Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Kolapore HG 3
- Colour & date
- Red1856–1857
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Note
- Slide stamp (c. 35 x 24.5 mm)
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- Sadaqat Khan
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Kolapore HG 3 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Kolapore HG 3 handstamp
Kolhapur is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in southern Maharashtra, formerly the seat of an important princely state.
Kolapore HG 3 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Kolapore — the present-day Kolhapur — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1856 to 1857. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 3" 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 kolapore pre stamp covers, kolapore postal history or "Kolapore HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Kolapore marks.
Slide stamp (c. 35 x 24.5 mm)
Frequently asked
- What is the Kolapore HG 3 handstamp?
- Kolapore HG 3 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Kolapore (modern Kolhapur) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1856 to 1857. The "HG 3" 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 Kolapore HG 3?
- Kolapore HG 3 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 Kolapore pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Kolapore 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. 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 Kolapore 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 (1856–1857). 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 Kolapore
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Kolapore 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: Kolapore HG 3, Kolapore HG3, Kolapore Giles 3, Kolhapur postal history, Kolapore handstamp, Kolapore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Kolapore HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/kolapore/hg-3 (accessed 24 September 2026).
Updated: 24 Sept 2026