Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Guntoor HG 1
- Date Span
- 1823-24
- Colour
- Black
- Rarity
- 2 examples recorded
- Note
- Rare – 2 examples recorded. 47x36 mm
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 97
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Guntoor HG 1 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 Guntoor HG 1 handstamp
Guntoor, situated 16°18' N, and 80°28' E, in Guntoor District, Madras Presidency, 6 miles to the east of the Kondavid Hills. The town derives its name from the Telugu 'gunta', a tank. It was founded by the French, and ceded to the British in 1765.
Guntoor HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Guntoor — the present-day Guntur — in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1823 to 1824. 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".
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 "2 examples recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for guntoor pre stamp covers, guntoor postal history or "Guntoor HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Guntoor marks.
Rare – 2 examples recorded. 47x36 mm
Frequently asked
- What is the Guntoor HG 1 handstamp?
- Guntoor HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Guntoor (modern Guntur) in the Madras Presidency, British India, in recorded use from 1823 to 1824. 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 Guntoor HG 1?
- Guntoor HG 1 has 2 examples recorded 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 Guntoor pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Guntoor 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. 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 Guntoor 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 (1823-24). 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 Guntoor
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Guntoor 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: Guntoor HG 1, Guntoor HG1, Guntoor Giles 1, Guntur postal history, Guntoor handstamp, Guntoor pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Guntoor HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/guntoor/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026