Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Cocanada HG 2
- Colour & date
- Black1848
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1993 Supplement · p. 12
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cocanada HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Cocanada HG 2 handstamp
Kakinada is a port city and municipal corporation in Andhra Pradesh, situated along the Bay of Bengal, serving as the headquarters of Kakinada district.
Cocanada HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cocanada — the present-day Kakinada — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1848. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1993 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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for cocanada pre stamp covers, cocanada postal history or "Cocanada HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Cocanada marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cocanada HG 2 handstamp?
- Cocanada HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cocanada (modern Kakinada) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1848. The "HG 2" 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 Cocanada HG 2?
- Cocanada HG 2 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 Cocanada pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Cocanada 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 Cocanada 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 (1848). 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 Cocanada
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Cocanada 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: Cocanada HG 2, Cocanada HG2, Cocanada Giles 2, Kakinada postal history, Cocanada handstamp, Cocanada pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cocanada HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cocanada/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026