What is the Bombay HG 16 handstamp?

Bombay HG 16 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Bombay (modern Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1836. The "HG 16" 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 Bombay HG 16?

Bombay HG 16 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 Bombay pre stamp cover with HG 16 look like?

A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bombay 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 16. 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 Bombay HG 16 cover?

Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1836). 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.

Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Bombay HG 16

Handstamp

Date Span: 1836
Colour: Red
Rarity: Scarce
Note: Scarce
Catalogue: 1989 Catalogue · p. 36
Figure: 16
Submitted by: D. Hammond Giles

← HG 15 All Bombay HG 17 →

Census

Census records

1 cover recorded

1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Bombay HG 16 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.

COV-2625

31 January 1836

Compare HG 16 across every office →

About this mark

The Bombay HG 16 handstamp

Mumbai, also known as Bombay, is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra — the financial capital and most populous city of India, on the Konkan coast of the Arabian Sea.

Bombay HG 16 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Bombay — the present-day Mumbai — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1836. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 16".

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 bombay pre stamp covers, bombay postal history or "Bombay HG16" material can compare HG 16 across every office or browse the rest of the Bombay marks.

Scarce

Frequently asked

What is the Bombay HG 16 handstamp?: Bombay HG 16 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Bombay (modern Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1836. The "HG 16" 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 Bombay HG 16?: Bombay HG 16 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 Bombay pre stamp cover with HG 16 look like?: A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Bombay 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 16. 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 Bombay HG 16 cover?: Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1836). 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 Bombay

109 marks

109 other pre-1854 postal markings of Bombay are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

View all Bombay marks and postal history →

Suggest a correction

Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.

Also searched as: Bombay HG 16, Bombay HG16, Bombay Giles 16, Mumbai postal history, Bombay handstamp, Bombay pre stamp cover.

How to cite

“Bombay HG 16 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/bombay/hg-16 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026