Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Calicut HG 4
- Colour & date
- Black1860
- Rarity
- Scarce
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- Terry Hare-Walker India Study Circle IP216
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Calicut 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 Calicut HG 4 handstamp
Calicut, in the Malabar District, Madras Presidency, is situated 11°15' N and 75°47' E, on the West Coast, 414 miles from Madras, It was the first port of India visited by Europeans, and gave its name to "Calico", one of the chief articles of the early trade.
Calicut HG 4 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of the post office at Calicut — the present-day Kozhikode — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1860. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 4" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
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 "Scarce" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for calicut pre stamp covers, calicut postal history or "Calicut HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Calicut marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Calicut HG 4 handstamp?
- Calicut HG 4 is a early Indian handstruck postal marking of Calicut (modern Kozhikode) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1860. The "HG 4" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes are in black.
- How rare is Calicut HG 4?
- Calicut HG 4 is graded "Scarce" 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 Calicut pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Calicut 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 a Calicut 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 (1860). 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 Calicut
5 marks5 other pre-1854 postal markings of Calicut 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: Calicut HG 4, Calicut HG4, Calicut Giles 4, Kozhikode postal history, Calicut handstamp, Calicut pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Calicut HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/calicut/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026