Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Mahableshwar HG 2a
- Colour & date
- Red1849
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Catalogue
- 2016 Supplement (Chandak & Bhargave) · p. 135
- Figure
- 2a
- Submitted by
- Chandak & Bhargave
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Mahableshwar HG 2a handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Mahableshwar HG 2a handstamp
Mahableshwar is 4500 feet above sea level, situated 1r56' N and 73°40' E, in Satara District, in the Bombay Presidency. It was established by Sir John Malcolm, Governor of Bombay, in 1828, as a sanitarium.
Mahableshwar HG 2a is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Mahableshwar — the present-day Mahabaleshwar — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1849. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 2016 Supplement (Chandak & Bhargave), where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2a".
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 mahableshwar pre stamp covers, mahableshwar postal history or "Mahableshwar HG2a" material can compare HG 2a across every office or browse the rest of the Mahableshwar marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Mahableshwar HG 2a handstamp?
- Mahableshwar HG 2a is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Mahableshwar (modern Mahabaleshwar) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1849. The "HG 2a" 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 Mahableshwar HG 2a?
- Mahableshwar HG 2a 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 Mahableshwar pre stamp cover with HG 2a look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Mahableshwar 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 2a. 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 Mahableshwar HG 2a cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1849). 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 Mahableshwar
6 marks6 other pre-1854 postal markings of Mahableshwar 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: Mahableshwar HG 2a, Mahableshwar HG2a, Mahableshwar Giles 2a, Mahabaleshwar postal history, Mahableshwar handstamp, Mahableshwar pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Mahableshwar HG 2a — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/mahableshwar/hg-2a (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026