Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Coimbatore HG 4
- Colour & date
- Black1853–1854
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 2000 Supplement · p. 6
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Coimbatore HG 4 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Coimbatore HG 4 handstamp
Coimbatore is situated 11 oN and 76°58' E, on the left bank of the Noyil River, 305 miles from Madras. In the 16th century it was occupied and lost several times by the British, but finall y possessed after the fall of Seringapatam in 1799.
Coimbatore HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Coimbatore in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1853 to 1854. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 2000 Supplement, 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 coimbatore pre stamp covers, coimbatore postal history or "Coimbatore HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Coimbatore marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Coimbatore HG 4 handstamp?
- Coimbatore HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Coimbatore in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1853 to 1854. 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 Coimbatore HG 4?
- Coimbatore 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 Coimbatore pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Coimbatore 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 Coimbatore 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 (1853–1854). 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 Coimbatore
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Coimbatore 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: Coimbatore HG 4, Coimbatore HG4, Coimbatore Giles 4, Coimbatore handstamp, Coimbatore pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Coimbatore HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/coimbatore/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026