Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Alleppy HG 4
- Colour & date
- Red1854
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 14
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Alleppy HG 4 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 Alleppy HG 4 handstamp
Chief sea-port in Travancore State, Madras Presidency, situated 9°30' N and 76°20' E. Created by Maharaja Rama Varma, in order to put an end to the commercial supremacy of the Dutch, who had a factory at Porakad . 49 miles from Quilon.
Alleppy HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Alleppy — the present-day Alappuzha — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1854. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 4".
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 alleppy pre stamp covers, alleppy postal history or "Alleppy HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Alleppy marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Alleppy HG 4 handstamp?
- Alleppy HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Alleppy (modern Alappuzha) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1854. The "HG 4" 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 Alleppy HG 4?
- Alleppy HG 4 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 an Alleppy pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Alleppy 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 4. 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 an Alleppy HG 4 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (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 Alleppy
6 marks6 other pre-1854 postal markings of Alleppy 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: Alleppy HG 4, Alleppy HG4, Alleppy Giles 4, Alappuzha postal history, Alleppy handstamp, Alleppy pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Alleppy HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/alleppy/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026