Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Cannanore HG 4
- Colour & date
- Black1827–1830
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 64
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cannanore HG 4 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Cannanore HG 4 handstamp
Headquarters of the Chirakkal taluk of Malabar District, Madras, situated 11°52' N and 75°22' E, in the shallow bay of the Arabian Sea, 470 miles from Madras. In 1790, the fort was captured from the Bibi of Cannanore, and became the military headqu arters of the British on the West Coast.
Cannanore HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cannanore — the present-day Kannur — in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1827 to 1830. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 4".
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 cannanore pre stamp covers, cannanore postal history or "Cannanore HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Cannanore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cannanore HG 4 handstamp?
- Cannanore HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cannanore (modern Kannur) in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1827 to 1830. 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 Cannanore HG 4?
- Cannanore 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. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does a Cannanore pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Cannanore 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. 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 Cannanore 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 (1827–1830). 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 Cannanore
9 marks9 other pre-1854 postal markings of Cannanore are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.
- Cannanore HG 1handstampBlack1820–1823
- Cannanore HG 2handstampBlack1823
- Cannanore HG 2ahandstampBlack1823–1825
- Cannanore HG 3handstampBlack1825–1837
- Cannanore HG 5handstampRed1838–1845
- Cannanore HG 6handstampBlack1838-42
- Cannanore HG 7handstampRed1839-42
- Cannanore HG 8handstampRed1844-49
- Cannanore MN 1manuscript1819
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Cannanore HG 4, Cannanore HG4, Cannanore Giles 4, Kannur postal history, Cannanore handstamp, Cannanore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cannanore HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cannanore/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026