What is the Bombay HG 9 handstamp?

Bombay HG 9 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Bombay (modern Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1824 to 1825. The "HG 9" 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 9?

Bombay HG 9 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 Bombay pre stamp cover with HG 9 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 9. 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 Bombay HG 9 cover?

Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1824-25). 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 9

Handstamp

Date Span: 1824-25
Colour: Red
Rarity: Common
Catalogue: 1989 Catalogue · p. 35
Figure: 9
Submitted by: D. Hammond Giles

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Census

Census records

0 covers recorded

No pre stamp cover bearing the Bombay HG 9 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.

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About this mark

The Bombay HG 9 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 9 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Bombay — the present-day Mumbai — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1824 to 1825. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 9".

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 bombay pre stamp covers, bombay postal history or "Bombay HG9" material can compare HG 9 across every office or browse the rest of the Bombay marks.

Frequently asked

What is the Bombay HG 9 handstamp?: Bombay HG 9 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Bombay (modern Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1824 to 1825. The "HG 9" 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 9?: Bombay HG 9 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 Bombay pre stamp cover with HG 9 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 9. 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 Bombay HG 9 cover?: Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1824-25). 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 9, Bombay HG9, Bombay Giles 9, Mumbai postal history, Bombay handstamp, Bombay pre stamp cover.

How to cite

“Bombay HG 9 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/bombay/hg-9 (accessed 10 August 2026).

Updated: 10 Aug 2026