Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Cumbacunum HG 2
- Colour & date
- Red1854
- Rarity
- Rare
- Figure
- 2
- Submitted by
- Nitya Pushta
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Cumbacunum HG 2 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Cumbacunum HG 2 handstamp
Kumbakonam is a historic city in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, uniquely situated between the Kaveri and Arasalar rivers. Known as the "Temple City of South India," it boasts over 300 ancient Hindu shrines, centuries-old Chola architecture, and is famous for its intricate bell-metal wares and hand-spun silks
Cumbacunum HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Cumbacunum — the present-day Kumbakonam — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1854. Known strikes are in red. Its "HG 2" 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 cumbacunum pre stamp covers, cumbacunum postal history or "Cumbacunum HG2" material can compare HG 2 across every office or browse the rest of the Cumbacunum marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Cumbacunum HG 2 handstamp?
- Cumbacunum HG 2 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Cumbacunum (modern Kumbakonam) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1854. The "HG 2" 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 Cumbacunum HG 2?
- Cumbacunum HG 2 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 Cumbacunum pre stamp cover with HG 2 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Cumbacunum 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 Cumbacunum 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 (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 Cumbacunum
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Cumbacunum 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: Cumbacunum HG 2, Cumbacunum HG2, Cumbacunum Giles 2, Kumbakonam postal history, Cumbacunum handstamp, Cumbacunum pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Cumbacunum HG 2 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/cumbacunum/hg-2 (accessed 21 July 2026).
Updated: 21 Jul 2026