What is the Pondicherry HG 3A handstamp?

Pondicherry HG 3A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Pondicherry (modern Puducherry) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1801. The "HG 3A" 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 Pondicherry HG 3A?

Pondicherry HG 3A has 1 example recorded 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 Pondicherry pre-stamp cover with HG 3A look like?

A pre-stamp (pre-philatelic) cover from Pondicherry 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 3A. 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 Pondicherry HG 3A cover?

Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1801). 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.

Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp

Pondicherry HG 3A

Handstamp

Colour & date: Black1801
Rarity: 1 example recorded
Figure: 3A
Submitted by: D Pittie

← HG 3 All Pondicherry HG 4 →

Census

Census records

1 cover recorded

1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Pondicherry HG 3A handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.

COV-2542

8 September 1801

Compare HG 3A across every office →

About this mark

The Pondicherry HG 3A handstamp

Pondicherry was the chief of the French Settlements in India, and is situated on the Coromandel coast, 11°56' N and 79°49' E, about 12 miles north of Cuddalore, and 105 miles from Madras. It was founded in 1674, captured by the Dutch in 1693, but was restored in 1699. It was besieged 4 times by the British. First, unsuccessfully by Admiral Boscawen in 1748, then by Eyre Coote in 1761, captured and returned in 1765. In 1778 it was captured by Sir Hector Munro, and the fortifications destroyed, but returned in 1785 under the Treaty of Versailles of 1783. It was captured a fourth time in 1793 by Colonel Braithwaite, and finally restored in 1816.

Pondicherry HG 3A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Pondicherry — the present-day Puducherry — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1801. Known strikes are in black. Its "HG 3A" 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 "1 example recorded" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for pondicherry pre-stamp covers, pondicherry postal history or "Pondicherry HG3A" material can compare HG 3A across every office or browse the rest of the Pondicherry marks.

Frequently asked

What is the Pondicherry HG 3A handstamp?: Pondicherry HG 3A is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Pondicherry (modern Puducherry) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1801. The "HG 3A" 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 Pondicherry HG 3A?: Pondicherry HG 3A has 1 example recorded 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 Pondicherry pre-stamp cover with HG 3A look like?: A pre-stamp (pre-philatelic) cover from Pondicherry 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 3A. 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 Pondicherry HG 3A cover?: Compare your cover against the reference impression and recorded examples on this page — check the mark's shape, colour and date range (1801). 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 Pondicherry

15 marks

15 other pre-1854 postal markings of Pondicherry are recorded in the census. Compare their figure numbers, dates and colours to identify the mark on your cover.

View all Pondicherry marks and postal history →

Suggest a correction

Spotted a wrong date, colour or rarity? Propose a change — every suggestion is reviewed before it is applied.

Also searched as: Pondicherry HG 3A, Pondicherry HG3A, Pondicherry Giles 3A, Puducherry postal history, Pondicherry handstamp, Pondicherry pre-stamp cover.

How to cite

“Pondicherry HG 3A — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/pondicherry/hg-3a (accessed 14 July 2026).

Updated: 14 Jul 2026