Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Ingeram HG 4
- Colour & date
- Red1839
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 2000 Supplement · p. 9
- Figure
- 4
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Ingeram HG 4 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Ingeram HG 4 handstamp
Ingeram, a small village in Godavari District, Madras Presidency, situated 16°44' N and 82°11' E, 5 miles south of Coringa on the Ingeram canal. A factory was established by the E. I. Company in 1708 and became famous for its fine cloths. Captured by the French in 1757, but recovered in 1759, and remained a mercantile station until 1829, and suffered a severe cyclone in 1839.
Ingeram HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Ingeram in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1852. Known strikes occur in black and red. It is listed in 2000 Supplement, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 4".
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 ingeram pre stamp covers, ingeram postal history or "Ingeram HG4" material can compare HG 4 across every office or browse the rest of the Ingeram marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Ingeram HG 4 handstamp?
- Ingeram HG 4 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Ingeram in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1852. The "HG 4" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India. Known strikes occur in black and red.
- How rare is Ingeram HG 4?
- Ingeram 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. A single surviving cover bearing this mark is recorded in the census, with images and provenance.
- What does an Ingeram pre stamp cover with HG 4 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Ingeram 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. 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 an Ingeram 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 (1852). 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 Ingeram
4 marks4 other pre-1854 postal markings of Ingeram 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: Ingeram HG 4, Ingeram HG4, Ingeram Giles 4, Ingeram handstamp, Ingeram pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Ingeram HG 4 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/ingeram/hg-4 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026