Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Cochin HG 3
- Colour & date
- Black1854–1859
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 70
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cochin HG 3 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Cochin HG 3 handstamp
Cochin Town is within the Native State of Cochin, but became an English settlement in 1634, when the East India Company entered into a treaty, which gave them free access to Portuguese ports. In 1663 it was captured by the Dutch. On the conquest of the Dutch by France in 1795, the E.I.C. was ordered to take possession of all the Dutch colonies. The Dutch Governor refused to surrender Cochin, so it was besieged by Major Petrie on 20 Oct 1795 and captured. The settlement was taken under English protection, but the Dutch were allowed to retain their laws and administration. The town was finally ceded to the Company under the Paris Convention of 1814. It is situated 9°58' N and 76°14' E on the Malabar Coast.
Cochin HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cochin — the present-day Kochi — in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1854 to 1859. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
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 cochin pre stamp covers, cochin postal history or "Cochin HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Cochin marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cochin HG 3 handstamp?
- Cochin HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cochin (modern Kochi) in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1854 to 1859. The "HG 3" 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 Cochin HG 3?
- Cochin HG 3 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 Cochin pre stamp cover with HG 3 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 3. 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 3 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1854–1859). 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 Cochin
5 marks5 other pre-1854 postal markings of Cochin 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: Cochin HG 3, Cochin HG3, Cochin Giles 3, Kochi postal history, Cochin handstamp, Cochin pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cochin HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cochin/hg-3 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026