Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Rutnagery HG 1
- Colour & date
- Red1849–1855
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1993 Supplement · p. 26
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Rutnagery HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Rutnagery HG 1 handstamp
Ratnagiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea in Ratnagiri District, in the Konkan division of south-western Maharashtra.
Rutnagery HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Rutnagery — the present-day Ratnagiri — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1849 to 1855. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1993 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 rutnagery pre stamp covers, rutnagery postal history or "Rutnagery HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Rutnagery marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Rutnagery HG 1 handstamp?
- Rutnagery HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Rutnagery (modern Ratnagiri) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1849 to 1855. The "HG 1" 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 Rutnagery HG 1?
- Rutnagery HG 1 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 Rutnagery pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Rutnagery 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 1. 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 Rutnagery HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1849–1855). 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 Rutnagery
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Rutnagery is recorded in the census. Compare it against this mark to place 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: Rutnagery HG 1, Rutnagery HG1, Rutnagery Giles 1, Ratnagiri postal history, Rutnagery handstamp, Rutnagery pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Rutnagery HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/rutnagery/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026