Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Conjeveram HG 1
- Colour & date
- Black1816
- Rarity
- Rare
- Note
- Rare
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 72
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Conjeveram HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Conjeveram HG 1 handstamp
Conjeveram, in Chingleput District, Madras, is situated 12°50' N and 79°42' E, 45 miles south-west of Madras. In 1752 it was taken from the Marathas by Clive in the wars with the French.
Conjeveram HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Conjeveram — the present-day Kanchipuram — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1816. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 conjeveram pre stamp covers, conjeveram postal history or "Conjeveram HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Conjeveram marks.
Rare
Frequently asked
- What is the Conjeveram HG 1 handstamp?
- Conjeveram HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Conjeveram (modern Kanchipuram) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1816. The "HG 1" 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 Conjeveram HG 1?
- Conjeveram HG 1 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 Conjeveram pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Conjeveram 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 1. 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 Conjeveram HG 1 cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1816). 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 Conjeveram
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Conjeveram 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: Conjeveram HG 1, Conjeveram HG1, Conjeveram Giles 1, Kanchipuram postal history, Conjeveram handstamp, Conjeveram pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Conjeveram HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/conjeveram/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026