgaum/hg-4a (accessed 26 August 2026).
Updated: 26 Aug 2026