Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Coonoor HG 2
- Date Span
- 1853
- Colour
- Black
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 72
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Coonoor HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Coonoor HG 2 handstamp
Coonoor is a town and sanitarium in the Nilgiri District, Madras Presidency, 6000 feet above the sea, situated 11°21' N and 76°48' E, 345 miles from Madras.
Coonoor HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Coonoor in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1853. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, 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 coonoor pre stamp covers, coonoor postal history or "Coonoor HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Coonoor marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Coonoor HG 2 handstamp?
- Coonoor HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Coonoor in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1853. 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 Coonoor HG 2?
- Coonoor 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 Coonoor pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Coonoor 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 Coonoor 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 (1853). 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 Coonoor
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Coonoor 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: Coonoor HG 2, Coonoor HG2, Coonoor Giles 2, Coonoor handstamp, Coonoor pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Coonoor HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/coonoor/hg-2 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026