Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Dindigul HG 3
- Date Span
- 1840
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 85
- Figure
- 3
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Dindigul HG 3 handstamp has been recorded yet. If you hold one, submit it below.
No covers bearing this mark have been recorded yet. If you hold one, your submission — once reviewed — will appear here.
About this mark
The Dindigul HG 3 handstamp
Dindigul (Dindu-kal, 'the rock of Dindu' an asura or demon), in the Madura District, Madras Presidency, situated 10°22' N and 77°59' E, 322 miles from Madras, 880 feet above sea-level. It was held by Haidar Ali intermittently from 1755 to 1790, when it was captured by Colonel Stuart and ceded to the East India Company in 1792, and occupied by a British garrison until 1860.
Dindigul HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Dindigul in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1840. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 3".
No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. On the strength of that count the mark is graded "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for dindigul pre stamp covers, dindigul postal history or "Dindigul HG3" material can compare HG 3 across every office or browse the rest of the Dindigul marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Dindigul HG 3 handstamp?
- Dindigul HG 3 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Dindigul in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1840. The "HG 3" 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 Dindigul HG 3?
- Dindigul 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. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example.
- What does a Dindigul pre stamp cover with HG 3 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Dindigul 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. No surviving cover bearing this mark has been recorded in the census yet — if you hold one, it may be the first recorded example. Each census record on this page links to full cover images, dates and auction provenance.
- How do I identify or submit a Dindigul 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 (1840). 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 Dindigul
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Dindigul 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: Dindigul HG 3, Dindigul HG3, Dindigul Giles 3, Dindigul handstamp, Dindigul pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Dindigul HG 3 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/dindigul/hg-3 (accessed 11 August 2026).
Updated: 11 Aug 2026