Bombay Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Tannah HG 2
- Colour & date
- Red1850–1854
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Note
- Colour error in stamping?
- Catalogue
- 2000 Supplement · p. 14
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Tannah HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Tannah HG 2 handstamp
Tannah (Thana) is a District and town in Bombay Presidency. The town is situated 19°12' N and 72°59' E, 21 miles north-east of Bombay, on the west shore of Salsette creek. Under Treaty in 1533 it was made over to the Portuguese. In 1774, the fort was stormed, and captured by the East India Company forces.
Tannah HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Tannah — the present-day Thane — in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1850 to 1854. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 2000 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 2".
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 tannah pre stamp covers, tannah postal history or "Tannah HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Tannah marks.
Colour error in stamping?
Frequently asked
- What is the Tannah HG 2 handstamp?
- Tannah HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Tannah (modern Thane) in the Bombay Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1850 to 1854. The "HG 2" 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 Tannah HG 2?
- Tannah HG 2 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 Tannah pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Tannah 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 2. 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 Tannah HG 2 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1850–1854). 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 Tannah
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Tannah 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: Tannah HG 2, Tannah HG2, Tannah Giles 2, Thane postal history, Tannah handstamp, Tannah pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Tannah HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bombay/tannah/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026