Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Mahableshwar HG 3
- Date Span
- 1853
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 135
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Mahableshwar HG 3 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.
About this mark
The Mahableshwar HG 3 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 3 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 1853. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
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 mahableshwar pre stamp covers, mahableshwar postal history or "Mahableshwar HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Mahableshwar marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Mahableshwar HG 3 handstamp?
- Mahableshwar HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Mahableshwar (modern Mahabaleshwar) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1853. 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 Mahableshwar HG 3?
- Mahableshwar HG 3 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 Mahableshwar pre stamp cover with HG 3 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 3. 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 Mahableshwar 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 (1853). 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 3, Mahableshwar HG3, Mahableshwar Giles 3, Mahabaleshwar postal history, Mahableshwar handstamp, Mahableshwar pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Mahableshwar HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/mahableshwar/hg-3 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026