Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Gooty HG 4
- Date Span
- 1847
- Colour
- Black
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1993 Supplement · p. 15
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Gooty HG 4 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 Gooty HG 4 handstamp
Gooty, in the Anantapur District, Madras Presidency, 30 miles from Anantapur, 47 If2 from Bellary and 258 from Madras, is situated IS? N and 7r39' E. Haidar Ali and Tippoo held the fort until 1799, when it fell to the Nizam. A rebel then seized it, and Col. Bowser retook it, on behalf of the Nizam, and in 1800 it came into the Company's possession.
Gooty HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Gooty in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1847. Known strikes are in black. It is listed in 1993 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 4".
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 gooty pre stamp covers, gooty postal history or "Gooty HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Gooty marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Gooty HG 4 handstamp?
- Gooty HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Gooty in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1847. 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 Gooty HG 4?
- Gooty 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. 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 Gooty pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Gooty 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. 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 Gooty 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 (1847). 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 Gooty
3 marks3 other pre-1854 postal markings of Gooty 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: Gooty HG 4, Gooty HG4, Gooty Giles 4, Gooty handstamp, Gooty pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Gooty HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/gooty/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026