Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Cochin HG 1B
- Colour & date
- Red1831
- Rarity
- Rare
- Note
- unrecorded
- Figure
- 1B
- Submitted by
- Spink
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cochin HG 1B handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Cochin HG 1B handstamp
Cochin HG 1B is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cochin — the present-day Kochi — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1831. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 1B" designation is the figure number assigned in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
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 "Rare" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for cochin pre-stamp covers, cochin postal history or "Cochin HG1B" material can compare HG 1B across every office or browse the rest of the Cochin marks.
unrecorded
Frequently asked
- What is the Cochin HG 1B handstamp?
- Cochin HG 1B is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cochin (modern Kochi) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1831. The "HG 1B" 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 Cochin HG 1B?
- Cochin HG 1B is graded "Rare" 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 Cochin pre-stamp cover with HG 1B look like?
- A pre-stamp (pre-philatelic) cover from Cochin 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 1B. 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 Cochin HG 1B cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1831). 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.
Suggest a correction
Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.
Also searched as: Cochin HG 1B, Cochin HG1B, Cochin Giles 1B, Kochi postal history, Cochin handstamp, Cochin pre-stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cochin HG 1B — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cochin/hg-1b (accessed 10 July 2026).
Updated: 10 Jul 2026