Madras Presidency · Pre-1854 Handstamp
Porto Novo HG 1
- Colour & date
- 1848
- Rarity
- Common
- Catalogue
- 1989 Catalogue · p. 175
- Figure
- 1
- Submitted by
- D. Hammond Giles
Census
Census records
0 covers recordedNo pre stamp cover bearing the Porto Novo 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 Porto Novo HG 1 handstamp
Porto Novo is a town and port at the mouth of the Vellar River, in South Arcot District, Madras Presidency, situated 11°30' N and 79°46' E. An English settlement was founded in 1685, and in 1781, Sir Eyre Coote defeated Haidar Ali, in a battle that was decisive.
Porto Novo HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of the post office at Porto Novo — the present-day Parangipettai — in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1848. 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 "Common" — the grade moves automatically as new covers are recorded. Collectors searching for porto novo pre stamp covers, porto novo postal history or "Porto Novo HG1" material can compare HG 1 across every office or browse the rest of the Porto Novo marks.
Frequently asked
- What is the Porto Novo HG 1 handstamp?
- Porto Novo HG 1 is a pre-1854 handstruck postal marking of Porto Novo (modern Parangipettai) in the Madras Presidency, British India, recorded in use around 1848. The "HG 1" designation is its figure number in the Hammond Giles catalogue of the handstruck postage stamps of India.
- How rare is Porto Novo HG 1?
- Porto Novo 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. 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 Porto Novo pre stamp cover with HG 1 look like?
- A pre stamp (pre philatelic) cover from Porto Novo 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 Porto Novo 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 (1848). 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 Porto Novo
1 markOne other pre-1854 postal marking of Porto Novo 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: Porto Novo HG 1, Porto Novo HG1, Porto Novo Giles 1, Parangipettai postal history, Porto Novo handstamp, Porto Novo pre stamp cover.
How to cite
“Porto Novo HG 1 — handstamp,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/porto-novo/hg-1 (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026