Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Poondy HG 1
- Date Span
- 1841
- Colour
- Red
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 174
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
1 cover recorded1 pre-1854 cover bearing the Poondy HG 1 handstamp is recorded below — each entry links to images, provenance and auction details.
About this mark
The Poondy HG 1 handstamp
Poondy was a Sudder Post Office in the Chitterpore subdivision of Ganjam District, 597 miles north of Madras and 439 south of Calcutta. A Post Office was established in 1833 or earlier, and is still in existence, but efforts to locate it on a map have failed.
Poondy HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Poondy in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1841. Known strikes are in red. It is listed in 1989 Catalogue, where each marking of British India is assigned a figure number — hence "HG 1".
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 poondy pre stamp covers, poondy postal history or "Poondy HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Poondy marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Poondy HG 1 handstamp?
- Poondy HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Poondy in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1841. The "HG 1" 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 Poondy HG 1?
- Poondy HG 1 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 a Poondy pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Poondy 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. 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 Poondy 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 (1841). 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 Poondy
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Poondy is recorded in the census. Compare it against this mark to place 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: Poondy HG 1, Poondy HG1, Poondy Giles 1, Poondy handstamp, Poondy pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Poondy HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/poondy/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026