Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Panwell HG 3
- Colour & date
- Red1840–1856
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1993 Supplement · p. 24
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Panwell HG 3 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Panwell HG 3 handstamp
Panwell is in Kolaba District, Bombay Presidency, situated 18°59' N and 73°7' E on the high road from Bombay to Poona. Panwell port is recorded as having carried on trade with Europe in 1570.
Panwell HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Panwell — the present-day Panvel — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1840 to 1856. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1993 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for panwell pre stamp covers, panwell postal history or "Panwell HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Panwell marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Panwell HG 3 handstamp?
- Panwell HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Panwell (modern Panvel) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1840 to 1856. 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 Panwell HG 3?
- Panwell 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. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Panwell pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Panwell 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 Panwell 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 (1840–1856). 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 Panwell
2 marks2 other pre-1854 postal markings of Panwell 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: Panwell HG 3, Panwell HG3, Panwell Giles 3, Panvel postal history, Panwell handstamp, Panwell pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Panwell HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/panwell/hg-3 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026